leadership CTSO

CTSO Leaderhip lesson 

April 2019 

Leadership lesson  

PUT YOURSELF IN THEIR SHOES 

OBJECTIVE 

Using critical thinking techniques, students will 

solve challenges for a current leader by placing 

themselves in the shoes of the leader. 

TIME 

25 minutes (15 minutes for the activity, 10 minutes 

for the discussion) 

MATERIALS 

Two scenarios (below); write one scenario on two 

cards and the other scenario on two different cards 

(for will be a total of four index cards) 

Critical Thinking Techniques handout, as reference 

ACTIVITY 

Have four volunteers pass out one scenario index 

card to each student. Give students two to three 

minutes to assess the situation described on the 

index card and plan what they would do in assuming 

the leadership role described. 

Have students read their scenario out loud to the 

rest of the group and provide an explanation of their 

plan of action. 

Scenarios 

#1 As the CEO of a growing web design 

firm you have just signed a large contract 

with a known company to design its 

website. The contract is favorable to your 

firm and the job will involve a lot of great 

exposure. The only challenge is that the 

work needs to begin right away and your 

team/staff is already working 60 hours a 

week to complete current assignments. To 

hire more designers and staff will take at 

least 60 days. As the CEO, what options 

do you have to fulfill the contract and get 

the work done? 

# 2 You are the head of the design team for 

a leading architectural firm. Your team has 

been assigned the job of designing a new 

eco-friendly community of approximately 

200 homes outside of Washington, D.C. 

You need to choose a manager/job leader 

to serve as the head of the project. You have 

identified three very qualified individuals. 

The first specializes in eco-friendly homes. 

The second knows the D.C. area well, 

including the common preferences of D.C. 

area customers. The third has worked for 

you for quite some time and is a natural 

choice. However, this person does not 

have expansive experience in eco-friendly 

designs and does not live near D.C. Who 

should you choose? 

DISCUSSION POINTS 

• Which scenario was the most difficult to 

resolve? Why? 

• What issues may have influenced students to 

handle the scenarios differently? 

• How did exposure to the critical thinking 

techniques noted on the handout affect each 

student’s resolution of the scenarios? 

Critical Thinking Techniques 

The critical thinking skills below should be reviewed with students and used, as appropriate, with the relevant Critical Thinking Leadership Lessons.  

Critical thinking requires the following:  

1. Asking questions, admitting things you do not know or understand, asking for clarification  

2. Being curious  

3. Seeking facts  

4. Knowing the difference between fact and opinion  

5. Seeking evidence to support the facts  

6. Paying attention to details, looking at problems closely  

7. Not getting involved in personal opinions and personal judgments  

8. Listening carefully