Leadership Tip Archive

Look in the Past

Do It Yourself

by Ed Luttrell
National Grange Director of Leadership and Membership

Do you ever find yourself getting discouraged? If so, then take a good look at the past in your Grange. We can learn from the past if we take the time to understand what has happened and why it happened. Sit down one evening and look through an old minute book.
Activities that were successful can be updated to meet today’s needs. Things that brought members and the community together in the past might still be needed today. Look for things that were done when your Grange was the “center of the community.” Suggest activities that build upon past successes.
Understand your place in history. You are part of a chain of Grange leaders who have and are making a difference in your community. Without you, your Grange would not be the same. Take a look at some of the ways past leaders addressed the challenges that faced them. Rededicate yourself to doing your part as a Grange leader to ensure a bright future for your Grange.
Take a look into the past and become a better leader in your Grange!

by Ed Luttrell
National Grange Director of Leadership and Membership

Effective leaders learn that to build teams and to initiate positive change. It all starts with a “do it yourself” attitude. This doesn’t mean a leader does it alone, it means that a leader recognizes that a person needs to initiate action to make the place he lives a better place.
Leaders don’t wait to be told what to do when they see a problem. Just as some people throw trash out their car window into the ditch, leaders will stop and pick up the trash rather than complain about the garbage on the roadside. The leader will not wait for someone to hire or find volunteer trash collectors, they will simply begin the process of cleanup. As they start their cleanup they will also start to build teams to assist in the effort.
In your role as a Grange leader, it is important to do the things that will create an atmosphere of positive attitude, member empowerment, and growth. You cannot wait for someone from the State or National Grange to tell you what to do. When you see a problem, start looking for a way to make it better. As you address the problem, start building teams of members and interested non-members to help make your Grange stronger.
Develop a “do it yourself” attitude toward problems and become a better leader in your Grange!