Moving on Up

During my time as a Lion, I found that when we look for Lions to move into officer or committee roles there are more people who do not want to take on these roles than those who do. The reasons are varied: I am retired and want to travel, I do not have time, I only want to be a worker-bee, I did it at work and am not interested in doing it any more. This leads some clubs to have people repeat roles; in other clubs, it leads to a small clique of individuals who run the club. Neither situation is optimal.
 
All Lions should have a voice and an opportunity to help their clubs succeed in providing community service. So how can we change the thinking of members to take on leadership roles in their clubs? The answer is a four-letter word – PLAN. Each club should consider forming a Leadership Development team. This team should be comprised of past officers, committee members and newer Lions. The team should focus on succession planning for all officers, directors, and committee chairs.
 
The first task of this team is to identify members who wish to serve as officers or directors, then create a three to five-year plan for them to move up the ladder. The second task is to assign each committee chair a Lion to learn what is required to perform a committee activity. Third, the team should identify several Lions in the club to serve as mentors to newer Lions; avoid relying on sponsors to develop the members they bring in.
 
Finally, current district and club officers and committee chairs should be positive and speak positively about the roles they are in. Avoid being the martyr. Few people want to take on a role if the current leader acts and speaks as if it is a burden they have to bear (yet in some cases they continue to bear this same burden year after year). I enjoy being 2nd Vice-District Governor. I have had more good than bad experiences (and the bad is not really that bad). This does not mean everything is rainbows and unicorns. With leadership comes responsibility to take difficult stands and make tough decisions for the benefit of the association. I invite you to join with me and step up to continue the legacy of your club.