1 Leadership Chickasaw Class of – Leadership in Chickasaw County Leading the way for a better Chickasaw County April 10 th, 2007 Meeting, 6:30-8:30PM

2 April 10 th meeting Project Updates 1. John Fred, Thomas, Christine, Lisa Project: Benches around the square 2. Mark, Kenny, Faye, Jean Project: Working Together for a Beautiful Future 3. Wilma, Lassie, Jason, Vicky Project: Post Office Gets First Class Update 4.Angela, Gerald, Phillip, Brenda Project: Chickasaw County Museum

3 May Graduation  Each team will present copies of your written report, and an oral presentation of the project to the Board of Directors of Leadership Chickasaw:  Mr. Alford Bell, Mr. Hassell Franklin, Mr. Bobby Mooneyham, Mr. Leland Norman, Ms. Jeannie Parks, Mrs. Pat Pettigrew, Mr. J.C. Wright, Mr. Bill Smith, Mr. David Parker, Mr. Bob Scott, Ms. Joyce East

4 Your Graduation Presentations Best Practices for your written report  Follow guidelines  Check spelling and grammar  Make it professional and appealing. How?  Other ideas?  Remember to make copies for the Board members Best Practices for your oral presentation  Introduce your team  Don’t read your report – talk about it  Make eye contact with your audience and smile  Tell a compelling story about why this project is important to you, your team, and Chickasaw County  Should one person talk or every team member?  If at all possible, use visual aides to help tell your story  Have a strong conclusion. Close on a high note!

5 How we began – Leadership Chickasaw Commitment Leadership Chickasaw (1) is a monthly leadership development program for outstanding civic-minded citizens of Chickasaw Co. (2) requires hard-work, time, and participation at every monthly meeting and team challenge, and (3) develops teams to complete a civic project for the betterment of Chickasaw Co.

6 Leadership Lessons  Leaders create change! Did we? Is change easy? What are some of the difficulties you experienced in creating change?

7 Leadership Lessons  Our Counties and Communities need leadership and change! What happens without leadership and change? Who has the job of leading all change? What is the value of volunteer leadership in our communities? What are some of the challenges you face in being a volunteer leader?

8 Leadership Lessons  To be a good leader, have good leadership role models! Who are some of our role models for community leadership? What makes them good role models? What is their motivation? What can we learn from them?

9 Leadership Lessons  Make giving back to the community a priority – and find your purpose! How easy is it for other things in life to take up all of our time? What can you do to make community leadership a priority? What is your leadership commitment for ? I will commit to__________

10 Leadership Lessons  Earn the trust and respect of others! If you make a commitment, __________ If you start a project, _______________ If you ask someone for help, _________ If you can’t make a deadline, _________ If you want to continue your leadership, what does your team need to do with regard to your Leadership Chickasaw Project?

11 Leadership Lessons  Be optimistic! Why? What if the problem really is BAD? Are optimistic people just blind to reality? How can you practice being optimistic? Is it difficult sometimes to be optimistic? Is it difficult to see the opportunity in the problem?

12 Leadership Lessons  Celebrate victories, milestones, accomplishments, and hard work! What is the purpose of celebrations? Why do we need to celebrate hard work? What happens when we forget to say thank you?

13 My Leadership Checklist  Leadership Lessons Leaders create change. Communities need leadership & change. Have good leadership role models. Make giving back to the community a priority Earn the trust and respect of others Be optimistic Celebrate  Leadership Report Card _______

14 What do people want from their leaders?  Purpose, Direction & Meaning: Find your leadership purpose in your community, church, school, club, workplace, etc.  Trust: Trust is “the social glue that binds commitment and promotes action necessary to produce results”. To lead, we must be trustworthy.  Optimism: “All leaders need to be purveyors of hope”. If you don’t truly believe in your leadership, what will others think?  Action and Results: Leaders have the ability and desire to convert purpose and vision into action. Wayne Gretzky said “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”. Will you commit to being a “doer” rather than someone who always talks about “they” (as in, “they should fix this problem”)? From “Learning to Lead” by Warren Bennis and Joan Goldsmith

15 Leadership – our job This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no “brief candle” to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations. George Bernard Shaw

16 Leadership – Our Job  “Leadership is the practice of helping people envision, and then participate in, creating a better world than the world they came into. It means raising individuals, organizations, and communities to higher levels of moral development – the obligations, responsibilities, and rights associated with bettering the human condition in a just and civil society.” From Nuts by Freiburg and Freiburg

17 So how can I use my Leadership to build a better community?  I can: _________________