So You Want to be a Leader… NSAA/NASC Joint Middle Management Conference April 15, 2008

Point to Ponder “The great difference between the real leader and the pretender is – that the one sees into the future, while the other regards only the present; the one lives by the day, and acts upon expediency; the other acts on enduring principles and for immortality.” Edmund Burke (1729 – 1797) British politician and writer

What is a leader, are you powerful? Webster defines a leader as:  One in charge or in command of others  One who has power or influence Margaret Thatcher put it rather well when she said: “Being powerful is like being a lady, if you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.”

What does a leader look like? Leaders come in many shapes and sizes, from Mother Teresa to Martin Luther King and Archbishop Oscar Romero. In each case, these awesome leaders led from their heart and from their own truth. “Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.” Mother Teresa “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” Martin Luther King

What does a leader look like? “It scares me…when repressive laws and violent attitudes take away the legitimate escape of the people that need to protest. What happens to the pot that is boiling and doesn’t have any escape valves? It can explode. There is still time to give a voice to our people through the protest they desire. As long as at the same time there is justice that regulates it. Because naturally brothers, when we defend these just aspirations, we are not being partial to terrorist demands….The call is simply to understand each other, to dialogue, for justice, and for love.” (Homily March 19, 1978) Archbishop Oscar Romero

KNOW YOURSELF! Our ability to lead is influenced by our own beginnings, our families of origin, and by the very society we live in. Therefore, before we can lead others we must know ourselves. Some questions you can ask yourself are: – What is my leadership style? – What matters the most to me? – What role do ethics play in my life? – Where do I stand on issues? – Who are my role models, my mentors? – Who am I, what brings me the greatest joy? – What abilities/experience do I bring into leadership positions? – What does it mean to stand in my own truth?

Examples of 10 Leadership Styles Autocratic – leader has absolute power Bureaucratic – leader works “by the book” Charismatic – leader very energetic/enthusiastic Democratic – involves team in decision-making process Laissez-faire – “leaves it be”; workers get job done People/Relations – leader focuses on team Servant – leads by virtue/example Task-oriented – leader focuses on getting job done Transactional – focus is on obeying the leader Transformational – focus is on shared vision

Questions? Sadie Rodriguez-Hawkins Sr. Assistant Director, OFM