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Look Around You
I am currently designing a Training module on “Team Leadership” for Directors and Managers in my company. It is amazing how much literature there is on the topic. As I progressed with my research, I realized my focus had shifted from the Cameroonian to the Western context. Blame me less. It’s just appalling how much material has been made available to exploit from their documentation.
Scholars and experts in the field have taken time to create material and propose theories which guide in leadership and management processes. Unfortunately, we in Cameroon have not thought of developing our own content based on our realities and experiences. In my research, I could not find Leadership quotes and theories coming from Cameroonians that could motivate and inspire my training target group. And even if someone had written or said something, it was hard to find. I may not have looked deeper. However, I think such material would not be hard to find given its demand and this gave me the idea to later develop and share mine.
The sad thing is; I know many outstanding Cameroonian Leaders who have a lot to share on this. However, finding material where these experiences have been collated and published for others to learn and implement is an uphill task. Its time we started writing.
Every experience comes with a lesson, a lesson which can help others act accordingly once exposed to similar experiences. You may have noticed like me that Westerners write a lot. Bestsellers there change within minutes because publishing is done by the second. Hence knowledge is shared, theories are tested, and capacities are developed. And back here, having little options, we can only borrow from them.
How did I solve my course development dilemma? Well, I decided to contact someone I knew who had a wonderful leadership track record and had the brilliant idea of documenting these experiences in a book which is being edited as you make sense of this article.
Receiving my phone call, he understood my objective and absolutely loved it. So when I asked the question “To you what is leadership?” This is what he had to say
“Leadership is servant-hood. It is about sharing. It is helping where and how one can. It must not be performed necessarily within a function or a position. It should be a happy process for the person or persons involved. It is about inspiring people to accomplish a common goal. Everybody can influence this process and anybody can be a leader.” Roland KWEMAIN – 65th JCI President.
Guess what People? This excerpt occupies a slide in my Leadership Training Module and it replaced another by Napoleon Bonaparte. I am totally sure my target will relate more with the latter than former.
How to Become a JCI Member
Interested in JCI? I am sure you have asked yourself this question. “How do I Join?”
To become part of our global movement, individuals join a JCI Local Organization within a city district, town or village.
Our members are located in 5,000 communities in more than 100 countries around the world. They come from a wide range of backgrounds, cultures, languages and professions. But what unites them is a desire to create lasting positive change in their communities.
As JCI members seek targeted action for the problems they see in their communities, the collective impact of these many individuals across the globe leaves a lasting impression on our world.
The JCI Mission
To provide development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change.
The JCI Vision
To be the leading global network of young active citizens.
The JCI Values
That faith in God gives meaning and purpose to human life
That the brotherhood of man transcends the sovereignty of nations
That economic justice can best be won by free men through free enterprise
That government should be of laws rather than of men
That earth’s great treasure lies in human personality
And that service to humanity is the best work of life.
Our Philosophy
Making a World of Difference
There is a limit to what governments are able to achieve in society. As responsible citizens in a globalized world, JCI members take on the challenges around them through local development initiatives. These tailored projects require members to use strategic planning and critical planning to craft creative solutions to the problems of their communities.
Be Better
JCI members seek ways to live out our slogan, Be Better. We think critically about society’s greatest challenges and act on behalf of our communities to be part of the solution. We seek better solutions to build better communities, creating a better future.
The Original Active Citizens
As global citizens, we all have rights and responsibilities, as well as shared goals. Through active citizenship, we enact our sense of social responsibility to work towards these goals and benefit communities worldwide.
Our Founder, Henry Giessenbier, was the original active citizen. He took steps to engage young people in civic involvement in 1914, and JCI members worldwide have followed his lead ever since.
A Grassroots Movement with International Scope
In JCI, the action is local, but our principles and impact are global. Members understand that in a globalized world, their local actions echo across the globe. 5,000 JCI Local Organizations addressing problems in their communities are united in a global movement creating global impact.
One Year to Lead
With this principle at its core, the JCI structure offers leadership opportunities to new members each year. One year to shine. One year of impact. One year to lead.
Related articles
- Kibonen NFI on JCI (mungainfi.wordpress.com)
- JCI Operation Hope (mungainfi.wordpress.com)
10 Second Read – Positive Approach
Father: “I want you to marry a girl of my choice.”
Son: “I will choose my bride.”
Father: “But the girl is Bill Gates’s daughter.”
Son: “Well, in that case…OK”
Next Day – Father Approaches Bill Gates’
Father: “I have a husband for your daughter.”
Bill Gates: “But my daughter is too young to marry.”
Father: “But this young man is a vice-president of the World Bank.”
Bill Gates: “In that case…OK.”
Finally Father goes to see the President of the World Bank
Father: “I have a young man I recommend to be vice-president.”
President: “But I already have more vice-presidents than I need.”
Father: “But this young man is Bill Gate’s son-in-law.”
President: “Ah, in that case..OK.”
This is how business is done. Those who strife to grow in life and especially in Business must learn that they can have anything they want. However, attitude and approach should be positive – that makes the difference.
Career Write-Up 3 – Strategic HRD
Strategic Human Resource Development (strategic HRD) is concerned with the development and implementation of strategies for the provision of learning, development and training opportunities to improve individual, team and organizational performance.
Aims of Strategic HRD
- To produce a comprehensive framework for developing people (the organization’s human capital).
- To provide an environment that will be conducive to organizational and individual learning.
- To develop intellectual capital of the organization and ensure knowledge is managed systematically.
- To provide approaches to self-development (self-managed learning) with appropriate organiztional guidance and support.
- To be business-led (i.e. to respond to business needs) but also to take account of individual aspirations and needs.
Elements of Human Resource Development
- Learning – the process by which a person acquires new knowledge, skills and capabilities.
- Development – the growth of an individual’s ability, potential and career through the provision of learning experiences
- Training – the use of systematic and planned instruction and development activities to promote learning.
Components of Human Resource Development
Human Resource Development Philosophy could be expressed as follows:
HR Professionals believe that :
- Human resource development contributes to the successful attainment of the organization’s objectives and that investment in it benefits all the stakeholders of the organization.
- Human resource development plans and programs should be integrated with and support the achievement of business and human resource strategies.
- Human resource development should always be performance-related – designed to achieve specified improvements in corporate, functional, team and individual performance and make a significant contribution to bottom-line performance.
- Everyone in the organization should be encouraged and given the opportunity to learn – to develop their skills and knowledge to the maximum of their capacity.
- Personal development process provides the framework for individual learning.
There is the need to invest in learning and development and to provide appropriate learning opportunities and facilities, the prime responsibility for development rests with the individual who will be given the guidance and support of her or his manager and, as necessary, the HR department of Development Oriented companies.
How To Improve Your Life
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“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr‘s. POINTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE.
Stumbled on this and found it amazing. Hope you make same of it.
Personality:
1. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
2. Don’t have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment
3. Don’t over do; keep your limits
4. Don’t take yourself so seriously; no one else does
5. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip
6. Dream more while you are awake
7. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
8. Forget issues of the past. Don’t remind people about mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
9. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don’t hate others.
10. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present
11. No one is in charge of your happiness except you
12. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
13. Smile and laugh more
14. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
Community:
15. Call your family often
16. Each day give something good to others
17. Forgive everyone for everything
18. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6
19. Try to make at least three people smile each day
20. What other people think of you is none of your business
21. Your job will not take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.
Life:
22. Put GOD first in anything and everything that you think, say and do.
23. GOD heals everything
24. Do the right things
25. However good or bad a situation is, it will change
26. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up
27. The best is yet to come
28. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful
29. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it
30. If you know GOD you will always be happy. So, be happy.
Related articles
- Dr Martin Luther King Jr (powerstudy.wordpress.com)
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