| NOVEMBER 19, 2010 -- National Grange Session is over and my local Grange had officer elections this week. I've had a little time to reflect on what being elected Master/President really means to most people.
Being elected to the highest ranking position in your Grange should be considered an honor as it means your fellow members believe you can do the job of leading. Leading doesn't mean doing it all, it means building a team to accomplish the Grange goals.
I have found that running the meeting is one of the easier parts of the job. If you commit to learning the basics of parliamentary procedure and our opening and closing ceremonies, you will have no problem with this part of leading.
A harder part is building teams and then educating those teams in how to function together successfully. When you understand that the success of your Grange depends upon teamwork, you have achieved a great beginning.
The hardest part of being elected "the leader" is that you must lead. Most leaders are not chosen for their good looks, their superior intellect, or their charismatic personality. Ask yourself why you were chosen to lead your Grange.
Leading is a balance of listening and guiding. It is not remaking or substantially changing the organization, it is building within the framework that exists. It is about showing your members the path that they want to go down. Leading is showing the members that it is fine to try something new or different.
Politicians tend to be poor examples of leadership as they often get caught up in believing their own press. Listen and learn from those you lead and you will achieve great things during your term as leader.
When your time is up, then be a leader and step back and support those who take the reins of leadership in your Grange. The satisfaction of a job well done and the appreciation of your peers is a wonderful reward for your gift of time and effort as a leader. |
