For an organization to grow and be successful, and be truly democratic,
​all the members need to be recognized, cultivated and used.  
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Leadership Begins with Knowledge

In order to be effective you have to know yourself and your organization. One of the first steps in skill building is taking an assessment of your needs and strengths, as well as those of your club.  There are many different styles of leadership. Knowing your style, your strengths and weaknesses is essential.  Knowledge of the Federation and your own club’s history is another one of the first steps in developing a GFWC leader. You also need to know parliamentary procedures and how to plan and conduct a meeting.  This “management” aspect of leadership sometimes scares people away from accepting positions as an officer or Chairman. All clubs should provide members with a process and procedures manual with their Bylaws, job descriptions, deadlines and responsibilities. In addition to your regular club meetings you should attend District, State, Regional and National meetings to learn and share what has been successful with your club as well as other clubs.
 Our Federation and many of our clubs have an interesting history and have also developed many traditions. Protocol, like many customs, changes with the times; however, no matter what changes occur, manners, common sense and courtesy remain the same. Each organization has rules of protocol that best suits its needs.  A good leader knows and adheres to these customs. The General Federation of Woman’s Clubs had its beginning on April 24, 1890. The motto “Unity in Diversity” was engraved on the first membership pin in 1893. As far back as our founding date, traditions were established that have been followed through the years.  Know your club traditions. They have been handed down from event to event and meeting to meeting.  This rich heritage has helped to develop character, leadership, unity and public service

Leadership is Unity

One of the first requisites of a good leader is to be a good member. This is done by following the rules and regulations of the club. A good member pays dues, attends and participates in meetings. She serves willingly when called upon and listens attentively. She is willing to yield to the majority and votes on all questions and elections. Members are the most important part of any organization. Leaders need members and followers to carry out their duties. Working together, leaders and followers determine the success of the organization. In order to keep an organization running smoothly and its members performing effectively, certain skills are necessary. Most people think of time as intangible. Organizing your time is no different than organizing your space. A plan of action for Time Management includes the following skills:
  1. Analyze what is working and not working for you
  2. Organize your workspace
  3. Prioritize your tasks
  4. Schedule your time
  5. Strategize different ways of accomplishing the task

Stress is the body’s reaction to anything that requires an adjustment or response. The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental and emotional responses. Stress can be positive by alerting us to a problem; it is negative when a member faces continuous challenges without relief or relaxation from these challenges. A Plan of action for Stress Management includes:
  1. Maintain a positive attitude
  2. Change your perceptions
  3. Release anger constructively
  4. Delegate
  5. Keep a stress journal
  6. Exercise regularly

All members have responsibilities to know and adhere to the rules and procedures established by their club. Clubs should review their bylaws and procedures for any goals or methods that are outdated and take steps to update. 
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Leadership Requires Good Communication​

Most of us are so familiar with our own communication habits that the process seems easy and simple. Good communication, however, is a complex interaction of habits, attitudes, knowledge, information and biases that we use in sending and receiving our messages to each other.  Well-developed communication skills enable a person to be able to lead, motivate and encourage those that follow. Know your mission and set goals to achieve it. The four characteristics of goal setting are:
  1. Goals must be specific
  2. Goals are measurable
  3. Goals are achievable (realistic)
  4. Goals are challenging

Once you have decided what specific problems are to be solved, services rendered or tasks accomplished, you need to plan, organize and direct the process. This should be done with confidence, poise, decisiveness and assertiveness. As the leader, you need to equip your officers and committee members with the skills to function effectively. Encourage them to attend and conduct training workshops. Brainstorm with them ways that your leadership team can grow beyond expectations and alternative ways to achieve your goals.  Develop a plan of action of who is going to do what, where and when. Implement the plan then monitor and evaluate it, always communicating with your team for the best results. A good leader knows how to delegate for success. There are two kinds of responsibilities when delegating a job:
  • You can delegate a new responsibility by asking a member to exercise her initiative by being creative and presenting a plan for approval or
  • You can ask someone to carry out a plan already decided upon.

Effective steps to delegating include:
  1. Communicate the task accurately
  2. Explain the purpose of the task
  3. Agree on the standard you will use to measure the success of the task
  4. Grant the authority necessary to complete the task
  5. Provide support
  6. Get a commitment from the member
Communication is a two-way street and one can never be sure that we have successfully communicated until we get a reaction from the listener.
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Leadership Has Vision

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