If You Thought You
Could Make a Difference (Part
V)
by Kathy Siroky, PP, PLS
If you thought you could make a difference, would you
be willing to try? If you discovered you possessed
leadership qualities and skill, would you use them? If
you knew that you could motivate others to make a difference,
would you be inspired to do so? Together we have
taken a look at several of the twelve qualities that leaders
possess. Next, a leader is an effective communicator
and is a team builder.
“What you
are speaks so loudly I cannot hear what you say.” –
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Making a difference requires effective communication. What
is the power of communication? How does it affect
relationships, your leadership ability and what role does
it play. Effective leaders motivate and inspire others
to take action, resolve conflict, provide accurate information,
and prevent communication breakdowns. We have all
heard the word – that is, “wordsmith”. We have all
used it at one time or another. You jot down an idea
or several ideas and send it to someone to work the magic,
or wordsmith it for you. The magic is molding and
shaping your ideas. As leaders, we must keep it short
and simple. We must communicate clearly and precisely. Most
importantly leaders say “thank you.” Those are short
and simple words. How often do you say those two
little words? Are we more likely to do something again
for someone else if you hear those words? If you
receive a note from someone telling you that your words
of encouragement made a difference to them, are you just
as likely to say thank you and send another note to someone
else? Pay it forward to make a difference. Pat
yourself on the back. Are you ready to pat someone
else on the back? It’ll make a world of difference. Success
and appreciation go hand in hand. The success of
a team is dependent upon the appreciation given by its
leaders. How do you show your appreciation to the
members on your team? Remember, keep it simple, keep
it short and be precise. You will be amazed how much
can be accomplished if you know what is expected of you. In
the NALS Strategic Plan it contains goals and strategies
for what is expected of the individual committees; however
how that is accomplished is up to the committee. The
goals are clearly defined. There is ownership and
pride in the individual committees. Remember, this
is our attitude, our reason to make a difference; this
is our purpose in life; this is our NALS, our association
that is dedicated to enhancing the competencies of the
legal profession, and our association that is dedicated
to making a difference!
Team building is the one quality of a leader that draws
on all other qualities of an effective leader. As
a leader you must have a mission to inspire others, a leader
is a visionary and a big thinker. The value of a
team is important. You can accomplish goals that
could not be reached by only one person. We have
an uncanny drive to be part of something, to be involved,
to be supportive of one another. You can make an
even bigger difference by being part of a team, doing it
together. In basketball, there are five members of
the team on the floor at any given moment of the game. One
player cannot accomplish as much as the entire team. One
person cannot cover the entire court and the other five
opposing team members. When building a leadership
team, you look for individuals with common backgrounds
and skills. If someone is enthusiastic and great
with people, you might consider them for membership. If
someone is creative and has the ability to inspire others,
you might consider them for education. Inspiring
others, motivating, delegating and directing others are
important and a big part of team building. It can
be challenging to build a team, but with an effective team
it will make a difference.
