What Does It Take?

Photo Credit: Richard Chicoine, All Rights Reserved iCopyright 2008






What It Takes To Lead
P A S S I O N ! V I S I O N !




Demographics don’t seem to matter much. Young. Seasoned. Male. Female. Urban. Rural.


Leadership isn’t a job. It’s not a title. It’s a calling.

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” - Abraham Lincoln

1. October is Women in History month. For some interesting bios of women who forged ahead and shattered stereotypes, go here:

http://www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/owd/english/whm/index.shtml




2. This incredibly powerful young man was recently in Thunder Bay, as the official spokesperson for Unicef Canada. He is 12 years old and has raised more funds than anyone in the LTB Alumni or our current class. Read about his VISION and PASSION here:

http://www.bilaalrajan.com/





“Sometimes a leader emerges from among equals, a man whose natural charisma, stability, and sense of purpose make everyone turn to him, just as office plants turn toward the window. There’s something special there, and everybody recognizes it, even if no one can put a finger on it.” – David Zinczenko, Editor, Mens Health Magazine



3. OPPORTUNITY! On November 24th Craig Kielburger, three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee and a very young leader, will be giving an inspiring presentation in Thunder Bay.


That evening Craig will bring to light a unique opportunity for Canada’s youth to positively shape their local and global communities. Craig illustrates this powerful message through stories from his inspiring 12 year journey which has built the world’s largest youth run charitable organization “Free The Children”. go to http://www.metowe.com/ and click on “Why Me To We”.

For additional information regarding Craig’s presentation in Thunder Bay please contact Emey Hendricks of Investors Group @ 345-6363 ext. 224.


4. And...check out the new list of readings for our November 20 Learning Day at Bombardier: go to http://xowhat.blogspot.com (top right corner).

Remember to play - it's Hallowe'en!

- Maggie

Help develop leadership passion in Thunder Bay. Invite your children, cousins, neighbours - your young friends to public and alumni events. Be a role model in your leadership journey.

Curiosity 2 Follow Up

Photo Credit: Richard Chicoine, All Rights Reserved 2008

Curioser and Curioser…

“Wonder, connected with the principle of rational curiosity, is the source of all knowledge and discovery.” - Samuel Horsley

“It is curious that physical courage should be so common in this world, and moral courage so rare.” - Mark Twain

Welcome Alumni…

__________________________________

• Curriculum Learning Day: Municipal Issues
• Key Leadership Skill: Ethics
  
  
  How much curiosity did our guest speakers stir up in you? This post is a list of follow up points which were mentioned at our first Community Learning Day, including the answer to Mayor Krassilowsky’s ethics question.
  
  1. The Bellamy Report, all about bad judgement, corruption, bribery and scandals as mentioned by John Hannam: http://www.mississauga.ca/file/COM/Bellamy_Report___Mississauga.pdf
  
  2. This link leads you to Megatrends 2010, referenced by Mayor Richard Harvey: http://www.yourlifework.com/List-of-Megatrends.html .
  
  “There’s a crisis in ethics, with collateral damage to people, society and ecology.” “Know your core values and have the courage to live them in all areas of your life.”
  
  3. Association of Municipalities of Ontario, referenced by Mayor Anne Krassilowsky: http://www.amo.on.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home . This is Municipal Government Week.
  
  4. Northwestern Ontario Common Voice: http://www.fonom.org/NOMAPresentation.pdf
  
  5. Mayor Krassilowsky’s Question: "Is it ethical to break the law to change an unjust law?"
  
  Answer: “If the change “betters society” it may be worth it. BUT no matter if it is for the greater good, there will still be winners and losers.” She adds, “if it feels wrong, it is. Honesty, fairness, full disclosure, being as clear about things as possible; allegiance to contracts and to people. Ethics walks with you and through you."
  
  
  BONUS:
  
  6. AN INVITATION: This relates directly to one of LTB's Community Action Projects!
  Free seminars are part of Tamarack’s Practical Visionaries series to envision a better future for communities, and create the means to help us to get there. Register here:
  
  http://tamarackcommunity.ca/g1_events_LCtele.html
  http://tamarackcommunity.ca/downloads/index/PB_comm_harnessing.pdf
  The Six Elements of Successful Innovation
  Date: Tuesday, October 28, 2008
  Time: 12:00pm Eastern
  Speakers: Al Etmanski & Vickie Cammack
  Description: Learn the secrets of successful social innovations with two of Canada’s leading social innovators.
  
  MORE ON MUNICIPAL ISSUES: JUST RELEASED
  
  7. The Sunshine Law: Open Municipal Meetings in Ontario:
  http://www.ombudsman.on.ca/media/31906/the%20watchdog%20e-newsletter_oct%2008.pdf
  
  IN THE NEWS:
  
  8. $$$ Chronicle Journal (October 20, 2008) Maxwell House Coffee is accepting nominations for do-gooders until March 31. Applications are available online at http://www.brewsomegood.ca/. Also featured in video: Thunder Bay’s Jaako Polkki, age 12 and his fundraising campaign for Malawi. He received $10,000 from Maxwell House!
  
  
  Your turn....I'm curious about what you are following
  
  Have a great link about leadership, a good book or blog you're reading? COMMENT on your favourite quotes from politics and ethics to why you should hang around at the farmer's market or walk instead of driving…
  
  HOW TO COMMENT: find the “date” directly below this post, “comments” beside, and click on “comments”.
  
  
  
  Yours in leadership,
  
  Maggie

Breakfast? At the Hoito?

Ever Had Breakfast at the Hoito?

That should be, have you ever READ “Breakfast at the Hoito”?

You might find the author of Breakfast at the Hoito, Charles Wilkins, hunkering down to a plateful of pancakes in one of Canada’s most historic restaurants in the Finnish quarter of Thunder Bay, the Hoito. The name is finnish for "care".

Wilkins is an observer of life in our City. His writing reflects the inner workings of a community with spirit, heart and its own share of misfortunes.

As we enter our first “Community Learning Day” on Thursday this week, I would like to quote the 2 final pages of Wilkin’s work, published in 1997. That’s almost a dozen years ago.

“I could discuss the city’s assets at length – good air, sweet summers, all the facilities and parks mentioned earlier on these pages – and could think of other things to say about its liabilities. However, the more I think and talk about the place, the more I am reminded that at the core of any community, there is a knot – a complex amalgam of geography and history and fate, plus any number of unresolved hopes, frustrations and biases, interwoven to the point that only the final shaman could ever begin to decipher them.

Thunder Bay’s knot is perhaps harder to untie than most right now, because we are a city in flux and seeking direction. About the only thing we are sure of, it seems, is that we are not about to find that direction where others have found it in the past, and that we must look somewhere else.

We are reminded by those in the know to remember, above all, that we are a community not of economic indicators, but of human beings…and that for the ultimate sustainability, we must look not to Toronto, Ottawa or beyond – but within.

The notion is attractive.

Others tell us our future lies in the diligent reading of precisely those economic indicators that we have been warned to avoid.

Meanwhile, the land and lake are what they ever were, lending grace and endurance and mystery – and their own, unique measure of direction – to our sense of who we are.”

What do YOU think? What are the signs of progress...which issues remain? Let's learn more about how leadership affects community...

WICK-ED!

Wicked! It’s almost Hallowe’en...and here's another version of community leadership, with a WICKED slant.

What we are learning about the nature of complex community problems, by Mark Cabaj. Go to:

http://tamarackcommunity.ca/downloads/index/MC_Wicked.pdf

Your Leadership Code of Ethics

How Does A Leader Change? Photo Credit: Richard Chicoine. All Rights Reserved.

The Leadership Test

Whether you’re living in the mudflats of Alaska or the urban forests of Northern Ontario, you are the target of political messages this month. With opposing perspectives about the meaning of patriotism in the United States and Canada, and promises of change blowing in the winds on both sides of the border, what better time to reflect about your own leadership style? What are the challenges on your personal campaign’s scorecard?

Impressions of a leader’s influence can be measured in many ways. More often than not, it’s the perception of ethics and the discernment of the communication which can sway followers away from or toward the cause. It’s how leaders calibrate their intentions, design meetings and come to terms with the juxtaposition of vision, passion and reality, that add up to what we call a “reputation”.

Take Nelson Mandela and his lifetime of service, including 27 years behind bars where, he says, “my greatest deprivation was spent without hearing a baby cry or holding a child’s hand.” Time Magazine (July 21, 2008) featured his 8 Secrets of Leadership, well worth the read. The questions below are based on his secrets.

As the media continues to reveal the truth behind the candidates for highest level powers in North America, I urge you to consider your own capacity and capability in leadership, no matter how seasoned or inexperienced you may be at the moment. Using the key leadership skills of "REFLECTION" and "APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY", take time this week to test your own leadership.

Question 1: How do you define courage? Is it the absence of fear or inspiring others, and yourself to move beyond it?

Question 2: How do you measure the distance between you as a leader and your followers? Who and what might you be leaving behind?

Question 3: What are the advantages and dangers of leading from the back, and inspiring others to believe that they are in front?

Question 4: Who is your enemy, and what is their favourite sport? What tactic could attack you in your blindspot?

Question 5: Who are your friends and how close do you keep them? How do you keep your rivals even closer?

Question 6: What does appearance have to do with leadership? Which facial expressions convey your leadership abilities (plus and minus)?

Question 7: Do you operate in black and white or grey zones? What are the consequences?

Question 8: Is it okay to quit? How do you know when the right time is to quit? Is quitting part of your strategic plan?


Ultimately, it’s tempting to watch the political antics and then judge candidates than it is to be one yourself. It’s also easier to judge you, as the leader of a corporation, government department or a community organization. Two pieces of information are equally important: what people tell you, and what they do NOT tell you.

These nuances can be compiled into your personal reservoir of experiences, if you are paying attention and making notes along the way. Leadership isn’t learned through reading books, although lifelong learning is certainly an important function. Leadership development, attending the school of hard knocks as well as taking time to celebrate victories, connects you to the people around you no matter where in the world your board room chair may be located.

Your Leadership CODE OF ETHICS defines the fine lines of the actions you must take and the decisions you make. As a leader, you can’t hide in the mudflats, or in the bushes, no matter how far north or south you might be.

Author Maggie Chicoine, originally published as The Tuesday File in LakeSuperiorNews.com

PS: For an interesting read on the Landminds of Being a Mayor, go to Municipal World Magazine, here: http://www.municipalworld.com/index.php/FeaturedArticle/Cuff