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How to Recognize Leadership Styles to Your Advantage for Membership Development

“Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions”

~ Harold S Green

As a leader of an organization, you should always be looking for tomorrow’s leaders.  It is incumbent upon you to always have an eye on the future. Membership development doesn’t just mean adding new members, it also means cultivating and training your organization’s leaders of the future.

For over a decade, I held a leadership position in the National Federation of the Blind of Virginia.  During those years, I encountered two distinct types of leaders. The first type I like to call the “out-of-the-box” leader, and the second type the “steady Freddy” leader.

The out-of-the-box leader is the person who is always looking to do something new. They are always looking to take the next step. This is great if you want your organization to adapt to a changing environment.

However, the out-of-the-box leader can quickly become bored with activities that have been done before. It is the novelty that gets them excited and enthused about taking on the leadership role.

The steady Freddy leader enjoys leading others. However, they are more comfortable leading in situations where the activities they are doing have been done before and are proven. The goal of today’s leader in identifying tomorrow’s potential leader is to determine which leadership philosophy the person has. Then select the activity that best matches their leadership philosophy.

The question of which leadership style is best isn’t a valid one. The question should be, “Which activity best matches the future leader’s style?” An organization’s activities should be a healthy mix of old and new activities.

John Bailey mentors volunteer organizations and associations on how to get the most out of their membership development efforts. He uses keynotes, seminars, and individualized training that teach the steps necessary in order to transform any organization into a Membership Magnet.”

To find out more about John Baily’s individualize training, that will help you recognize leadership style, contact John at: John@JohnBailySpeaker.com

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John Bailey is an internationally recognized expert who helps associations, organizations, and government agencies overcome such obstacles as leadership, change, and membership development. John does this through keynotes, seminars and personal training. He is the author of “Build Membership Mojo: 98 Proven Steps to Build, Grow, and Maintain a Thriving Membership Organization,” as well as dozens of nationally-read articles.

What can John Do for you? John can be reached at John@JohnBaileySpeaker.com or (703) 994-2040

© 2012, John Bailey Communications