Excerpts from my talk with the Clarksville, Indiana Rotary Club

September 5, 2012

Authentic Leadership and Guided Activism

I was asked to talk to the Rotary Club of Clarksville, Indiana a couple of weeks ago and asked to speak on a topic of community.  After some thought and research I decided to speak about authentic leadership and guided activism.  I told my host that I would like to talk about those aspects of leadership and volunteerism that I believe are meaningful and crucial to me and asked that the members of the Rotary Club list what they feel is meaningful and critical to them; what follows are some highlights of my talk with them this week. 

Definition of a leader

You measure a leader not in terms of the

skills he/she possesses, but in terms of the

skills she develops in others; not in terms of

these she helps, but in terms of those she

helps help themselves; not in terms of

decisions she makes but how she frees others

to make decisions; not in terms of the power

she has over others but in terms of the

power she releases in others; not in terms of

what she has accomplished, but what they

have accomplished – that is the measure of a leader.

Vision

If you want to be a successful visionary, here is where the journey begins, with two critical questions:

1.       What is my vision?

2.       How can I make it happen?

Caring, empathy, trust

Leaders bring out the best in others, but successful visionaries go even further: they form lasting emotional bonds.    When people are emotionally bonded to you, they want to have contact with you.  They want to be of service and share in your vision.

Influence

How does one person get others to do something willingly, excellently, and consistently?, by influencing them.”

Awareness

As a leader, your own awareness affects everyone around you.  Those whom you lead and serve depend on your grasp of the situation.  You alone can raise the group’s awareness from lower needs to higher needs. 

Guided Activism:

Seek Diversity in Skill sets and Age:

Volunteers come with varied and diverse skill sets and ages.  In theory, young people have a passion for activism and seek a change in some aspect of society; while older adults often have the discipline to shoulder the often thankless and repetitive tasks that must be done to accomplish your projects goals.  Do you have the “right” mix of the skill sets and age groups on your project team?

Task/work design

Do thoughtful planning for volunteer involvement, with a clear vision as to what volunteers can contribute in unique ways--not as unpaid staff, but as providers of services meeting a wide range of client needs.

A final word on guided activism, our role is not to “direct” volunteers but to enable them.  They are not “our” volunteers; we are “their” leaders.  Thank you!  

What are your thoughts on this subject?  Can you add to this list?  Do you disagree with anything here, please drop me a line if you have a comment thank you!