GOOD AFTERNOON! The question is: Is your club a train wreck or a train wreck waiting to happen?
Hopefully in a fun way we are going to bring out our toys, play, have fun, laugh and build up our
leadership skills. Our goal today is to make sure that the train/club continues on down the track in a
successful manner. My assistant today is Jane Cruz who will ask that you keep your hands, arms and head
inside the train windows. We certainly do not want you to lose your head over Pilot OR maybe we do!
Toys have always been a representation of life. The first toys many of us played with were likely little cars,
baby dolls or small workbenches and kitchens. All of which are models of real life that we copied from our
parents each day by watching them use the real workbenches and kitchens, driving the real cars and
rocking real babies to sleep.
We learned to deal with reality and the interesting thing is that we learned these basic lessons from toys.
Without consciously knowing it our childhood toys have already taught us some of the most important
leadership lessons we need to succeed as a leader and a human being. TOY BOX LEADERSHIP by Ron
Hunter Jr. will take you back in time so prepare to become a child again. I will warn you that Assistant
Engineer Jane will be watching the aisles closely in case the children become unruly. This workshop today
is about clearing away the clutter that weighs leaders down and returning to the basic nature of quality
leadership by unlocking the lessons from some childhood toys.
5 minutes: If you brought a toy or can think back to your favorite toy, I want you to now write down what
you learned from this toy about being a leader. How old is this toy that you have with you? There are
notepads and pens on the tables if you do not have one. Please have one person from each table bring
the sheets to Jane. (seated at a table near the podium, we need to have your toys already on the table
and make sure that pens, pads and water have been placed on table before workshop starts.)
The first toys from my leadership toy box are Lego building blocks. They teach you about relationships and
building relationships begins with CONNECTING. Relationships are the building blocks of any organization.
Real influential power relates by connecting. (Jane will open the box and start building whatever is in
there.) Think of all the connecting that occurs every day in your life: e-mails, phone calls, correspondence
and meetings. LEGOS teach us that each individual is interdependent on the next connection for success.
The properly placed brick within a structure provides strength and substance and adds to overall
structure. Each person or club member needs to be placed so they are in a good fit whether it is chaplain
or fundraising coordinator. One brick or club member stuck in the wrong place can ruin a perfectly good
toy or Pilot Club. Leaders understand the complexity of relationships, and they work to positively develop
them. Just because a Pilot has been a Past Governor or club president does mean they will be a good
Parliamentarian or secretary. Place your bricks carefully to build a strong club or district. (Jane, show us
what happens when you place all the bricks in the best places – show what you have made. Then blow
whistle, pull tickets and we will give away train whistles.)
Alright, let us continue on down the leadership track. The next toy out of the toy box is the SLINKY. (Take
out of box and start playing with it.) It taught us to pull and then be patient. The slinky can open your eyes
to the importance of a leader’s vision for personal growth as it shows you how to attract followers. More
than any other leadership trait, vision pulls an organization forward by giving it direction. A Pilot leader at
any level who possesses the ability to pull will find followers. Leaders can be people who can influence
others without necessarily holding a “title.” Balancing the pull with patience is the tricky part. Leaders find
it easy to move, because they are at the front end (Jane moves slinky) however, it is the back of the
organization (the members) that are the most difficult to budge. As a leader you will find the early
adopters moving with you, but how you respond to those who lag behind makes a difference in the
strength and togetherness of your entire Pilot Club. An old Leadership Proverb teaches, “If you think you
are leading and you look behind and no one is following, you are just going for a walk.” One place you do
not want to be as a club leaders is so far ahead of you club members that you find yourself alone on the
track and the train is coming. Members will maintain the pace of keeping up as long as there is a close
connection with the leader their excitement about the movement. When you get too far ahead (Jane
move slinky) those who follow will get lost, and that formerly excited follower turns into a frustrated, eye
rolling, parking lot meeting member if they continue to follow at all. Many of the MALs we have in our
organization are MALs for just that reason. How many times have you heard club members explain why
something can’t work rather than trying to figure out how it can? Be a visionary leader like our slinky and
a club member who like the slinky sees possibilities NOT improbabilities. Remember: The club members
who fight the pull are the ones who need it the most. Who knows when the rest of your club will catch up
to you as leader? Remain committed regardless of how long it takes – be patient! While a good Pilot
leader would never harm the club, unintentional damage may be inflicted by problematic pulls. Watch for
these four potential problems as a leader:
1. Not pulling far enough (Jane pull slinky) stretch your members by telling them you have the
confidence in them, their talents and their abilities.
2. Pulling too far – leaders who run so far ahead and who sees where the club needs to go and
cannot wait to get there. A good leader needs to learn to take baby steps to help the club
reach their vision. If not, you will have a leader who is over-extended (Jane show each
example) sags in the middle, has lost the spring in their step, cannot move straight and looks
used up and has lost their energy, excitement and enthusiasm.
3. Pulling too soon – knowing when to pull is the difference between good club morale and
mutiny. Sometimes good leaders move at super sonic speed. Lean to slow down, be patient
and wait the club members to catch up to you.
4.
Pulling from the wrong end – How many times in the club year have you been trying to make
progress only to find someone in your club, district or Pilot International who is pulling the pig
by the tail? In the worst cases it is actually the leader who is pulling the organization from the
wrong end by moving without a direction or acting without a cooperative plan. As a leader if
you are not pulling your club in the right direction, then neither you nor your club is going to
go anywhere on the track, you will be a train sitting on the side track or worse!
(Jane blows whistle) I hear the whistle, time for a station stop, everybody up! (5 minutes)Shake like
a wet dog or cat. Raise right leg and left arm 3 times. Raise left leg and right arm three times. Run in
place back to your train seat and have a sip of water. (Jane pulls ticket for two slinkys) Here we go;
the train is leaving the station.
Now from my toy box comes the YO-YO-creativity – it only happens when you let go. (Jane
demonstrates yo-yo) Creativity is much like a yo-yo. It remains dormant until released. Good ideas
are a commodity. Does your club have an empty tank of creative ideas, projects, and activities?
Good leaders don’t necessarily need to be exceedingly creative to be successful but they must
surround themselves with people who are. Creative people connect the dots when others don’t.
They make observations that are obvious to them but others miss. Creativity creates opportunities.
Think about whom is the most creative person you know in Pilot on a club, district or PI level.
Creativity is best when it has a central goal or problem to solve around which all the discussion
revolves. Pilot International is at a point where they need to let the members have some type of
ownership and find ways to allow us as members to think creativitely about how we can help save
the organization. Creativity requires a direction. (Jane demonstrates yo-yo)Just as the yo-yo’s inertia
and course is provided by the throw, club members need guidance and purpose for their
imagination. What are the requirements of creativity?
1. Releasing – Walt Disney said “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” If
you are imprisoned by the day to day stress of running your club or district, you will find
little room for innovative thoughts. Give yourself the freedom to think, DREAM-always have
a pad or laptop or even a napkin to record your ideas. As a leader you may not live
consistently outside the box, but you need people around you who do. And for goodness
sakes do not be afraid of failing. Try and try again!
2. Revolving – Like our yo-yo, creativity cannot be rushed- it needs time to revolve or spin and
gain the necessary momentum to return with a creative idea. Have the confidence to float
silly ideas to show your club members there are NO boundaries around your creativity.
Great ideas come bunched with the silly ones. Think of all the imaginative ideas that you
know of that drew initial criticism. You are never more open to criticism than the very
moment you vocalize a new concept. Revolving is the state of creativity that manifests itself
in many ways, each as inventing through failure, dreaming the impossible, and suggesting
the absurd. Examples: “You want to sell me a chicken recipe? You’ll never get this idea off
the ground, Colonel Saunders.” OR “Are you crazy? No one wants to be a Hoggette
Governor or be on the Pink Pig Team. What can you do with a pink flying pig?” (Jane holds
up the flying pig purse) I rest my case! Your personality determines your perspective. Have
firm deadlines, clear expectations, viable and measurable goals and live and breathe
accountability. On a club, district or international level when you evaluate creative people,
critique their performance but never criticize the person. In your club do you reward or
praise the doers of the project while overlooking the creative members who set the project
in motion? Killers of creativity include:
1. Excessive stress without proper focus
2. Lack of proper sleep/rest dulls the mind
3. Health problems that distract or drain
4. Dark or depressing rooms
5. Noisy backgrounds
6. Personal attacks or criticism
7. Allowing your creative time to be absorbed by other tasks
TAKE THE TIME-RULE YOUR SCHEDULE DON’T LET IT RULE YOU! What goes down must come up-creativity
is what happens in between. (Jane blows whistle) Oh, dear a pig is on the tracks so we will take a 5
minute water break and (Jane will draw a ticket for a yo-yo). Quickly sip some water and write down the
one thing that you would suggest to Pilot International or the PI Foundation to improve either their
services to members or simply something you would like to see changed or implemented. Please have
one passenger bring list to Jane.
There are so many other toys in my leadership toy box but we do not have the time to play with all of
them today so I will pull out one last one: Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head – which teach us about
communication-the right face for the right place. They can teach you so much about communicating with
your face. Do you have expressionless communication? No matter what your title if you work with people,
communication is a vital part of what you do. Ever been in a foreign country where your verbal skills are a
barrier? Your face can become your primary form of communication. A smile is as happy in Japan as it is in
Danville. Simple but strong expressions can be more powerful than the spoken word. The way people
audibly perceive you begins with the way they visually perceive you. Like our Potato friends, leaders wear
a variety of faces. Here are eight faces every leader must carry with them at all times:
1. Empathetic – Have a genuine understand and appreciation of another’s feelings. People want to
know you genuinely care.
2. Confident – Darting eyes or lack of any eye contact betray a lack of confidence. And for
goodness sake when talking to someone do not be looking around the room!
3. Intense – Have a singular intent and an unwavering focus. The ability to inspire and the ability to
communicate with passion can be achieved through an intense face.
4. Attentive- Awareness and attention to the club members and their views. Communicate value
to who ever is speaking. Your attention shows you respect them. And members that goes for
you as well, no texting or checking your phone messages or email, this is now considered the
height of rudeness in business situations so it goes double in clubs. It takes humility to be
attentive. The only thing greater tan being in the spotlight is when you allow it to shine on
someone else. Leave your ego at the door!
5. Disappointed – You don’t have to open your mouth to show your disappointment with
unacceptable results. Negative feedback in any form should build up not down the other
person, the project or the organization – in that order.
6. Happy – Showing approval when a club member gets it right. There are times to push your team
and times to let them see you are happy.
7. Sincere- Integrity and honesty touches the leadership core. Absolute honesty can be brutal and
that is why those of you who know me well know to not ask my opinion if you do not want an
honest answer. Honest answers are sometimes what people really do not want to hear even
though they think they do. Some EC members and Past Int. Presidents are upset with me
because they asked my opinion and I gave it to them.
What face are you wearing and why? As a leader sometimes you must show an emotion that is
completely different from your club members. The minute you walk into a room someone is watching
your face for a sign. They begin taking clues from you that will se the tone for the meeting before you
even open your mouth. In order for your club or meeting not to derail, remember it is the first expression
that makes the first impression.
I see the train is pulling into the station, we may be a few minutes late but we had a long trip to go and
that darn pig on the tracks held us up! Let us look quickly at a wrap up slide for our Toy Box Leadership
workshop today. I also asked you to bring a childhood toy today, please hold them up and tell us how old
they are. Mine does not count! (Jane has a prize for the oldest!)
Now, back to your clubs on the Leadership Train, grab hold of the examples and watch them transform
your club members and you as a leader.
Madame Governor: Play time is now over! Jane and I must run and keep the leadership train moving on
down the track! (Jane and I blow whistle.)