Great Lakes Council, BSA

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Wood Badge Information for Employers

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Information for Employers

Course References

Wood Badge is the highest and most advanced training course offered by the Boy Scouts of America.  While it is rich in Scouting history and tradition, participants will spend six full days and nights learning modern leadership theories from contemporary scholars such as Ken Blanchard (author of the One Minute Manager series of books), Stephen R. Covey (author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and Principle-Centered Leadership), and Spencer Johnson (author of Who Moved My Cheese).  A complete set of references can be found to the right.

Wood Badge has five Central Themes that encapsulate the course content. These are:

  1. Living the Values
    • Values, mission, and vision
    • Aims and methods
  2. Bringing the Vision to Life
    • Listening to learn
    • Communicating
    • Giving and receiving feedback
    • Valuing people and leveraging diversity
    • Coaching and mentoring
  3. Models for Success
    • High Performance Teams
    • Team Development Model
    • Team Leadership Model
    • Situational Leadership
  4. Tools of the Trade
    • Project planning
    • Problem solving and decision making
    • Managing conflict
    • Assessing team performance
    • Self-Assessment
    • Managing change
    • Celebrating team success
  5. Leading to Make a Difference
    • Leaving a legacy
    • The greatest leadership secret

These workshops are taught through lecture, group discussion, hands on exercises, and through the creation of goals that apply the leadership training received. At the conclusion of the course, attendees will have created at least five goals.  A counselor will be assigned to work with each attendee for 18 months to ensure application of the training they received and the completion of the five goals.

Dr. Blanchard’s courses and workshops, offered through The Ken Blanchard Companies, run $500 per day ($3,000 for six days).  The Boy Scouts of America have negotiated royalty fees and intellectual property rights which allows them to offer the entire six-day course for just under $200. 

Leaders at many companies (such as IBM, Motorola, and Intel) have recognized the value this training is to their employees.  As such, many agree to pay the course fees and/or give time off as part of their employee’s professional development and training plan.  Individual company policies vary, however.  If you would like additional information, please feel free to contact the Great Lakes Council, BSA at