Setting Attainable Goals
Program Titles
- Leadership Is Not Controlling People
- What do today’s leaders do that is different from leaders in the past?
Larry Butch Templin: You can set realistic goals for your life by first answering
these seven questions:
* What goals do I want to reach?
* When do I want to reach them?
* What obstacles must I conquer on the way to the goals?
* Who can help me — individuals or groups?
* What skills and knowledge
will I need to achieve these
goals?
* What’s my plan for attaining
the goals?
* What will I gain from reaching
these goals?
After you set your goals, you must
be able to say “Yes” to five more questions:
* Are these truly my goals?
* Are they legally and morally right?
* Do my short- and long-range goals mesh?
* Can I emotionally commit to these goals for the long
term?
* Can I visualize myself attaining these goals?
We were taught that the role of leaders was to control followers.
Effective leaders were those who could get people to follow their orders.
Consequently, the result was limited to the vision and ability of the leader.
We learned that you control things (cost, inventory, shipments, etc.) not people. Today we know that an effective leader is one who can direct the energy of the people who elected him or her to meet the goals of both the organization and its members. Creative leadership encourages and nurtures the creativity of the people being led.
Characteristics of an Effective Leader Larry Templin identifies leadership traits to which adults respond most positively. Creative leaders are those who embody the following characteristics:
Have Faith in people, offer them challenging opportunities and delegate responsibility to them. We not only assign tasks to committee chairs; we also allow those chairs to decide the way in which the tasks will be completed.
Know that people feel a commitment to decisions in which they have participated. Leaders involve their people in every step of the planning process, assessing needs, setting goals, developing action steps, carrying out activities and evaluating results. Keep the members involved and they will support the process.
Believe in and use the power of Self-fulfilling prophecy. If you think your people can achieve something, and they know you think this about them, this will be exhibited through your words and actions, and they will achieve!
Value individuality. Leaders sense that people are more productive when they use their unique strengths, talents, interests and goals then when they are trying to conform to some imposed stereotype. These leaders encourage a team arrangement in which each member works at what he or she does best and enjoys most. Creative leaders see the purpose of all life activities, work, learning, playing, civic participation, and spiritual growth, to enable each individual to achieve his or her full and unique potential.
Stimulate and reward creativity. In our world of accelerating change, creativity is a basic requirement for the survival of individuals, organizations, and societies. As leaders we must be willing to hear ideas from fellow members even if they sound different at first. Even the best ideas may start out sounding “silly,” however through working the process out together, these silly suggestions can become truly innovative ideas.
Have a commitment to process of continuous change and use skill in managing change. If we’re to attract more members, we have to offer problems and take up challenges that fit today’s needs.
Acknowledge and promote achievement, recognition, fulfilling work, responsibility, advancement and growth as the reason people work, their goals.
Encourage people to be self-directing, to make their own decisions about completing the task they have been given. It allows adults to use their experiences and their minds in purposeful work for the organization.
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