Growing Council Leadership: Developing Leaders for Life 51 st - PDF document

Growing Council Leadership: Developing Leaders for Life 51 st College Councils Conference September 30 – October 2, 2016 Andrew Girman Patrick Aselin ● University of Scranton, ● Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Junior; Scranton, PA Junior; Troy, NY ● Political Science Major, ● Materials Engineering, History Minor , ‘18 Mathematics ‘18 ● District Deputy ● Grand Knight, Council 13635 ● Deputy Grand Knight, Council 4032 ● aselip@rpi.edu ● andrew.girman@scranton.edu ● (518) 225-5236 ● (570) 881-2261

Introduction ● What one needs to be a leader ● Being a leader affects you and your surroundings ● You can be a leader for others ● What it ultimately means to be a great leader in all aspects of life ● Q&A What is the Purpose of this Session? • Promote moral, intellectual & spiritual development • Witness to the Gospel • Dedication to charity, unity, fraternity & patriotism

Definitions of a Leader Andrew’s Definition: ● Experienced in his field ● Connects well with peers ● Make good decisions ● Sympathize and require the best ● Steps up and takes charge Patrick’s Definition: ● Brings others to a place they would never have reached otherwise ● Willing to make decisions and accept the consequences ● Makes a group work better as a whole than as individuals

Common Themes “Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal .” - Peter G. Northouse (6) Northouse, Peter G. Leadership: Theory and Practice . Seventh ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, 2016. Print. (Prior to this slide, attendees were asked to provide their own definitions for leadership and what it means to be a leader. The aim was to show that we each define leadership differently based upon our observations of leadership and experience with leaders.) Although our definitions vary, we can actually find common themes across these. In Leadership: Theory and Practice, Peter Northouse asserts “Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal”. Let’s break that down: • Leadership is a process: Leadership is more than just the traits and characteristics of a person, but also involves the social transaction between a leader and a follower. Such interactions may come from an individual other than the appointed leader (i.e. anyone). • Leadership involves influence: Leadership entails how an individual affects, inspires, compels, and motivates his/her followers. • Leadership involves influence: Leadership entails how an individual affects, inspires, compels, and motivates his/her followers. • Leadership occurs in a group setting: Leadership doesn’t happen in a vacuum since it’s a social transaction and requires influencing a group of individuals with a common purpose. • Leadership involves common goals: Leadership requires that a group be guided towards a common, mutually agreeable objective. This gives rise to ethical leadership in terms of the interests and values of the group. Northouse, Peter G. Leadership: Theory and Practice. Seventh ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, 2016. Print.

What it Takes to be a Leader • Qualities of a Leader • Responsibility • Enthusiasm/Focus • Empathy/Fraternity • Experience • Confidence Qualities of a leader - being a leader requires experience, yet the ability to take on new ideas. Being a leader requires one to be able to share common ground with his peers and to have several traits that allows him the potential to be the best leader he could possibly be. • Responsibility – one of the key qualities of a great leader is his ability to take responsibility for his actions. Leaders knowingly make decisions for their council on a regular basis, it is important that these leaders are aware that their decisions can and will determine of different council events, financial status, etc. • Enthusiasm/Focus – one cannot be a good leader without having the same enthusiasm or passion as his peers. A leader is meant to inspire and connect with his fellow Knights through the shared passion of what the Knights do. Focus also is critical because a leader must draw his attention towards the council’s goals. Without focus, it is unlikely that the council will achieve very much. • Empathy/Fraternity – a leader should be able to understand what is going on in his Brother Knight’s life. Through ups and downs a Brother Knight should always be there. A great leader knows how to be there for his fellow Knights and how to be a brother to him. • Experience – who else would be a better candidate for a leader than someone who has experienced different kinds of events and other council work before? A good leader is someone who has taken time to work through the ranks a bit to truly understand the different aspects of the council. • Confidence – the first person who should believe in your capability to be a great leader is yourself. Now there’s a difference between confidence and the feeling of superiority, which is a very poor quality of a leader. Confidence gives you enthusiasm and the feeling that nothing stands between you and your councils achieving of great things.

What it Takes to be a Leader ● Responsibilities of a Leader Uniting one’s peers o o Inspiration o Proposing ideas o Taking action o Setting up events Responsibilities of a Leader - being a leader requires great responsibility; your peers will look up to you to make decisions and help your group prosper. • Uniting one’s peers – a leader is meant to unite. A good leader is able to take different kinds of people and have them work together towards a common goal. • Inspiration – connecting with the quality of enthusiasm, a true leader inspires his Brother Knights so that they may have a strong belief and interest in what they are doing. Everyone does a better job when they are enjoying it. The same goes for your councils and how they should be excited to go out and do events. It is up to the leader to rally his Brother Knights to get the best out of each and every one. • Proposing Ideas – just because you are a leader doesn’t mean you let your council do all of the event work. If anything, a good officer or leader helps by proposing events, or ideas, that help push the council forward. Leaders are meant to cause great things to happen, and proposing ideas is the first step. • Taking action – sitting back when it’s time to be active does nothing but injure your council. A good leader makes sure he is prepared and takes action to help his council. Taking action could also be as simple as settling conflicts between Brother Knights, or stepping up in times of difficulty for the council. • Setting up events – good leaders involve themselves in the setting up of events and activities for the council so that they see that the events reach their full potential.

Leadership in your Council ● Responsible for council welfare and growth: Identifying and developing new ideas o Running events o Connecting with members o ● Serve as role models: As an example for your Brother Knights o Inspire other young Catholic men o How many here are named officers in your councils? Whether you are an officer or a general member, you are a leader in your council! If you are an officer, you may have defined roles and responsibilities. It may be up to you to: • Run meetings, events, plan them out from beginning to end, work with others involved, and ensure programs go smoothly. • Create and develop new ideas, seek new opportunities. • Motivate, instruct, and build up the group. • Communicate within and outside of the group. On that last point, there are three absolutely critical aspects of leadership: (1) communication, (2) com- munication, (3) communication. This can be in verbal communication during meetings as well as written communication in emails, social media, and website content. Clearly and effectively communicating your visions and objectives to the group will help to achieve results, effectively manage your council, and de- velop the group. Communication really is the glue that shapes the culture and health of your council. When young men enter your council, they may be really excited about the Knights but likely have little knowledge of the organization, especially about the operations of your council. These men are the future of your council and over time, they’ll learn the ropes by taking active roles and slowly assuming responsibilities. It’s important to be as transparent as possible and convey your council’s practices so that the future leaders are aware of their future responsibilities. Through effective communication, you will build healthy relationships between yourself and others. Whether it’s with current Brothers, prospectus, or the community in general, building friendships and others trust in you goes a long way in shaping the general opinion of you. This will go a long way in persuading your Brothers to listen and take action. The end goal: better results with greater satisfaction. As Catholics, we must act as witnesses to the Gospel and live out Christian values in all aspects of life. Remember that you are a Knight 24/7/365. Daily you live out your values and commitments as a Knight to charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism. Therefore, you reflect the Knights of Columbus and shape others’ opinion of our organization. This may be the deciding factor to influence or discourage prospective members.