Summer 2010
With our rural communities (and ultimately our world) changing so quickly is it healthy for our community leaders to remain static? Not only is our definition of “leader” no longer about power and control from the top but about creating positive change at any level, how leaders go about their work is also shifting. Although there are many tried and true “leadership” tools and techniques, this constantly evolving world needs leaders who are flexible, are willing to expand their thinking and try new things. Just as innovation is encouraged in the field of technology, so too should it be in the way we engage others, overcome conflict, solve problems, and ultimately create change.
Alicia Evans, Project Manager – Steps to Leadership
Fresh Off the Presses
Presenting the new Rural Ontario Institute
Guelph, ON - Officially launched on April 1, 2010, the Rural Ontario Institute has a mandate to provide rural leadership development and focus on multi-stakeholder engagement for the purposes of engaging rural stakeholders and developing and delivering community engagement strategies; securing and communicating ground intelligence on rural issues; and informing decision makers on rural issues. The Rural Ontario Institute was created through the amalgamation of The Centre for Rural Leadership (TCRL) and The Ontario Rural Council (TORC) to ensure that rural contributes to a strong, healthy and vibrant Ontario. In to the future, the Rural Ontario Institute will embark on initiatives that build strong rural leaders and represent the critical rural voice on issues of importance to rural Ontario.
Click here for more information >
Steps to Leadership Pilot Programs Wrap Up
Guelph, ON - As of June 1st, 2010, the pilot deliveries of the Steps to Leadership programs wrapped up in Chatham-Kent, Northumberland and Simcoe Counties. Here is what one participant has said about the programs:
“WOW is all I can say! The takeaways from the Leading Edge: First Steps and the Leading Edge: Next Steps programs were simply amazing. As I prepare to be a future municipal councillor, and as I am presently active in many not-for-profit organizations, the leadership skills learned during these programs will serve me immensely for many years to come.
The course was only half of the equation, as I had the privilege to interact with the youth of the community and leaders of the community. The responses from these two groups lead to interactive dialogue, and opened my eyes to the imaginative minds of our community’s young future leaders.” - Leon Leclair, Leclair Hidden Hills Farm, Grande-Pointe ON
Steps to Leadership Speakers' Network - Coming Soon
Guelph, ON - By the end of July, rural and agricultural community organizations in Ontario will be able to apply for financial support to access speakers and facilitators on various leadership topics for local or provincial events, workshops or conferences. Along with the funding program, the Steps to Leadership Speakers’ Network will also consist of a directory of high-quality speakers and facilitators available to speak to agriculture, agri-food and rural provincial and community organizations.
More details will be available soon >
Leading Edge Summit - Innovating for Positive Change in Rural Ontario
Guelph, ON - Are you a leader? Do you want to make positive changes in yourself, in your organization; in your community? Are you looking for something different in a conference? Then save the dates – October 19 and 20, 2010 and plan to participate in The Leading Edge Summit – Innovating for Positive Change in Rural Ontario where you will be provided with innovative tools to address issues affecting individuals, organizations and communities in rural Ontario.
Click on the Leading Edge Summit Banner, to learn more >
Money Available to Attend Leadership Development Training and Workshops
Guelph, ON - The Steps to Leadership Travel and Tuition Assistance will cover up to 50% of the costs (up to $500) associated with attending any leadership development training, workshop or event. These costs can include registration fees, travel to and from the event, and other costs associated with training. The Travel and Tuition Assistance is needs-based funding available for rural Ontario residents.
Click here to read more >
Linked to Leadership Theory
The Rurban Fringe: How Community Groups Destroy Themselves
Managing volunteer groups is tough … it’s tough recruiting people, connecting people, and keeping people on track when different agendas come to the fore (as they always will). But do community groups drive away their best members? The Citizen’s Handbook, a publication by Vancouver Citizens Committee, outlines what causes grassroots rot …
Click here to read the full hanbook >
Ten Tips for the Innovative Leader by Paul Sloane
The critical importance of creativity and innovation is well understood but many leaders find it difficult to translate those ideas into action. They have successfully developed a culture and processes for efficiency, execution, quality, direction and achieving quarterly goals. By using the following ten tips, leaders can then add the unorthodox thinking and experimentation that will lead to high value innovation.
Click here to read the full article >
An Interesting Definition
“Leading” and “leadership” come from the Old English word lithan (one of the rare English words that actually has an English origin), which literally means “to go.” According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, leadership means “to guide on a way, especially by going in advance.” It is significant that the root of the word leadership does not have to do with “power,” “command,” “dominance,” etc. It has to do with going somewhere together with others. It is not so much about “being number one” as it is about “leading the way” through one’s own actions.
Thus, in its truest expression, leadership is fundamentally about “going first,” and influencing others as much by one’s actions as by one’s words. From this perspective, effective leadership can be viewed as the ability to involve others in the process of accomplishing a goal.
Click here to read more >
Leadership Spotlight
An excerpt from The Pollyanna Principles by Hildy Gottlieb
"We can create the future we want for our communities!
From the first page of this groundbreaking work, prepare to be inspired to get to work creating an extraordinary future for your community - even (and especially) in tough economic times."
Drawing on her extensive experience in the field, the “nonprofit” sector’s respected contrarian - veteran consultant and author Hildy Gottlieb - debunks everything you thought was true about creating “effective organizations.”
- Can governance aim organizations at creating community change?
- Can an individual organization's planning really create a different future for a whole community?
- Can the way we raise money make a difference in our communities (Not the money we raise, but the actual fundraising efforts themselves)?
Hildy's answer: Yes! For more information on the book itself, check out the website: http://pollyannaprinciples.org/info/
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