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5: Task Leadership

  • Page ID
    294617
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    Complex organizing requires a lot of logistics. Task leadership involves managing the complex details of a campaign. One famous example of a very successful use of task leadership was the Montgomery Bus Boycott. After Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery Alabama bus in December of 1955, the community organized a boycott of the bus system that lasted until December of 1956. The boycott ended when the Supreme Court declared segregation in buses to be unconstitutional. 

    Getting anything done requires a lot of small tasks to be done, and a good task leader can take something big that needs to be done and break it up into small tasks. Task leaders also work to get other people to do tasks and they keep track of who needs to do what when.

    Learning Objectives
    In this section, you will:
    1. Learn what task leadership is and reflect on your task leadership skills
    2. Study the Montgomery Bus Boycott
    3. Learn how to use a spreadsheet to organize an event
    4. Explore the Iron Rule of community organizing

    • 5.1: Characteristics of Task Leadership
      This page discusses effective task leadership, emphasizing the importance of delegation, coordination, and the use of tools like spreadsheets, Discord, and Slack for task organization. It highlights the balance leaders must maintain between fulfilling their responsibilities and empowering team members.
    • 5.2: Story of Task Leadership- the Montgomery Bus Boycott
      This page discusses the Montgomery bus boycott, a significant protest against racial segregation initiated by Rosa Parks' arrest in December 1955. It highlights the boycott's organization by the Women's Political Council and the black community's involvement, which included a carpool system and grassroots activism.
    • 5.3: Developing Leadership in Others- The Iron Rule
      This page emphasizes the importance of developing leadership skills within an organization, advocating for delegation to foster accountability and trust. It highlights the Iron Rule of Community Organizing, which advises against doing tasks that others can handle. Starting with small responsibilities can build confidence and strengthen relationships. An example given is assigning snack duties for events, which helps individuals feel engaged.
    • 5.4: Event Planning Spreadsheet
      This page highlights the crucial role of event organization in community organizing, focusing on the use of spreadsheets for effective planning. It describes essential features of a planning spreadsheet, such as timelines and responsibility tracking. Readers are encouraged to create a Google Sheet for a hypothetical event, with guidance on templates and collaboration. Additionally, it recommends watching tutorials for better Google Sheets utilization.

    Thumbnail: 1995 Mongomery Bus Boycott stamp by Public Domain is licensed CC BY NC 4.0


    5: Task Leadership is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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