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Leadership & ActivismTO BE A LEADER How do you develop a vision? Usually it comes from being very knowledgeable about a certain subject and recognizing that something needs to change. It may take years of involvement in an issue for that to happen. It might happen after reading a book or attending a conference. It could come to you at four in the morning. How do you develop courage? Most of us have high levels of risk aversion. Do whatever it takes to get over it. Feel the fear and do it anyway. That’s right, just do it! What if there is no passion? Find other ways—behind the scenes—to help your cause. When the right issue arises, you’ll feel the passion. How can you improve your communication skills? Practice. Speak to your friends, to clubs you belong to, before public meetings. Join Toastmasters http://www.toastmasters.org/. Learn to explain your vision in 10 seconds (the answer you give in the elevator when someone asks you what you do), with passion, of course. Write articles for newsletters, letters to the editor, emails to friends and listserves. How do you learn to take action. Just do it. If you have trouble overcoming inertia because you want to do the thing right, remember that it more important to do the right thing. And, in the words of the 19th century British writer GK Chesterton, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing poorly.” Specific suggestions on how you can TAKE ACTION Give Write a check annually to the Leadership Institute for Ecology and the Economy and other organizations that help make a difference. Give to political candidates you support and give early—Early Money Is Like Yeast (the concept behind EMILY’s list). Write When you see a news story or editorial that gets your dander up, sit right down and write a letter to the editor. Newspapers are desperate for timely op-ed pieces. When you see an opportunity, don’t put it off. Testify When an issue about which you are knowledgeable comes before the planning commission, city council, or board of supervisors, speak up. When you do testify, think of yourself as a helpful educator, not an irate citizen. Give them facts and examples to help them “do the right thing.” Organize Call on others to help support you. Also, be a part of an organization that works for your interests. Be sure to step to the plate to organize events and campaigns. Participate Get appointed to a board or commission. Serve on a political party central committee. Run for office; school board is a great place to start. Lead by Example Make improvements in your personal life that will reduce your ecological footprint and leave this a better place. While you might not be able to drive less or want to give up travel by jet, but you can buy carbon offsets. Check out www.carbonfund.org to see how little it will cost you to support carbon reducing projects that will totally offset the CO2 emissions you create. Car rental companies in Europe already build in the cost of carbon offsets in your car rental fee so you can drive guilt-free.
Some people believe that without anger it is difficult to become a leader; you need the anger to motivate you to take action. Anger, on the other hand, can eat you alive—literally kill you. Likewise, when you are angry others want to avoid you, or they become defensive or fight back. In any case, little is accomplished to further your cause. What can you do about your anger. First, feel it, really feel it. Then, as Mark Coleman, a Buddhist meditation teacher explained, find out what is making you angry. For those of us involved in public policy issues, it is frequently environmental or social injustice that makes us mad. Beneath the anger about injustice, what are we feeling? Why are we angry? Usually, it is sadness or grief. Think how you react to someone who is sad. More often than not, you have compassion for them and want to help. Remember that the next time you want to chew the head off an elected official or bureaucrat.
THEORIES OF LEADESHIP Are you a born leader? Leaders come in various flavors:
Doing Democracy by the late Bill Moyer (not Moyers) explains that these four types of leaders are important in social and political movements. One characteristic might fit you all the time, or you might change roles depending on the circumstances. This is a good book to peruse if you want to understand how social movements work. Check it out at the library or order it from your locally-owned, independent bookseller. From Don Clark’s Big Dog Leadership Training Here is Clark’s road to great leadership: From Leadership Characteristics by Karlene Sugarman, M.A., author
of Winning the Mental Way, about leadership in sports. "Leadership is like gravity. You know it's there, you know
it exists, but how do you define it?" Former San Francisco
49er Tight End, Dr. Jamie Williams
These are the fundamentals necessary for a vision that excites
and motivates people to follow the leader. The vision must: From Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, more on leadership from the filed of education. http://www.sedl.org/change/leadership/history.html Leaders that facilitates change:
Jon Agnone, a UW sociology doctoral student, reported on his research
at the 2004 annual meeting of the American Sociological Association.
Midwest Academy focuses on Direct Action Organizing.
http://www.mindspring.com/%7Emidwestacademy/Organize/page5.html Rainforest Action Network has an excellent toolbox http://ran.org/act/activist_toolkit/ for activists who want to organize campaigns. It’s excellent guides cover nearly everything from letters to the editor, to media events, to full-scale campaigns. The way-out-there Ruckus Society http://ruckus.org
How can you become a better public speaker? Practice! Go to meetings of your city council, planning commission, board of supervisors, and other public meetings and speak up! You don’t have to speak for or against a particular issue being considered. All allow anyone to speak for two to three minutes on any issue during Public Appearances. Give them interesting, non-confrontational information that will make their job easier. The more often you do it, the better you’ll get. FEAR!!!! Most people are terrified of speaking in public. How can you get over it? Feel the fear and do it anyway. If you are terrified of speaking before the city council, just do it. Then go back in a month or so and speak again, and again, and again, until your fear subsides. If you can’t seem to get over your anxiety, consult a health care practitioner about using a herbal supplement such as Rescue Remedy http://www.bachflower.com/rescue_remedy.htm or Happy Camper http://www.iherb.com/happycamper.html available at health food stores. Then go speak, again and again. Join Toastmasters International www.toatmasters.org for an opportunity
to practice public speaking. They also have helpful tips on their
website
Elements of Style by Strunk and White, first published in 1918, is still one of the best guides to good writing For advice on writing letters to the editor, go to the Rainforest
Action Network Toolbox for Activists CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR The Legislative Guide http://www.calchamber.com/NR/rdonlyres/93C3565B-62D6-42FA-995F-5EBD0455183A/0/50703legguide.pdf The League of Women Voters has an excellent resource as well: The Legislative Process, A Citizen’s Guide to Participation. http://www.ca.lwv.org/lwvc/pdf/guide.pdf FOR INSPIRATION The Goldman Environmental Prize http://www.goldmanprize.org/
is awarded annually to someone from each continent. They are made
to “ordinary people with extraordinary commitment.”
Read about these leaders who, in many cases, have risked their lives
and property in pursuit of their passion to save their environment.
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