Leadership Workshop DENNIS JAH

What is leadership? Leadership is the act of leading people, influencing people, commanding people, and guiding people Leadership is the ability to influence other people, with or without authority. All successful endeavors are the result of human effort, thus the ability to influence others is a derivation of Interpersonal communication Problem-solving Conflict management

Types of leaders Leader by the position achieved Leader by moral example Leader by power held Intellectual leader Leader by personality, charisma Leader because of ability to accomplish things

Common activities of a leader Planning Devise strategy Sets direction Creates vision Organizing Gets people on board for a strategy Communication Network Directing Empower people Cheerleader Controlling Motivate Inspire Gives sense of accomplishment

Examples of leaders Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Nelson Mandela Mahatma Gandhi Kwame Nkrumah Kevin Garnett Oprah Winfrey

Attributes of a leader Guiding vision: Effective leaders know what they want to do, and have the strength of character to pursue their objectives in the face of opposition and in spite of failures. The effective leader establishes achievable goals. Passion: Effective leaders believe passionately in their goals. They have a positive outlook on who they are, and they love what they do. Their passion for life is a guiding star for others to follow, because they radiate promise! Integrity: Because they know who they are, effective leaders are also aware of their weaknesses. They only make promises they can follow through on. Honesty: Leaders convey an aura of honesty in both their professional and their personal lives. Trust: Effective leaders earn the trust of their followers and act on behalf of their followers.

Attributes of a leader (cont’d) Curiosity: Leaders are learners. They wonder about every aspect of their charge. They find out what they need to know in order to pursue their goals. Risk: Effective leaders take calculated risks when necessary to achieve their objectives. If a mistake is made, the effective leader will learn from the mistake and use it as an opportunity to explore other avenues. Dedication: The effective leader is dedicated to his or her charge, and will work assiduously on behalf of those following. The leader gives himself or herself entirely to the task when it is necessary. Charisma: This may be the one attribute that is the most difficult to cultivate. It conveys maturity, respect for your followers, compassion, a fine sense of humor, and a love of humanity. The result is that leaders have the capability to motivate people to excel. Listening: Leaders Listen! This is the most important attribute of all, listen to your followers.

Three levels of defining organization’s priorities Purpose or Mission is a broad, general statement that tells why your organization exists: usually doesn't change from year to year and is often the first statement in your constitution. Goals are statements describing what your organization wishes to accomplish, stemming from your purpose or mission. Goals are the ends toward which your efforts will be directed and often change from term to term or year to year, depending on the nature of the group. Objectives are descriptions of exactly what is to be done, derived from the goals; clear specific statements of measurable tasks that will be accomplished as steps toward reaching your goals. They are short term and have deadlines. Be realistic! Shoot high, but realize the implications. Quiz: Choose Is or Are in the sentence - 7 plus six (is, are) 12

Setting goals Goals help define your organization, give direction and avoid chaos. Goals can help motivate members by communicating what the organization is striving for as well as providing a basis of recognizing accomplishments and successes. Organizations that set goals are more effective in recruiting members. When goals are clearly stated, they set standard for evaluation Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely (SMART) Sample goal: increase membership by 20% by 2016

Setting goals together Set your goals as a group. Make sure you set aside enough time. Make sure everyone's ideas are represented. This creates many positive results because people will support and be responsible for what they help create. You can expect: Greater commitment and motivation among officers and members to help achieve goals. Clearer understanding of the goals and the rationale for selecting them. With everyone's ideas and opinions considered, your goals will represent a group consensus rather than one person's opinion

Steps for setting goals and objectives Brainstorm a list of potential goals as a group. Choose from the brainstorm list those you want to work on. Prioritize. Determine objectives for each goal and plans of action for each objective. (Remember there can be several objectives for each goal). Move into action, follow through. (Many groups fail to evaluate and revise; thus their goals are never achieved). Include a closing statement.

Developing an action plan What is to be done? How will it be accomplished? What are your resources in terms of people, money and materials? Who is responsible for completing each task? What is the deadline? How will you know when it is accomplished? How will you measure the results?

Example of an action plan Goal - To improve membership recruitment, retention and involvement. Objective - To develop a committee whose purpose is to increase member involvement to at least 40% by next term. How - Brainstorm ideas to increase member involvement. Go over this list and weed out all those ideas that are impractical or impossible to do. Discuss this edited list with the executive board/leadership. Determine which will be done and delegate the final process of setting up this system to one or two executive officers. Resources - Members, executive officers, handouts on recruitment, motivation and delegation. Results: Acceptable - membership involvement increases by 40-70% Better than Expected - membership involvement increases by more than 70%

Leadership example – Jesus washing feet (John 13:3-5) Jesus had a clear goal in mind –he came from God and was going to God. He saw a need and he moved to address it –there were dirty feet in the house You have to lay aside certain things to lead (Plan) – Jesus lay aside his garment Gather all the necessary resources (organize) –Jesus poured water into the basin, took a towel Jesus girded Himself (Direct and Control) guide against the unexpected (people will accuse you falsely or irritate you, or you’re tempted to abuse your power)– Jesus girded himself Jesus washed (12 pairs of) feet and wiped them down (Result/Accomplishment) Plan, Organize, Direct and Control   GOAL !!

Group Exercises RICGAA was set up for a purpose as stated in your constitution - Vision Officers/Leaders carry out the goals based on the vision of the organization Secretary keep records such as meeting minutes (see sample minutes template) Treasurer Keep financial records and make reports (Budget, financial report) Committees must first set their goals at the beginning of the year give monthly reports on what they are doing (sample report) When in charge of any project, make a project plan (see sample) Have a consolidated calendar of events to promote cooperation Track Gifts and donations (5013C reporting) Have a to-do list (see sample)

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