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Leadership Transition — Part I

Leadership Tips

Dear LWML Leaders,

Welcome back to Tips for Leading with Confidence. We pray this leadership tip will be beneficial as you serve our Lord through the LWML. We welcome your feedback and suggestions.

Leadership Transition — Part I

The transition of responsibilities from outgoing officers to incoming officers happens after an election, but it actually begins before the commitment is made to run for an office.

Responsibilities of the nominating committee include providing the following to the prospective officers:

  • Updated descriptions of the positions;
  • Schedule of responsibilities for the term of office (calendar of events); and
  • Copy of the section of the bylaws that pertains to the office.

Too often we go into a position not knowing the full scope of duties to be performed. Waiting until after the election can cause frustration and wasted time searching, researching, recreating, etc.

Here are some points for the outgoing officer to consider:

  • Update records, files, forms, guidelines, calendar of events, and directories that belong to the office. These should be in order.
  • Remove unimportant or personal correspondence from files. When in doubt, do NOT throw it out.
  • Upload pertinent information on a flash drive so it can be used for updating documents. Save it in Plain Text (*.txt) format so it can be shared among software programs.
  • Items of historical significance should be sent to the archivist-historian, if you have one.
  • Review together, with the new officer, all files and materials on paper or on flash drives.
  • Highlight items of extreme importance.
  • Remember that you are there as a servant, resource, and mentor; make yourself available.
  • Make certain there is an understanding of what and when things need to be done.
  • Thank God for the opportunity that you had to serve Him. Pray with and for the new officer, asking for the Lord's continuing guidance for her.

Part II will have points for the incoming officer to consider.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace (1 Peter 4:10).

(Ideas taken from Stay Calm and Transition On, a Leadership Development resource)

God's Blessings,
Lois Teinert, Chairman
Leadership Development Committee

LWML 2019–2021 Leadership Development Committee
Marie McNary
Sherrie Smith
Lois Teinert, Chairman
Marie Chow, Vice President of Organizational Resources, Advisory


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Roots and Wings

Leadership Tips

Dear LWML Leaders,

Welcome back to Tips for Leading with Confidence. We pray this leadership tip will be beneficial as you serve our Lord through the LWML. We welcome your feedback and suggestions.

Roots and Wings

Journalist William Hodding Carter wrote, “There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One is roots; the other is wings.” 

In a sense, adults being trained in leadership are the same. We must demonstrate faith in those we lead so that they learn to have faith in themselves. When new leaders know you believe in them and you provide encouragement and support, they have a chance to grow in their roles. When you let them know you believe in them, you're watering that seed, encouraging root growth, and essentially giving it a chance to grow.

Have you noticed how people generally rise or fall in accordance with your level of expectation? When you overly criticize others, they tend to become negative, self-doubting, and fearful. But when you believe in them and assume they will do well, they’ll go the extra mile by trying to live up to your expectations. It’s your faith in them that creates the environment in which they learn to fly! 

Encourage their faith in God and in themselves, and chances are they’ll excel at whatever task they are given.

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus (Romans 15:5).

Adapted from Daily Devotions, Lutheran Church Charities, Tim Hetzner, President/CEO and author, used by permission; giving glory to God!

God's Blessings,
Lois Teinert, Chairman
Leadership Development Committee

LWML 2019–2021 Leadership Development Committee
Marie McNary
Sherrie Smith
Lois Teinert, Chairman
Marie Chow, Vice President of Organizational Resources, Advisory


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The Influence of a Leader

Leadership Tips

Dear LWML Leaders,

Welcome back to Tips for Leading with Confidence.

The Influence of a Leader

Leaders are people that others depend on to get things done.  As a leader, we influence those around us by how we handle ourselves for the purpose of building meaningful and positive relationships. Leaders:

  • Purposefully seek out someone and acknowledge their accomplishment.
  • Take responsibility, seeing that the task at hand is completed.
  • Acknowledge when a mistake is made and do their best to correct it.
  • Are receptive to learning from those they lead.
  • Remain steadfast in the midst of unpredictable circumstances.
  • Consider the unique talents in the people around them and how they can best be utilized.
  • Are resilient and continue to move forward as a righteous leader.

For the righteous fails seven times and rises again (Proverbs 24:16a).

God's Blessings,
Leadership Development Committee


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Stepping out of our Comfort Zone

Leadership Tips

Dear LWML Leaders,

Welcome back to Tips for Leading with Confidence.

Stepping out of our Comfort Zone

As leaders, it is easy to put ourselves in a box and default to our comfort zone. God has a plan for each of us to continue to move forward in carrying out His plan. Try these ideas to facilitate your personal growth and give you the courage to step out of that comfort zone.

  • Take a step in faith by doing what God’s nudging you towards. He has a plan for you.
  • Study your past successes. What happened? Who were you with? Why were you doing the activity? What was your planning process?
  • Clarify what is important. Prioritize things that need to be done first before moving on to future ideals.
  • Let go of the pressure to prove yourself. Be true to yourself, to others, and to God.
  • Are you living in accordance with what you believe? What can you do tomorrow to better live for Jesus?

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

God's Blessings,
Leadership Development Committee


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Dealing with Lengthy Speakers

Tips for Leading with Confidence

Dear LWML Leaders,

Welcome back to Tips for Leading with Confidence.

Dealing with Lengthy Speakers

Many of us have experienced long winded speakers who, in their enthusiasm for their topic, lose track of time. A leader’s task is to keep meetings on schedule. Bev England, LWML Media and Marketing Specialist, gives these tips for encouraging a speaker to wrap up their presentation.

Be preventative:

  • Include the allotted time for their presentation in all communications with your speakers, from the first request for their services to the final confirmation before the event.
  • Introduce all speakers to your appointed time keeper and explain how the time keeper will motion to them when their time is up. One method is for the timekeeper to hold up a green sign when there is one minute left and a red sign when their allotted time is up.

If a speaker runs over their allotted time this protocol will usually encourage them to conclude their presentation.

  1. The president stands up at her podium or at the place she is sitting.
  2. The president moves to stand beside the speaker.
  3. The president puts their hand on the speaker’s shoulder.
  4. If all else fails, the president can lean into the speaker’s microphone and kindly thank them for an interesting presentation, but states she must move on with the meeting agenda.

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another (Colossians 3:12-13a).

God's Blessings,
Leadership Development Committee


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The Elusive Leadership Skill of Completion

Tips for Leading with Confidence

Dear LWML Leaders,

Welcome back to Tips for Leading with Confidence.

The Elusive Leadership Skill of Completion

It is easy to start a project, but much more difficult to finish it. Effective leaders make an intentional effort to complete projects.

One way to assure the task is completed is to a schedule completion date. Make it a habit to schedule the next step of your task. The key is to set a time or date. When will you follow up, follow through, and finish?

  • When you delegate, schedule a time to meet, answer questions, assess progress, and discuss next steps.
  • When you lead a meeting, conclude the meeting by reviewing who will do what, by when, and who will monitor the progress and report back to you.
  • When you challenge people to change a behavior, check on their progress frequently, then acknowledge and celebrate each small step in their success.

Finishing each task may not seem like a big deal, but when you have a scheduled time to complete each phase, the achievement can be dramatic.

So now, finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have (2 Corinthians 8:11).

God's Blessings,
Leadership Development Committee


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Singing Christ is Our Leader

Tips for Leading with Confidence

Dear LWML Leaders,

Welcome back to Tips for Leading with Confidence.

Singing Christ is Our Leader

Are you planning a leadership retreat or visioning workshop?  Keep Christ as the focus with these musical selections:

Hymns from the Lutheran Service Book
  • #662 — Onward Christian Soldiers
  • #687 — Send, O Lord Your Holy Spirit
  • #688 — “Come Follow Me” the Savior Spake
  • #707 — Oh that the Lord Would Guide My Ways
  • #711 — Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us
  • #715 — Jesus Savior Pilot Me
  • #718 — Jesus Lead Thou On
  • # 721 — Lead Me, Guide Me
  • #722 — Lord, Take My Hand and Lead Me
Praise and Worship Songs
  • God will make A Way — Don Moen
  • Hymn of Thy Holy Spirit — Pat Barrett
  • I Will Follow — Chris Tomlin
  • Lead Me to the Cross — Hillsong United
  • Shine Jesus Shine — Graham Kendrick
  • Thy Word, is a lamp unto my Feet — Michael Smith
  • Your Grace Is Enough — Chris Tomlin

Remember to follow Christian Copywrite Licensing International (CCLI) regulations. Help is available at https://us.ccli.com/.

God's Blessings,
Leadership Development Committee


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