What I've Learned
(NOTE: This post was inspired by a conversation I had with our Toastmasters International Director towards the end of my District Director year. He asked me what I'd learned during my year as District Director. These aren't ALL I learned but they sprang to mind first.)
Everyone is watching and listening.
You may think you're no one special, the only time people listen is when you get up in front to talk. Don't be fooled. When you're a leader, EVERYONE is listening to what you say, and watching what you do ALL. OF. THE. TIME!
If you're in a club meeting, or a speech contest, and you're on your phone checking FaceBook, or texting, or emailing - people will notice. They may not say anything to YOU, but they WILL talk to each other.
Yes, you may BE bored to tears, or you didn't get a lot of sleep last night, but imagine what that brand new member, giving their Ice Breaker speech, thinks when they see the Club President, or the visiting Area Director, with their face buried in their phone and not listening to them.
Get a thick(er) skin.
Most people think they can do your job better than you're doing it. It's human nature. Whatever you decide, someone else would have made a different decision. Always listen to naysayers because, you never know, they may be right, but don't dwell on their negativity.
You're not going to please everyone.
No matter what you decide, someone isn't going to be happy about it. It's a fact of life. If you can please 50% of the people - plus one - that's a win, take it, go home, and celebrate!
Learn to say "no" without feeling guilty.
As a leader you have to make decisions based on what's in the best interest of the organization. Sometimes that affects your personal relationships. But if you start making decisions based on whether or not your friends will be mad at you, that takes you down a very slippery slope that will make your life VERY difficult.
I try to look at it this way. If a "friend" gets mad at me because I did my job and made a decision that was for the betterment of my organization, were they really my "friend" at all? This leads into ...
Most of the decisions you make will be difficult.
Sorry to break this news to you but most of the decisions you'll be presented with will be difficult ones. If they were easy, they would have been made before they got to you. Making difficult decisions is part of being a leader. Listen to all inputs, consider any constraints your organization places on you, consider your organization's goals, and then make a decision. Here's another news flash - you're going to get it wrong occasionally - you're human. But I will, 10 out of 10 times, take a decisive leader that occasionally gets it wrong over one that refuses to make a decision.
One great tactic, when someone brings you a difficult issue, is to ask them, "How would you handle this? Why would you handle it that way?" You're getting input, you're getting subordinates to think for themselves, plus you get an insight into how your team thinks.
Always explain your decisions as well. People may still not agree with them but they at least understand how you arrived at your decision. It's entirely possible their way would've worked as well but it was YOUR decision to make. If they want to make the decisions, they're free to run for your job next time!
You may think you're no one special, the only time people listen is when you get up in front to talk. Don't be fooled. When you're a leader, EVERYONE is listening to what you say, and watching what you do ALL. OF. THE. TIME!
If you're in a club meeting, or a speech contest, and you're on your phone checking FaceBook, or texting, or emailing - people will notice. They may not say anything to YOU, but they WILL talk to each other.
Yes, you may BE bored to tears, or you didn't get a lot of sleep last night, but imagine what that brand new member, giving their Ice Breaker speech, thinks when they see the Club President, or the visiting Area Director, with their face buried in their phone and not listening to them.
Get a thick(er) skin.
Most people think they can do your job better than you're doing it. It's human nature. Whatever you decide, someone else would have made a different decision. Always listen to naysayers because, you never know, they may be right, but don't dwell on their negativity.
You're not going to please everyone.
No matter what you decide, someone isn't going to be happy about it. It's a fact of life. If you can please 50% of the people - plus one - that's a win, take it, go home, and celebrate!
Learn to say "no" without feeling guilty.
As a leader you have to make decisions based on what's in the best interest of the organization. Sometimes that affects your personal relationships. But if you start making decisions based on whether or not your friends will be mad at you, that takes you down a very slippery slope that will make your life VERY difficult.
I try to look at it this way. If a "friend" gets mad at me because I did my job and made a decision that was for the betterment of my organization, were they really my "friend" at all? This leads into ...
Most of the decisions you make will be difficult.
Sorry to break this news to you but most of the decisions you'll be presented with will be difficult ones. If they were easy, they would have been made before they got to you. Making difficult decisions is part of being a leader. Listen to all inputs, consider any constraints your organization places on you, consider your organization's goals, and then make a decision. Here's another news flash - you're going to get it wrong occasionally - you're human. But I will, 10 out of 10 times, take a decisive leader that occasionally gets it wrong over one that refuses to make a decision.
One great tactic, when someone brings you a difficult issue, is to ask them, "How would you handle this? Why would you handle it that way?" You're getting input, you're getting subordinates to think for themselves, plus you get an insight into how your team thinks.
Always explain your decisions as well. People may still not agree with them but they at least understand how you arrived at your decision. It's entirely possible their way would've worked as well but it was YOUR decision to make. If they want to make the decisions, they're free to run for your job next time!
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