Civil Air Patrol National Commander’s Thoughts on Leadership Maj Gen Mark E. Smith, CAP 9 August 2018

Overview Leadership Styles Servant Leadership Tips for effectively leading volunteers

Leadership Styles The “cool” leadership styles The “not-so-cool” leadership style

But what’s your “default” Leadership Styles A Sliding Scale Classical Transactional Visionary Organic Autocratic leader Leader consults with followers Strong leader, charismatic Distributed decision making “My way or the highway” Then makes “informed” decision Communication of the vision Group power, collaboration Followers have little input More power for followers Consensus building Significant input from membership But what’s your “default” leadership model? However, comma... Leadership style is situation-dependent We usually employ a hybrid model of leadership

The Three Facets of Servant Leadership A Servant Leader is: A person of integrity A steward of the organization Helps her or his people achieve their full potential

Servant Leader – A Person of Integrity Ethical underpinnings – one’s “moral compass” CAP’s core values Important to have alignment between your moral compass and the organization’s core values A story... It’s a 24/7 thing

Servant Leader – Steward of the Organization Committed to the success of the organization and its people Avery: Organizational stewardship operates on two levels: stewardship for the followers, and stewardship of the mission or purpose that underlies the organization Some of the traits of organizational stewardship: Vision (Covey: Begin with the end in mind) Persuasiveness/communication Trust/Delegation (De Pree: Abandon yourself to the strength of others) Diversity – brings richness to the organization Inclusiveness – participative leadership Appreciation of others

Servant Leader – Committed to Helping Followers Reach Their Full Potential Developing the next generation of (servant) leaders Putting followers first, personally invested Tailored development of leadership skills, task skills, self-motivation, and self-confidence (sounds like mentoring!) Attributes to achieve this: delegation, empowerment, empathy, listening, healing, awareness, celebrate successes

Tips for effective leadership of volunteers Dealing with our members Leadership is a privilege, and an obligation “It’s about the people, all the people” “Care like you mean it” Genuineness (Authentic Leadership) Servant leadership

Tips for effective leadership of volunteers Communication It’s a journey… Listening: “Ears open, eyes open, mouth not flapping” (Behar) Listen for the truth “Seek first to understand, then to be understood” (Covey) Always – transparently, honestly, frequently Includes vision, goals, objectives Make it safe, be responsive Lots of talking. Focus? Team? Vision? Is anyone listening?

Tips for effective leadership of volunteers Build trust “Care like you mean it” Start with yourself Appreciate and take pleasure in your accomplishments Invite, and be receptive to, feedback Appreciate others Acknowledge contributions Honest feedback, given in a positive manner Do the right thing – always Pass the praise, take the blame Be responsive to everybody

Tips for effective leadership of volunteers Be accountable Not just to those above you, but to your people and your stakeholders Big mistake: withholding the truth about an “oops” and not holding yourself accountable to your people Communicate clearly and honestly when there is an issue This doesn’t work!

Tips for effective leadership of volunteers Be a person of action Organizations don’t stay static; they’re either growing or diminishing Tap into the wealth of your people’s creativity More on that in a bit Be persistent, but at the right point be willing to let go of Plan A Have Plan B ready to go

Tips for effective leadership of volunteers Think independently Honor independent thinking Not necessarily easy in our rules-based CAP Empower your people, set expectations, be amazed at what they can do Ideas will bubble up Don’t get hung up on who gets credit

Tips for effective leadership of volunteers Dare to dream, and to help others dream “Say ‘yes’, the most powerful word in the world” (Behar) Affirm your people, give them resources, your trust, and a clear purpose Saying “yes” is a leap of faith, believing in your people

Tips for effective leadership of volunteers A final thought Covey’s 7th Habit: “Sharpen the Saw” I’m preaching to myself (and you…) Pace yourself Take time off periodically to recharge, refocus, and plan Strive for balance If we do this, we will be better leaders for the long haul!

Questions?

References + More References Other Stuff Morgan and Lynch George Avery Understanding Leadership Behar It’s Not About the Coffee Covey The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Leaders De Pree Leadership is an Art Other Stuff Morgan and Lynch Leading From the Front George True North Resources on CAP University website Read to Lead ACTIV²E Leadership Model Lots more!