Scattershooting About Leadership

I heard recently that some of our young people went to a leadership conference. I’m a little curious about what the content was. It motivated me to share some of my thoughts about leadership.

I have been and am currently in a leadership position for several organizations… the local Veterinary Medical Association, Calallen Club Volleyball, the city Animal Control Board and of course our local congregation (to name a few). I share this just to offer some credentials. On that note here are a few of my thoughts on leadership.

To do a good job in leadership you have to love the organization and be thinking about it all the time. If you are forced into a position and guilt is played upon you to take a leadership position… you won’t do a good job. I never sought out a leadership position in any of the organizations I have been involved in and have turned down offers for which I was not interested or did not have the time for.

You have to know and build relationships with all the members in the organization. You have to love people and find value in them and appreciate them. You don’t have to be best friends with every single one of them but there has to be a relationship.

One of the best things I ever did was teach regularly in the Middle school and High School and young adults classes. I built relationships with those kids and they do eventually grow up and ask you to do things like baptize them or perform their wedding ceremonies or just ask for advice.

You have to be excellent in communication. Communication is the life blood of any organization. When I first became an Elder at Parkway I got every member’s email addresses and started sending out weekly newsletters. Those emails were also used to inform members of critical needs of our members. Before that if you needed to know something you would have to wait to hear about it at services. Sometimes the Elders would engage the members to make phone calls. Very tedious.

When I served my first term as President of the local Veterinary Medical Association I started sending out emails on a regular basis and communicated the idea that the Veterinary community was stronger as a community rather than a loose association of individuals. Several past Presidents had delegated their responsibilities to their office managers and even my office manager offered to help me. I refused because I was the talent and wanted the organization to be a reflection of me and not a reflection of my office manager.

Communication has changed a lot… I don’t send out as many emails any more because we have social media and texting. Nowadays if you want to really know something going on in the congregation you can pull out your phone and check out our private Facebook page. Its quick and its easy. Some leaders might say things like I hate Facebook and other forms of social media and not use them at all or very minimally. Not all of our members are on our private Facebook page but 123 of them are. Leaders, its not about you and your likes and dislikes… its about serving the congregation. People want to know things and be involved. Help them.

When I started teaching the High School Young adult class I started a group chat on “GroupMe” so I could communicate better with them.

In our volleyball organization I just wanted members to pay cash to play but the new generation doesn’t carry cash. Finally I had to get CashApp. I didn’t like it but I got it and the organization has flourished. Now I’m wondering if I should get Venmo. It’s not about my personal likes and dislikes. I serve the organization.

In the scriptures there are the 5, 2 and 1 talent (ability) members. Let me suggest that in the congregation there are also 5, 2 and 1 areas of responsibility. Leadership doesn’t put a 1 talent person in charge of a 5 talent area of responsibility. You have to have the right people on the bus and they have to be sitting in the right seats.

Good leaders have to have thick skins and be able to handle criticism well (deserved and undeserved) and not take it personally (as hard as that is).

Sometimes members of an organization will try to usurp the responsibilities of the leadership and weak leaders will let them. Don’t be weak or your organization will not respect your leadership.

Leadership protects its members. Occasionally at our business a client will verbally beat up on our employees. Contrary to the adage “a client is always right” they are not always right and if a client cannot correct their behavior they can be someone else’s client.

Sometimes leaders find themselves involved in sexual misconduct and ruin their own reputation and cast a shadow on that of the organization. I have had sexual advances from both men and women. It’s ridiculous to think I am that weak. I’m not… but some are.

When there’s a problem good leaders always try to understand the other person’s view point.

Where there is group leadership a good leader never does anything on his own. He always consults with the other leaders.

A good leader looks and assumes the best in others and is not quick to assign a negative motive in others.

Those are just a few things I’ve learned along the way. I hope they help.