Chairman: Martha Casassa
781-961-3170
LabMom416@gmail.com

LEADS

Click here for the GFWC Leadership Advancement Guide in the 2012-2014 GFWC Club Manual. Click here for the Leadership Questionnaire. Click here for the Leadership Report Cover Sheet.

Leadership is an enormous subject area. After much web surfing and reading, I decided to make a difference and change how Leadership is presented. So - Leadership information will be divided into 4 topic areas:

• Developing Yourself – activities for learning and growing your own leadership abilities
• Developing Others – how to reach out to develop fellow clubwomen
• Rewards & Recognition – celebrations  and rewards for all your hard work
• FUN! – ways to keep leadership learning enjoyable

DEVELOPING YOURSELF – this is where you get the tools you need to develop your own leadership talents.  Leaders are not necessarily born that way – leadership can be learned. Everyone has abilities. We just need to develop them. The following are key areas in which to grow your leadership.

• GFWC – knowing about the organization to which you belong is important to be able to serve it well.
  
• Governing Rules – Bylaws for GFWC and Standing Rules for Junior Membership are invaluable guides to how your organization works.
  
• Time Management – de-stressing your life by managing the time you have is a leadership skill.  The GFWC Leadership Playbook has suggestions. The web can provide even more. You need to make the time for this!
• Public Speaking – this dreaded activity is a leadership skill as well.
• Conflict Resolution – this really is about the “I” word. Having or facilitating a non-judgmental, non-emotional discussion that focuses on assertively stating individual needs and feelings without placing blame or guilt is a challenge. Once mastered it is a fabulous leadership skill.
• Effective Writing – a key skill for PR, speeches, written communication, etc. Good grammar and correct spelling create a positive image before your words are read. Style guides are available, but grammar and spell check are the first stop on this path to self-improvement.
• Committees - The goal of a committee is to focus member efforts and break the work into meaningful and controllable chunks. Committees are the work units of the organization used to make full use of the time, expertise and commitment of members to address issues and achieve goals.
• Effective Meetings – whether you have yet to run one or are a seasoned veteran, learning more about meetings and their structure will help you – and those who attend!
• Scheduling meetings – Doodle and Meeting Wizard are two free scheduling programs that are easy to use and let you see at a glance when everyone can meet. There are other offerings on the web as well.
• Preparing an agenda – think about what you want to discuss and then share it via the agenda. Suggestions on preparation and templates abound on the web. A good source is Meeting Wizard.
• Minutes –you may be asked to take notes at a meeting. Be prepared with this leadership skill. A web search will provide innumerable ideas, formats, templates and suggestions. Research what has been done previously to be sure any new ideas will blend and be acceptable.
• Leading a meeting – the website Meeting Wizard has a sidebar on the homepage that is all about Making Meetings Work! Check out the topics to make your meeting well run and effective at getting the work accomplished.
  

DEVELOPING OTHERS – this is where you get to help others get to where you are …. and beyond! As a federation leader you have a responsibility to look for and assist other leaders to grow and sustain our federation. You will see topics from above repeated below because this same information is what others need to know to develop. Tips for getting this info out are included.

• Job Descriptions – ensure your club has job descriptions for its leadership roles. Members cannot achieve or excel if they don’t know the goal!!
• Training – Don’t assume new members will automatically have the skills and experience necessary to fully participate in club meetings or serve on the board. 
• ASK – people want to feel involved and engaged. 
• Coaching & Mentoring – these are not the same thing. Both approaches will develop leaders. The one to use depends on the need.
• Delegation – The GFWC Leadership Playbook discusses this topic. Letting go is tough, but someone did it for you. It’s your turn to pass the starfish to someone new. Nothing is more powerful for an emerging leader than to be asked to do something and being allowed to do it – with support.
• GFWC – share your knowledge about Federation and your club during a meeting. 
• Governing Rules – Ensure your members have copies of your club bylaws. 
• Time Management – always a hot topic for clubwomen, find a local speaker who would be willing to present on this topic. 
• Public Speaking – the best way to develop in this area is PRACTICE!! 
• Conflict Resolution – not only is this an individual leadership skill, but is one many groups need to learn as well. Role-playing is the least threatening, most enjoyable way to learn what to do to resolve conflict. The web has resources. 
• Effective Writing – a key skill as noted earlier. 
• Effective Meetings – leaders as role-models in preparing for and running effective meetings are the means to develop your future leaders and give them the confidence they, too, can lead. Include members in meeting planning and execution expanding their roles and responsibilities over time (see delegation and coaching & mentoring)
  

REWARDS & RECOGNITION

• New Member Welcome - recognize and appreciate new members with an event just for them. Recognize new members in the club newsletter or website (everyone likes to see their name in print). 
• Ongoing Clubmember Recognition – reward your members for being members. Acknowledge birthdays, anniversaries, or other special dates with announcements at meetings and in the club newsletter. Simple gifts are nice, but optional. 
• GFWC pins  - available for presentation to members to celebrate anniversaries or positions. Pins are very public ways to recognize members in an ongoing manner as they can proudly wear their pin(s) to meetings and other federation events.
• GFWC of MA Junior Membership Interest Survey – reward yourself and volunteer to serve on your State Board. Complete the survey form (second in the list on this web page) and submit it to the Nominating Committee Chairman. You may get the chance to put the leadership skills you have been developing into practice.
• LEADS – this program is held annually at the GFWC Annual Convention on the day before the official opening. Members who meet specified criteria apply at the state level for consideration. Members applying are those with the potential and desire to assume leadership positions at our state level (Junior and/or General membership) and/or GFWC. A state committee reviews applications and then chooses one woman to send for the program. More information and the application will be available on the website. The entry deadline is usually early March.
• Jennie Award - The GFWC Jennie Award honors one clubwoman from each GFWC Region for outstanding commitment to club, community, and family. It is an award for lifetime personal excellence based on commitment to club, community, and family. 
  

FUN!

• Leadership Games & Icebreakers – There are a myriad of resources for these. One website is here. In keeping with our GFWC President’s theme here is the Magic Shoe game:
• Magic Shoes: Leadership games such as “magic shoes” is a challenge for a team to choose a decisive leader to accomplish the goal with teamwork effort. Make 2 lines on the ground at least 8 feet apart and have the participants break into 2 groups, with each team having one pair of “magic shoes.” Instruct the team to gather behind one of the lines and have them cross the lava (the ground they are crossing) with only one person at a time using the “magic shoes” to be able to walk across the lava safely. Each team will be challenged to select a leader who would plan the strategy on how to have the entire team cross without being burned.
  
• Contests – everyone likes to be a winner. Create a contest with a leadership theme (Which Generation am I?, Is this Rule Real?, Roberts’ Says…) and lots of winners.
• Comedy Nights – yes, stress relief is a leadership topic. From a comedy night at a local venue to watching laughing babies on YouTube to Karaoke – do what works for your members and have a laugh for leadership. 
• Teambuilding – anything that calls for planning and getting the group together for a focused activity can help build your team. Want more teambuilding activity ideas?
• Leadership Cookie - Since I personally love to bake, I couldn’t resist sharing this recipe. Bake a batch of real ones with the recipe attached for your Board.
  

LEADERSHIP COOKIE
1 cup Orientation/Training on GFWC and the club and its relationship to the member
2 cups of Information/Communication on the club and its activities
5 Tablespoons of Active Participation with room for growth, opportunities for service, and engagement with others
Heaps of Recognition
Dash of Humility

Combine orientation/training with  information/communication. Stir in active participation. Add recognition to hold it together. Roll out and sprinkle with a dash of humility. Bake at just the right temperature for the ingredients. Watch carefully to avoid burnout or being underdone.
The perfect cookie produces positive members in successful growing clubs who are LEADERS.

• Leader Recipe – Your members might like this one with a cookie or two:

LEADERSHIP RECIPE
1 cup Greetings¼ cup Smiles
2 large Handshakes – may substitute large Hugs
1 cup Love and Care
2 cups Hospitality
Dash of Sympathy
Humility to sprinkle

Cream greetings and smiles thoroughly. Add handshakes or hugs and stir easily. Add love and care slowly. Sift in hospitality and sympathy. Sprinkle with humility and serve.

Enjoy growing yourself and others. You’ll be surprised where it might LEAD!!!  For more ideas see Information Please!