Identifying and Developing Leaders Slide 1, Identifying and Developing Leaders

Thoughts on leadership “Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.” Harold Geneen,Founder, MCI Communications Slide 2, Thoughts on leadership

Thoughts on leadership “Outstanding leaders appeal to the hearts of their followers - not their minds.” Author Unknown Slide 3, Thoughts on leadership

Thoughts on leadership “I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people.” Indira Gandhi Slide 4, Thoughts on leadership

Thoughts on leadership "The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision.“ Theodore Hesburgh Thoughts on leadership “Why is it important that we, as an association, choose our leaders wisely?” Their decisions affect how we operate They play a role in how we are perceived by others Leadership impacts membership If we follow ineffective leaders, we may be ineffective ourselves

Why are we here? Meaning of leadership New generation of leaders Developing leaders “You are all probably wondering why we are here….” Review each of the objectives of the presentation: We’re here to examine what leadership is all about. We’ve all used the term, but does it mean the same thing to all of us? We’re here to talk about the importance of identifying new Lions leaders We’re here to discuss what we can do to develop these new leaders

What is leadership? “Leaders are individuals who establish direction for a working group of individuals, who gain commitment from these group members to this direction, and then motivate the members to achieve the directions’ outcomes. This activity is something individual members could not do on their own.” Adapted from J.A. Conger, Learning to Lead Start with a definition: Some are complex

What is leadership? “Leadership is mobilizing the actions and efforts of others to achieve common goals.” Some are simple

Do we need leaders? Consider how life would be different without leadership: Families Education Businesses Service associations Why is it important that we develop and choose effective leaders? Their decisions affect how we operate They play a role in how we are perceived by others Their actions impact membership If we follow ineffective leaders, we may become ineffective ourselves

Successful leaders are able to… Communicate Motivate Build Teams Solve Problems Resolve Conflicts Manage Change Promote Creativity Discuss basic leadership skills: Communication Motivation Team Building Problem Solving Conflict Resolution Change Management Creativity

Practices of successful leaders Challenge the process Inspire a shared vision Enable others to act Model the way Encourage the heart As a result of an extensive study of leadership, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner have developed a list of the practices of successful leaders and presented it in their book, The Leadership Challenge.

Challenge the process Meet and overcome barriers Never fear failure Surveys indicate that most effective leaders have faced and met challenges and change. They found that they needed to challenge the existing process to accomplish an important task, and that they did not let the risk of failure prevent them from achieving their goals. Provide an example of a leader you can think of who challenged the process. Ex. Nelson Mandela

Inspire a shared vision Team goals Enthusiasm A true leader makes sure his or her vision is consistent with the vision of the team. The goal is a team goal, not just one person expecting others to “buy in.” Kouzes and Posner point out that: Leaders have a desire to make something happen They realize that people will not follow unless they accept the vision as their own They know their team members and how to communicate with them They recognize the needs and interests of team members They demonstrate enthusiasm for their vision, spread that enthusiasm to others Provide an example of a leader you can think of who inspires a shared vision. Ex. Martin Luther King

Enable others to act Shared decisions Meaning Coach and support Trust and confidence Leaders don’t control, they: Recognize the value in letting others make decisions Know that team members must develop a sense of “ownership” for their work to be meaningful Coach and support Promote trust and confidence in team members Provide an example of a leader you can think of who enables others to act. Ex. Melvin Jones (You may choose a specific coach or manager from your area who is successful)

Model the way Set an example Deeds match words Little things = success Leaders: Set an example: they go first Don’t ask people to do things they won’t do themselves Make sure their deeds match their words Understand it’s the little things collectively that lead to overall team success Provide an example of a leader you can think of who modeled the way. Ex. Gandhi

Encourage the heart Keep going when times are tough Simple actions / dramatic gestures Reinforce to motivate Leaders encourage their team to keep going even when it is a struggle. They: Use simple actions and/or dramatic gestures to encourage Provide recognition, rewards, celebrations Coach and give positive reinforcement to motivate Provide an example of a leader you can think of who encouraged the heart. Ex. Mother Teresa

Practices of successful leaders Do you demonstrate these qualities? Challenge the process Inspire a shared vision Enable others to act Model the way Encourage the heart Do you see them in others? Speak to the effort that we put in as Lions leaders. Consider the travel, meetings, phone calls, speeches, etc. Do we use all of these situations as opportunities to practice our own leadership? Referring again to our own experiences, are we looking for new leaders as we perform our own roles as Lions leaders? Transition: Shouldn’t we start?

Who are our leaders? Formal Informal Discuss formal and informal Lions leaders: Formal leaders are those elected or appointed leaders: directors, district officers, club officers, etc. (Give examples of formal leaders who have exhibited true leadership) Informal leaders are those Lions who do not necessarily lead by virtue of “authority” but rather by demonstrating the practices of successful leaders in meetings, planning, and project work. (Give examples of informal leaders who you have known who demonstrate their leadership effectively) When we talk about developing leaders, one thing we should strive for is to make sure the informal leaders have the encouragement and the opportunity to become formal leaders in the association.

Why do we need to develop new leaders? …@#..!! Misdirect the spotlight “The spotlight can be misdirected and shine on Lions who: Do not reflect the ideals of Lionism Do not lead by example Threaten other Lions Make negative comments or personal character attacks on other Lions Use manipulative or controlling or dictatorial methods Seek office for power alone

Why do we need to develop new leaders? Shine on the same Lions Many of our current leaders are overworked. (Give example of the workload of a typical club or district officer.) New leaders can reduce the burden on those leaders who carry a heavy load.

Why do we need to develop new leaders? Out of touch Some may be out of touch with the needs of the membership and the communities we serve.

Why do we need to develop new leaders? Fresh ideas Every individual contributes a unique set of experiences, ideas, and values. New leaders also bring a high level of enthusiasm…they want to do a good job and prove they are worthy of the leadership position. Enthusiasm

Identify a new generation of leaders Reflect membership When we identify a new generation of leaders we don’t just mean a younger group of leaders…we mean a cross-section of Lions who reflect our overall membership,who respect each other’s talents and skills, and who collectively can guide us now and in the future.

How do we do it? The question is how we go about finding and developing these new leaders. There’s no correct answer, but there are some things we can do and some resources we can utilize

Practice effective leadership ourselves Challenge the process Inspire a shared vision Enable others to act Model the way Encourage the heart Personally demonstrate the practices of successful leaders in all of your own Lions efforts.

Share the concept of leadership with other Lions Challenge the process Inspire a shared vision Enable others to act Model the way Encourage the heart Use every opportunity to share what you know about leadership with groups and individuals in your district or club. (Give examples of when this could be done and how.) Offer your services as a mentor.

Identify potential Look for Lions who already demonstrate some leadership skills Look for Lions who express an interest in being more active in service Watch for the next generation of leaders…those who are either demonstrating leadership in some way already or who show through their actions that they want to assume more responsibility.

Encourage Encourage them to participate in the Lions Mentoring Program Encourage them to seek office Encourage them to explore LCI leadership training: Leadership Institutes E-learning Encourage potential leaders to complete the four levels of the Lions Mentoring Program Encourage them to take the next step and seek office within Lions, and let them know you support their efforts. Encourage them and support their efforts to attend institutes and seminars. Remind them that the Lions website will be increasing leadership offerings online in the Lions Learning Center.

Support Meaningful projects Mentoring and guidance Recognition Personal satisfaction Support their efforts whenever possible by ensuring that they: Are involved in meaningful projects and activities Receive the mentoring and guidance that will help them succeed Are recognized for their efforts Feel the personal satisfaction of serving others less fortunate than themselves

Our task Agree on Need Develop New Leaders Reward and Spotlight As current Lions leaders who wish to foster new leadership, our task is then to: Help other Lions realize that there is a need for new leaders to make sure Lionism remains at the forefront of volunteer organizations Focus on identifying and developing leaders from all areas of Lionism Put new leaders in the spotlight and ensure that they are recognized and feel personal reward for their efforts

Thoughts on leadership “True leadership must be for the benefit of the followers not the enrichment of the leaders.” Robert Townsend Finally, we must remember that leadership is not about status and power…it is about service and hard work. Thank you for your time.

Identifying and developing leaders Allow time for question and answer if appropriate.