CLES Team Captains
We stopped by the Falcon Club earlier today while CLES Fall Team Captains was in session, the Cadets participating in today’s CLES were rising seniors, who were recently selected as the AY16-17 Team Captains for the Fall Semester.
The Cadet Commanders’ Leadership Enrichment Seminar (CLES) is a leadership development workshop hosted by the Air Force Academy's Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership (DFBL) in partnership with the Center for Character and Leadership Development (CCLD).
During the seminar, a multiple mission partner team of leadership coaches, mentors, and experts from throughout USAFA prepare 150 cadet commanders and intercollegiate team captains per year to lead change in the Cadet Wing by achieving their unit goals. Cadets arrive to CLES with a desired goal, and then work with their cadet peers and a team of experts to evolve their goal into a specific action plan after considering issues of planning, communication, motivation, and feedback. DFBL has hosted CLES each Fall, Spring and Summer semester since 1983 with the generous support of the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) Association of Graduates (AOG).
CLES has been sponsored by the AOG for the past 30 years, is an opportunity for cadet leaders to look at their leadership roles and the actions required of them to achieve excellence within their organizations.
The Cadets had two key objectives today, to initiate a conversation amongst these cadet leaders regarding their unique missions and responsibilities as cadet-athletes. This is the first of three times the Instructors involved with CLES will work with this team captain cohort during their time in that position, meeting again in the fall and spring in the form of leader offsites designed to help them and their teams be more effective in every aspect of their cadet life.
The Team Captain CLES also served as a precursor for the upcoming Gettysburg Team Captains’ Leadership Summit. Using the Battle of Gettysburg as an historical military context, the trip will illustrate the importance of resiliency and mental and physical toughness and encourage cadets to reflect on how historical lessons relate to their own leadership challenges through guided discussions amongst attendees.
The desired outcome is to foster effective and courageous peer leadership through communication and respect in order to build more comprehensive, goal-oriented teams full of great, trusted leaders of character motivated not only to excel as athletes, but also motivated to embrace the whole person concept when they realize the positive cumulative effect of earning the respect and support of their peers across the Cadet Wing. Ultimately, these cadet athletes will serve our nation in the profession of arms as outstanding 2nd lieutenants.
To view the rest of the pictures taken during the CLES Team Captain event go to Galleries - Military Training - Character & Leadership Development. Or click the link below.