Questions for Candidates – Leadership

[Ray]

As a member of the Board of Directors, you would be assuming the role of a leader among us. What do you feel your qualifications are that might make you effective in this role?

[rogheff]

I have 2 businesses plus I am HEAVILY (that should be read as “my wife thinks I’m too involved”) in Scouting: Scoutmaster, Roundtable Commissioner and Council Scoutmaster Trainer. What does all that mean? I’m used to dealing with lots of people and planning lots of “stuff”.

[Cache_boppin_BunnyFuFu]

Being a leader means playing many roles. True, you must be able to take a group an move them forward, guiding and teaching along the way, but it also means maintaining your individuality.

In everyday life, I am one whom co-workers come to with questions on how and why things are done. I am one who patients and families come to for answers that I don’t always have, but guide them to other people or places that may contain what they are looking for. As a friend, to them I am one who my friends can come to for a boost of positive attitude or a cheer for what may seem like a small accomplishment, when in actuality it is huge step. when giving that cheer, giving it with sincerity and meaning.

Being an effective leader means being someone who can take the punches, not only LISTEN to what others are say but actual HEAR what they are trying to tell you… an effective listener. One who communicates effectively which means getting on the phone or in person and not trying to decipher emotion and attitude via an e-mail or PM.

Being a leader also means playing Devils Advocate…tossing out there, all the “What’s If’s” and “How come’s”. A role I play at work and in everyday life. It’s great to be able to toss out tons of positives, but it takes one negative to mess up the direction you and your group are working to attain.

Sure… I can spout off what a leader is to me and write it down on here. How can I do that so easily??? Becasue it’s what I believe in and WHO I am.

Had to come back and add a PS…..A good sense of humor is a PLUS for any leader and THAT I do have. When situations get tough or heated, though seriousness is must, so is a good laugh to get tempers back down and realize that we are all human, have different opinions and that the situations we discuss are not LIFE & DEATH, when it comes to the members of the WGA. It might be life & death of the organization, but in reality, the only death issue would be that of Geocaching going away forever and becoming non-exisitant and I don’t see that happening anytime soo. 🙂

[GrouseTales]

In fishing, a “leader” is a wire, or cable that is placed between the sharp hook, and the fragile line. It helps prevent a sharp toothed fish from chewing through the line.

In my 4+ years of being a “leader” in the WGA, I think my strength has been to be that effective buffer between a delicate situation in a hostile enviroment. Often times a leader needs to be able to moderate situations and help parties come to a peaceful end or solution. A heavy handed egotistical leader, is seldom respected. A person that is able to bring people to a peaceful agreement is a real leader in my book.

Many of my friends and co-workers have commented that I have the ability defuse tough situations. I think that has been one of my strengths as a leader.

[K0rpl]

I feel that, with my strong problem solving skills, and communication skills that I would be a good Leader in the WGA. Sometimes problems can be eliminated before they start solely on good communication alone. I have also served on other club boards, and am well versed in running a smooth and effective meeting. Meetings are very important, to get points acorss and get business accomplished.

Justin

[LightningBugs Mum]

A good leader is someone who can come up with original solutions to problems both old and new.
and
A good leader is someone who can detail what needs to be done and can delegate those tasks to the right people.

For the last several years, I have been president of a volunteer non-profit community-service board that hosts a big annual event involving 100-200 people (sound a little familiar?). Dealing with the media? Done that. Dealing with irritated individuals? Done that. Finding people in the community who can help us out with time and donations? Done that. Dealing with the inevitable snafus that come with hosting an event involving lots of people? Done that too. And though I do a lot of running this thing myself, I have a great BOD that I know will do their jobs and will step up to the plate when new issues arise (that’s the delegating part 😉 ). Just yesterday, I found out that the facility where we hold our big event has accidentally double-booked the space for part of our time. Major snafu. But we have already brainstormed some ideas of how to handle it and I think we’ll be OK. Experience isn’t always fun, but it does help in the long run.

A good leader leads by example. Allow me to cut and paste from a previous post:

“OK, I’m going off on a tangent here, but another great gauge of dedication is service to the community of geocaching. For instance, Mike of Not So Lost Puppies doesn’t have as many finds as a lot of us, but he has hosted some great paperless geocaching seminars. Other things would include maintaining your caches as well as the orphaned ones out there, hosting meet-and-greet type events, participating in the cache rescue, doing things to raise awareness such as CITO, talking to the media (“No, it’s not buried treasure!”), and teaching classes or working with scouts, among other things I’m sure I am forgetting at the moment.”

I have tried to be the type geocacher I would respect by doing such service to the community when I can. I have participated in many of the things I mentioned above and I think a good board member should continue to set a good example in order to benefit the sport as a whole.

And I agree with Da Fu – a good sense of humor is essential (with a spark of impishness and mischief in your soul)! 😈

[rogheff]

Or in other words: A good leader leads by example.

[GeoPink]

As a member of the Board of Directors, you would be assuming the role of a leader among us. What do you feel your qualifications are that might make you effective in this role?

I’ve provided leadership to the WGA for the past two years. I’ve been on numerous boards and committees of various organizations. My business knowledge continues to grow as I develop my geocaching related business. All of these experiences contribute to my ability to lead. Setting the bar high, constantly looking for ways to improve and persuing new ideas are the goals I look to achieve as a leader.

[AuntieNae]

One of the emails I received from someone telling me they had nominated me used the statement “lead, follow or get out of the way”. This statement came to mind as I started preparing an answer for the question about being a leader.

What do I bring to the WGA?

* I have created and continually update a Geocaching Basics PowerPoint presentation.
* I have hosted/ co-hosted events that are continuing to grow with the number of participants from as far away as Minnesota to Illinois. (I am still amazed we had over 200 people attend the All A Glow event held in the POURING rain this past October).
* I am currently an Instructor Trainer serving on the Instructor Supervisory Committee for the American Red Cross in SE Wisconsin.
* I have experience as a Girl Scout earning the highest awards as both a girl member and adult volunteer.
* I served 4 years (2003-2006) as the Wisconsin Field Coordinator for the Pool Cool Sun Safety research project with pools in Cedarburg, Hartford and Waukesha being my study pools where I had the tasks of training staff, conducting surveys, and collecting parent surveys.
* I am an active geocacher who enjoys the friendship, discoveries, historical locations, etc .. finding flow in nature .. that geocaching represents for me.

AuntieNae
Renee

[The Tapps]

What is a leader? The one who may have the best answers? The one that gives the answers you want to hear?

A LEADER is BUILDT from those below him! He will give them the answers they want to hear and then BUILD on from them!!

Then The LEADER can LEAD as he KNOWS what his followers NEED and can respond on their need and not his!

Then the LEADER can make changes to fit his followers NEEDS. Then it is a WIN WIN all around.

He or She has a GREAT following and will prosper and grow.

Brian / The Tapps

[Author]

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