Transcript “LEADERSHIP” • R:. W:. Gilbert “Gil” Weisman • Grand Lodge F&AM of California, • Chief Deputy Jose Docobo of the HCSO • Dr.

“LEADERSHIP”
• R:. W:. Gilbert “Gil” Weisman
• Grand Lodge F&AM of California,
• Chief Deputy Jose Docobo of the HCSO
• Dr. John C. Maxwell
• What is Leadership?
• Class and leadership – two words that
some people say cannot be defined.
• Class, perhaps - but leadership …
please allow me try to define it for you.
• Leadership is influence, nothing more,
nothing less.
• The mere imparting of information is
not really leadership, or even education.
• Leadership effort, above all things,
must result in making a man think and
do for himself.
• True leadership cannot be awarded,
appointed, or assigned. It comes only
from influence, and Brothers that
cannot be mandated. It must be earned.
• The only thing a title can buy is a little
time – either to increase your level of
influence with others, or to erase it.
Leadership has been defined as a
relationship in which one person tries
to influence others to work together on
a common task or toward a common
goal. The United States Marine Corps
has always defined leadership as
precept and example;
Precept is what you say.
Example is what you do.
Both are necessary.
• The best way to test whether a person
can lead (rather than just manage) is to
ask him to create positive change.
• Managers can maintain direction, but
they can’t change it. To move people in
a new direction … you need influence.
• In voluntary organizations, such as
ours, the only thing that works is
leadership in its purest form.
• Military leaders can use rank to
influence others,
• In business – bosses have tremendous
leverage in the form of income, benefits,
and perks. Most followers are pretty
cooperative when their livelihood is at
stake. One quote sums it up very well,
“He who thinks he leads, but has no
followers, is only taking a walk.”
• You will never be a leader unless you first
learn to follow, and be led. A great leader
never sets himself above his followers except
in carrying responsibilities.
• You must be trained to be an efficient leader.
If you haven’t served, it is difficult to
command – that’s a fact.
• That is why the the United States
Military Academy teaches its officers to
become effective followers first – and
why West Point has produced more
leaders than the Harvard Business
School.
• The best leader is the one who has sense
enough to pick good men to do what he
wants done, and self restraint enough to
keep from meddling with them while
they do it.
• Remember, ordinary Brothers, with the
right direction, can become
extraordinary Brothers.
• And we all know intuitively that people
go along with people they get along
with and respect.
• The character and qualifications of a
leader are reflected in the men he
selects, develops, and gathers around
him. Show me the leader and I will
know his men. Show me the men and I
will know their leader. Therefore, to
have loyal, efficient followers, be a
loyal and efficient leader.
• You cannot let the Fraternity suffer, or
make a the Lodge pay – to spare the
feelings of an individual. Being in
charge means making decisions, no
matter how unpleasant.
• Teams do not win championships if its
players have different agendas. That’s
also true for our Lodges. Worshipful
Master, you and your line officers
should all be on the same page, with the
same agenda if your Lodge and the
Fraternity is to succeed.
• The late Roberto Goizueta, former Chairman
of Coca Cola, once said,
• “Leadership is one of the things you cannot
delegate. You either exercise it, or you
abdicate it.”
• Actually, there is a third choice. You pass it
on to your successor.
• Worshipful Master, prepare your successor!
• One quote that has been attributed to
both President and Brother Harry S
Truman and President Ronald Reagan,
was actually spoken by Mark Twain. He
is the one who originally remarked that
•
– “ Great things can happen when you
don’t care who gets the credit.”
• Remember, no one respects or follows
mediocrity.
• Leaders who earn the right to lead give
their all to what they do.
• They bring into play not only their
skills and talents, but also great passion
and hard work.
• To put it bluntly:
• “People don’t care how much you
know, until they know how much you
care.” You have to touch a heart before
you can ask for a hand
• In order to lead successfully, your Brethren
must know what you expect of them
•
Psychologists tell us people retain:
• 10% of what they read
• 20% of what they hear
• 30% of what they see
• 50% of what they see and hear
• 70% of what they say as they talk and
• 90% of what they say as they perform a task.
• Written communications are essential when
tasking or expectations are being transmitted.
That way, when there is a question, the
direction can be checked and documented.
• The ability to plan, and then carry out the
plan, is essential to leadership. Plan your
work, work your plan, and modify your plans
as circumstances require. Think! What makes
sense? Then execute! Remember, if you don’t
know where you’re going, any road will get
you there.
• There can be no dedication without
education, or as we Masons say it, “ an
educated Mason is a dedicated Mason.” In
other words: it is hard to be enthusiastic over
something about which you know little!
• Are you familiar with the Law of Magnetism?
Dr. Maxwell says it so well …”Who you are is
who you attract.” Look at your Lodge or
Appendant Body and you can see it – good or
bad. Strong leaders attract “leaders.”
• What happened to all the judges,
congressmen, doctors, lawyers, and business
professionals that we used to call Brother?
You know the answer … The Law of
Magnetism – who you are is who you attract.
This is not to be misread as being critical –
only factual.
• When you look at the leaders whose names
are revered long after their leadership has
ended, you find that they were men and
women who helped people to live better lives
and reach their potential. That is the highest
calling of leadership – and its highest value.
• To delegate a task does not mean to tell
someone, or some committee, to do the job, and
then forget the whole thing. You, as a leader
need to provide tasking in detail, and then
follow up at reasonable intervals. There is a
difference between proper follow-up to ensure
things are done well and on time and meddling.
Most of us tend to pass the buck – blame
someone else. When one is wronged, there is a
long memory. People, very frequently, are not
dependable. “Show me a man who cannot
bother to do little things, and I’ll show you a
man who cannot be trusted to do big things.”
• Be flexible when possible. Be open and
communicative at all times.
• Listen actively and attentively. Accept change
– give it a chance.
• Seek help and advice from others on how to
do a job.
• Don’t assume anything.
To develop a leader, as with all things,
you should start small. Give someone a
small job and see how he does. Provide
feedback. If his performance is
deserving, give him bigger jobs. Plan.
Organize. Motivate. Follow up.
Remember too, success has a 1,000
fathers, failure has one orphan.
•
All leaders will, at times, fail to observe a rule of
good leadership. No one can always remember all of
them. And no one has enough self control to avoid
mistakes. Be conscious of as many of your
shortcomings as possible and try to correct them.
When you observe shortcomings in a leader that you
are developing, provide feedback – at an appropriate
time and place.
•
Remember, praise in public, censure in private –
always! Take advantage of every opportunity to
practice good leadership, and to help those around
you improve. Remember: loyalty goes both ways.
Involve your Brethren in the decisions of the Lodge.
The Brethren will support what they help to develop
and / or decide.
•
Leadership is an opportunity to serve. It is NOT a
trumpet call to self-importance. Leaders create an
environment where everyone has the opportunity to do
work which matches his potential capability, and for
which an equitable differential reward is provided.
•
Leadership is about the power to influence and mobilize
others behind a cause. And the strength of that power
lies in the vision, courage, and character of would-be
leaders on a day to day basis.
• 1. Personnel determine the potential of
the organization
• 2. Relationships determine the morale
of the organization
• 3. Structure determines the direction of
the organization
• 4. Leadership determines the success of
the organization
• Let me ask you, do you have a vision of
what you might like to accomplish in
your year in the East, and a plan for its
success?
• With the Masonic Leadership Training
Program, Grand Lodge has handed us
an acorn, which if handled correctly,
and with the cooperation of ALL
Lodges, can become a giant oak. As
previously mentioned, leadership is
about mobilizing people.
• Courage, not fear, denotes a leader.
Courage requires making decisions, not
being afraid of error, of failure, of
criticism, or the fear of rejection. If you
as an officer make a mistake, correct it if
you can – but if you have no courage,
and cannot, or will not make a decision,
does your Lodge really need you as
their leader?
• Focus on what can go right –but plan for
what can go wrong.
• Now please listen carefully to the next
statement which bears repeating over
and over until time is no more:
•
“The responsibility of having to make
difficult decisions is not the BURDEN
of leadership, it is the PRIVILEGE of
leadership.” (repeat)
You either have it or you don’t.
It is congruence, or the quality of
agreeing, that will let everyone know if
there is agreement between:
your thoughts, words and actions.
• One of the ironies of leadership is that
you become a better leader by sharing
whatever power you have, not by saving
it all for yourself.
• For the Worshipful Master, if you use
your power to empower others, your
leadership will extend far beyond your
grasp.
• What are the major barriers to
successful planning?
• Fear of change, ignorance, uncertainty
about the future, and lack of
imagination.
• When you prepare well, you convey
confidence and trust to the Brothers.
Remember, when the real leader speaks,
people listen.
• You, as a leader, are the Fraternity. You
are the beacon that guides the Craft.
You know the energy is out there my
Brothers. But how do you as an
Worshipful Master or Officer tap the
source? To know the strengths and
weaknesses of your members is a great
beginning. And that alone is truly worth
a Master’s Wage.
• Watch your thoughts, they become words.
• Watch your words, they become actions.
• Watch your actions, they become habits.
• Watch your habits, they become character,
• Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.
• Questions?
• Suggestions?
• Everyone please complete the course
comment sheets and turn them into your
instructor.