Developing New Rotary Leaders
By Michel P. Jazzar
Rotary Leadership Institute – Lebanon Division Founder Chairman

If leadership is going to be different in the new century, what will it look like and what changes on Rotary level are required to bring it about? Is the new leadership just a figment of management guru's imaginations dreamed up to "sell" Rotary to Rotarians and others or is it real?
To my pleasant surprise, I found a new spirit among the leaders of Rotary International I read through their interviews, their letters to Clubs ... Gone from the language of those interviewed the "four old C's" of leadership: command, control, compartmentalize and cope. In its place, the "four new C's" have assumed dominance: communicate, collaborate, coach and catalyze. Could we add that Clubs and Rotarians are urged to act with other three C's: consistency, credibility and continuity, as “Mankind is our Business”.
All is under changing: organizations, work, workplace, people and society. All the factor combine to undermine the traditional hierarchical, position-based leadership still dominant in some sectors of our life. A new leadership is now required to more effectively respond to all these changes.
The New Leadership will consist of new behaviors and new roles. Behaviors are defined as skills to make things happen. While there may continue to be a small number of "born" leaders, there certainly will not enough of Rotarians to lead and manage our society in the 21st century. Rotary will have to work hard in training and developing dedicated Rotaractors [e.g. RYLA] with the new leadership behaviors. Also we have to create awareness toward Rotarians [seminars], so they can act and serve the community.
The first characteristic of the new leadership will be a sharing of leadership at all levels in our International organization: In the past we - as a society - viewed leadership as a combination of charisma and special expertise by those at the top of the organizational pyramid. In today's environment, no single person has all the expertise needed to operate. Hence, the increased need for collaboration, teamwork, and shared leadership.
This why, I guess, Rotary International created the Assistant Governors and gave them enough roles and duties, to help in administrating Clubs.
The second characteristic of the new leadership will be a different set of behaviors than those now associated with the hierarchical, position-based leader.
•   The new leader will be communicator, articulating what and why something is happening.
•   The best leader knows how to listen.
•   The new leader will be a collaborator, working with others to make something happen.
•   The new leader will be a coach, developing others so that they can make things happen better.
•   In the catalyst role, the new leader simply won't make things happen by doing it himself or herself.
The third characteristic of the new leadership will be fulfilling a new set of roles:
•   1st: The leader must be a change agent.
•   2nd: The leader will be entrepreneurial, creative and resourceful.
•   3rd: The leader will be a counselor and increasingly focus on people needs
I believe that through the New Leadership it will be exciting for all Rotarian leaders to act with flexibility, creativity and new ways to provide services on the local and international levels.
To reach these new behaviors and roles, Rotary International found that Education and Training Programs must respond to this purpose. That’s why the RI Board took this wise decision to change all Rotary training materials starting year 2001-2002.

jazzar@dm.net.lb – www.micheljazzar.com - Click to Open Web Page [RLI Lebanon Division website]