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Ruthie Frierson, Founder and Chair Emeritus
Transformational Leadership: Skills to Build Collaborative Partnerships Ruthie Frierson, Founder and Chair Emeritus
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Transformational Leadership: Skills to Build Collaborative Partnerships in Your Community
Table of Contents The Process of Building a Team to Launch Reform Crisis is an Incubator of Leaders Qualities of Effective Leadership Bringing About Effective Change The Keys to Building Partnerships: Grassroots Advocacy Advocacy Dos and Don’ts Additional Resources
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Transformational Leadership: Skills to Build Collaborative Partnerships in Your Community
The Process of Building a Team to Launch Reform Unify around a clearly defined mission Research, educate and advocate Mobilize citizens to speak up and take action Train volunteers as citizen lobbyists Develop strong partnerships and collaborations with other organizations and groups Testify before legislative committees and local governing body Conduct “get out the vote” campaigns for local and statewide elections Engage the media on national state, and local levels Set up a website to educate and communicate Work with reform minded local and state officials
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Transformational Leadership: Skills to Build Collaborative Partnerships in Your Community
“Be willing to make decisions. That’s the most important quality in a good leader. Don’t fall victim to what I call the “aim-aim-aim-aim syndrome.” You must be willing to fire. “ General George S. Patton Crisis is an Incubator of Leaders Qualities of Effective Leadership: Vision Passion and sustained focus on the mission Recognizes an important community need Courage, the fuel of leadership Motivates and propels others Good communicator, active listener and able to compromise Knows how to build trust Optimistic and inspires others
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Transformational Leadership: Skills to Build Collaborative Partnerships in Your Community
Possesses integrity and is ethical Decisive Is realistic and knows the practical steps for achieving the goal Persistent and knows how to stay the course Seeks information and advice from others Becomes a loyal follower in support of other leaders, when identified Recognizes the diverse talents, points of view, and expertise of others Has the ability to engage and influence other community leaders The keys are iron will, enormous discipline, cheerful persistence. These traits can change history!!
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Transformational Leadership: Skills to Build Collaborative Partnerships in Your Community
Bringing About Effective Change Mission is clear Motive is for the common good, not for personal agenda Promotes constructive change Communicates a clear message Respects different viewpoints. Builds consensus Recognizes resistance to change and responds appropriately Sustained commitment Change does not happen overnight, it requires persistent and patient leadership. In the aftermath of the storm, people really needed each other. A priority for us was community outreach - meeting people in neighborhoods from across the city, networking and building bridges as never before. Building trust with different groups requires integrity of purpose and respect for each other.
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Transformational Leadership: Skills to Build Collaborative Partnerships in Your Community
Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans has worked in coalition with many other organizations and leaders, each taking a leadership role in local issues. Our partnerships are over 100 strong! The Keys to Building Partnerships: Community Outreach, Expanding horizons and possibilities Shared Focus Seeking and respecting diversity Compassionate communication, effective in enhancing communication Interest in the common good No personal or political agendas Seeking different opinions Willingness to compromise Practice civility but never compromise principles We were determined to be advocates for change in a positive and assertive way, as opposed to a negative and aggressive way. To stay focused on the issue, never on the individual or the personal.
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Transformational Leadership: Skills to Build Collaborative Partnerships in Your Community
Grassroots Advocacy Clear and concise message Willingness by citizens to stand up and speak up for issues that are important to them. Supports change or reform in a positive, constructive way for the benefit of the common good. Fact finding/research/know both/all sides of the issue=Educate self and others Understand protocol and know the legislative process Identify what has been already done or is being done about the issue or problem and with what results? What are the consequences for the community? Engage and recruit key legislators to handle package Establish support of key decision makers
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Transformational Leadership: Skills to Build Collaborative Partnerships in Your Community
Prepare position statement with supporting facts and statistics Prepare talking points Build brand based on broad based coalition of civic, business and reform minded elected officials Maintain and sustain relationships Obtain the advice of government affairs professionals Employ communication tools; including media, editorial boards, and website Stay the course
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Transformational Leadership: Skills to Build Collaborative Partnerships in Your Community
Advocacy Dos and Don’ts Do: Identify yourself and say whom you represent immediately on each contact. Legislators meet hundreds of people and they can’t remember everyone. Know the issue and the status of the legislation. Refer to the legislation by bill number. Be brief. Legislators are very busy. Be specific and practical. Relate arguments to situations in the legislator’s home district. Thank legislators. Keep the door open for further discussion even if you don’t agree at this time. “Politics make strange bedfellows” is not without foundation. Talk with legislators even if their positions are opposite yours. Be honest. NEVER lie. Acknowledge opposing arguments and any political liabilities.
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Transformational Leadership: Skills to Build Collaborative Partnerships in Your Community
Do: Ask the legislator for support. Leave behind a one-page fact sheet summarizing your position. Highlight important facts and arguments. Include your name, address and telephone number as you can be reached if there are questions. Don’t: Back legislators into a corner. Overwhelm them with too much information or jargon. Get into lengthy arguments. Be afraid to say you don’t know. Offer to find out and send the information back. Confront, threaten, pressure or beg. Expect legislators to be specialists. Their schedules and the number of bills make them generalists. Ask the impossible…often.
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Transformational Leadership: Skills to Build Collaborative Partnerships in Your Community
Additional Resources Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear ― By Dr. Frank I. Luntz One Mission: How Leaders Build a Team of Teams ― By Chris Fussell On Leadership: Essential Principles for Business, Political, and Personal Success ― By Donald J. Palmisano
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