KEY MOVES FOR LEADERS — Advice from some Rotary Experts
BE CREDIBLE
“We don’t follow people for very long if we don’t believe they’re credible,” says Barry Z. Posner, co-author of The Leadership Challenge. That means being dependable. “When you tell me you’re going to show up at the barbecue fundraiser at 1 o’clock, I can count on that. If I can’t count on that, I can’t depend on you.”
“We don’t follow people for very long if we don’t believe they’re credible,” says Barry Z. Posner, co-author of The Leadership Challenge. That means being dependable. “When you tell me you’re going to show up at the barbecue fundraiser at 1 o’clock, I can count on that. If I can’t count on that, I can’t depend on you.”
DELEGATE
“Utilize the talents and backgrounds of members when forming a committee. Usually the unofficial leader is the one with some experience in the program or project,” says Knut Johnsen, a past governor of District 7210 in New York.
PICK YOUR TEAM
Include both new and more experienced members. Embracing diversity fosters new ideas and approaches to conducting business. Let go of assumptions (and, in some cases, unfair reputations) about fellow club members.
FIND A MENTOR
“Every new Rotarian should have a mentor,” says Michel Jazzar, a past governor of District 2452. He had the good fortune, he says, of having Past Rotary International President Jonathan Majiyagbe as his mentor.
BE A MENTOR
Keep that loop of constructive energy thrumming by encouraging the next generation of leaders.
SHARE POWER
“Autocratic leaders struggle in the Rotary environment because members can choose to exit the club at will or abscond from club duties,” says Lynda Nabayiinda Were, a Toastmaster and the president-elect of the Rotary Club of Kampala Maisha in Uganda.
BE WILLING TO LEARN
“Leadership requires that the leader is open to going out of their comfort zone,” says Louie Boy de Real, chair of the Pilipinas Rotaract Multidistrict Information Organization in the Philippines.
BE THAT VOLUNTEER
Chairing a club committee can make all the difference — for your club and for yourself as your confidence builds.
PRACTICE PUBLIC SPEAKING
“If I could have given advice to my younger self, I would have told myself to join Toastmasters early in my career,” says David Jones, president-elect of the Rotary Club of Upper Arlington/Grandview (TriVillage) in Columbus, Ohio.
CREATE A POSITIVE VIBE
“Generate high team motivation in doing good,” says Jazzar. Leading is easier in an upbeat atmosphere.
SHOW APPRECIATION
Acknowledge the e orts of others with a meeting shout-out, an emailed thank-you message, or a cup of coffee in gratitude. Even small gestures pay dividends, says Nabayiinda Were.
RESOURCES
- My Rotary: Rotarians can find specific guidance for emerging leaders at the club, district, zone, and international levels. Subscribe to the Training Talk newsletter.
- Rotary Leadership Institute: Past Rotary Director David Linett created this group in 1992, when he was governor of District 7510 (New Jersey), to help Rotarians hone their skills in course sessions emphasizing participation. The institute is not an official Rotary program but has been adopted by many districts.
- Rotary.org/learn: The Rotary Learning Center offers an array of online courses that guide you through building leadership skills.
- Your club: A study commissioned by Rotary showed that in 2018-19, 29 percent of clubs offered leadership development seminars, up from 17 percent in 2014-15.