The Singing Exercise

Today's class was about facing the fears (and the excuses for these fears) which hold us back from being authentic/vulnerable and owing our power as leaders. (It is based on a chapter from Leadership Can Be Taught by Sharon Parks.) Holding this class is exhausting. Holding this class IS the signing exercise for the instructor. I introduced the basic gist of the class the week before (by modeling the exercise for them) and the class then spent an entire week sending flaming e-mails amongst themselves about how unfair this exercise was, how it was really a chance for them to be embarrassed, and how it had nothing to do with leadership. However, by the end of class today, I can safely say that they addressed these grievances themselves. Every semester, I ask myself if I should go through with this again and every time the answer from those who have gone before a resounding "YES!"