THE CLC APPROACH
BEST PRACTICES
WEEKLY PRACTICE
ACTIVITIES LIBRARY
ACADEMIC ARTICLES
SUPPORT FOR YOUR TEAM

THE CLC APPROACH

Teams practice the CLC Curriculum between January and April, rooted in 10 easy-to-remember acronyms. Some acronyms focus on basic content knowledge (LEADERSHIP, STYLES, FOLLOW, INFLUENCE, STRESSORS, CONFLICT, TEAMS), and others focus on processes that participants learn and practice (SOLVE, CONFRONT, ETHICS). 

Intentionality is at the core of the CLC approach - helping participants make conscious choices in how they lead, follow, and work with others. Relatedly, CLC is rooted in the Know, See, Plan, Do model (KSPD) of leadership learning. The ultimate goal of our work is to develop leaders who skillfully intervene—they make things better. Read more about the KSPD model in the CLC Curriculum.

From January to April, coaches guide their team through the curricular content and experiential activities that serve as opportunities for practice. While the students work through the activities, the coaches observe and (ultimately, the competition judges) evaluate their performance in two ways:

  1. Results Score (out of 100): To what degree did the team accomplish the task? Between 0 and 100 points are awarded. Results scoring varies across activities; see activity sheets for specific details.
  2. Process Score (out of 100): How did the team work together? This dimension is scored using the Leader & Team Effectiveness Skill Sheet (L&TESS); a rubric rooted in the CLC Terms and Concepts found in the CLC Curriculum. During the practice season, coaches use the L&TESS to train their team. Judges will use the L&TESS during the competition to evaluate the team’s process score.

Throughout the practice season, coaches actively coach and build their team’s skills, especially in applying SOLVE, CONFRONT, and ETHICS. The other acronyms in the curriculum will come to life during the process – for example, after teams set roles and clarify goals (the first step in SOLVE), the leader intentionally chooses which leadership style(s) to use. Over time, the students memorize the content, reference the CLC curriculum in the debriefs, and (if we have done our job as coaches) behave with greater intentionality. 

Just as you will encourage your team to list multiple strategies and evaluate results, we urge you to experiment with different activities, approaches, personality assessments, and other ideas to make this an authentic experience for you and your team.  We hope the unique and diverse approaches to coaching will enhance the CLC experience and competition while allowing us to reflect on what we collectively know about how to teach and coach leadership.

CLC provides coaches with the necessary tools to be successful. We have designed this resource as a guide—not a prescriptive tool. If you value a particular school of thought (e.g., servant leadership, social change model, strengths-based leadership), or if CLC aligns with specific initiatives or goals at your institution, we encourage you to build them into your team practices. 

In our experience, the top three priorities for a coach to effectively support their team include:

  • CLOSELY REVIEW THE CLC CURRICULUM

The CLC Curriculum integrates multiple theories, scholars, and perspectives. CLC developed an innovative curriculum and content that is easy to apply and remember. The E-Guide includes a description, examples, links to external videos/articles, academic references, and reflection questions for further exploration. 

  • PLAN VIA THE RESOURCES WE OFFER: The heart of CLC is practice. Chefs, physicians, and soccer players become world-class through deliberate practice. Drawing from the expertise literature, CLC has developed a library of activities that serve as opportunities to practice applying the CLC Curriculum; you can find them in Section 3 and Section 4 of this document.
  • ATTEND CLC COACH MEETINGS & REACH OUT WITH QUESTIONS

Pages five and six highlight several meetings that will support your coaching. If you have any questions, feel free to ask by emailing clc@mobts.org

Important Notes: 

  • This resource is not exhaustive; the suggestions are meant to help you guide your students while creating space to tailor the experience to your school.
  • You are not required to use this document; if you feel comfortable creating your agendas or want to experiment with an idea, we encourage you to do so! Many coaches begin their experience with the agendas provided and integrate their own as they settle in. However, your students must know all the terms and concepts in the CLC Curriculum.
  • Consider this a living document; you’ll find placeholders for Zoom links and competition-specific information. We will update this document as those details are solidified.
  • We would LOVE your feedback - Did you notice a typo? Is the phrasing unclear? Do you have questions or ideas? Please let us know by emailing clc@mobts.org