Leadership: Summing up the Best Parts

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Leadership Summing up the Best Parts

• Presented by
• Dr. Catherine Frank, OLLI _at_ Duke
• Lucy Woodhouse, OLLI _at_ Furman

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What is leadership?

• the process of social influence in which one
  person can enlist the aid and support of others
  in the accomplishment of a common task
• Creating a way for people to contribute to
  making something extraordinary happen

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Good leaders have . . .

• Vision
• Knowledge of the mission and structure of the
  organization
• Professional and personal skills suited to
  further the goals of the organization
• Problem-solving skills
• Good social judgment

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Unique Challenges and Opportunities for OLLI
Leadership

• Understanding the role of the LLI within the
  university
• Finding a balance between the leadership styles
  and strengths of the staff director and the board
  leadership
• Understanding the work of the board
• Tapping into the strength and wisdom of the
  membership

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The Parts

• Host
• Staff
• Board
• Members

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The Best from your Host

• In-kind support on all levels
• Inclusion across departments
• Intergenerational projects
• Elevator speech is consistent
• Benefits outweigh perceived negatives
• Publicity through university channels

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• How to get the best from your host

• and how NOT to

• Get invited to meetings
• Eat lunch with faculty
• Suggest class ideas
• Hand deliver brochures to Presidents office
• Write a thank you a day
• Cookies
• Know key admins pet projects
• Bring members resources to campus
• Spread kudos to Dean

• Assume they owe you
• Become an us/them
• Leave conflicts unresolved
• Stay in your office
• Go over budget
• Allow members direct access to admin
• Forget you are a guest

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The Straddle
Staff
The Host
The Members
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The Best from your Staff

• Clear job descriptions
• Clear goals updated annually
• Board support
• Host offers a mentor and advocate
• Volunteer office support
• Acknowledgement at member and host functions
• Fill their bucket

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The Best from the Board

• Expertise to share
• Understanding of the position of the LLI within
  the university
• Respect for the strength, commitment, and vision
  of the staff
• Commitment to the mission and membership of the
  organization

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Some ways to cultivate the best in the board

• Board development committee
• Board manual
• Annual board recruitment drives
• Make nominations and appointments part of a
  process
• Open meetings and discussions
• Accountability

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Some challenges for OLLI board leaders

• Misunderstanding the relationship of the LLI to
  the university
• Misunderstanding the unique nature of the OLLI
  board
• Loss of focus
• Failure to embrace new members and seek new
  directions
• Not having fun

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The Best from the Members--Followership is as
important as leadership

• Feeling responsible for the success of the
  organization
• Enjoying the university and the role of the LLI
  within it
• Bringing a network
• Participating

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Bringing leaders and followers together

• Print and interactive media
• The coffee pot, the picnic, the convocation
• Nametagsits the little things
• Everyone is a marketer
• Contribute what you can--every contribution makes
  a positive difference

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The best parts work together to make for a great
ride!
Host
Board
Members
Staff
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The best quotations about leadership

• Leadership is the art of getting someone else to
  do something you want done because he or she
  wants to do it. Dwight Eisenhower
• The leadership instinct you are born with is the
  backbone. You develop the funny bone and the
  wishbone that go with it. Elaine Agather
• A leader is best when people barely know he
  exists, not so good when people obey and acclaim
  him, worse when they despise him. But of a good
  leader who talks little when his work is done,
  his aim fulfilled, they will say We did it
  ourselves. Lao-Tzu