THE

CHURCH
WOMEN
LEADERS
THE PURPOSE OF UNITED METHODIST WOMEN
THE PURPOSE PROVIDES THE
FOUNDATION FOR THE WORK AND
WITNESS.
UNITED METHODIST
WOMEN SHALL BE A
COMMUNITY OF WOMEN
WHOSE PURPOSE IS…
* TO KNOW GOD AND TO
EXPERIENCE FREEDOM
AS WHOLE PERSONS
THROUGH JESUS CHRIST
*TO DEVELOP A
CREATIVE,
SUPPORTIVE
FELLOWSHIP
*TO EXPAND CONCEPTS
OF MISSION THROUGH
PARTICIPATION IN THE
GLOBAL MINISTRIES OF
THE CHURCH.
WITHIN THESE PURPOSE WE FIND OUR
REASON FOR BEING …AS AN
ORGANIZATION OF LAYWOMEN MOBILIZED
FOR MISSION:
* TO BE A COMMUNITY OF WOMEN.
* TO KNOW GOD.
* TO BE WHOLE PERSONS THROUGH
JESUS CHRIST.
* TO DEVELOP A CREATIVE,
SUPPORTIVE FELLOWSHIP.
* TO EXPAND CONCEPTS OF MISSION.
WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?

A SIMPLE DEFINITION IS
THAT LEADERSHIP IS THE
ART OF MOTIVATING A
GROUP OF PEOPLE TO ACT
TOWARDS ACHIEVING A
COMMON GOAL.
LIVING OUR VISION: DEVELOPING LEADERS
EXPLORE WAYS TO SUPPORT WOMEN AS THEY SEEK TO
BECOME LEADERS WITHIN UNITED METHODIST WOMEN, THE
CONGREGATION, AND IN THE GENERAL CHURCH AND LARGER
COMMUNITY.
•SEEK OUT AND SUPPORT PARTICIPATION
IN LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AT THE DISTRICT,
CONFERENCE AND NATIONAL LEVELS.
•PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR NEW,
POTENTIAL, CURRENT MEMBERS AND
LEADERS TO PARTICIPATE IN
EDUCATIONAL AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT EVENTS.
• BE OPEN TO NEW FORMS OF
LEADERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION IN THE
ORGANIZATION.
 TEN
LEADERSHIP
SKILLS
 1. REFLECT ON
YOUR OWN
EXPERIENCE AND
WAYS OF BEING
AND DOING.
“TELL ME, AND I WILL FORGET.
SHOW ME, AND I MAY REMEMBER.
INVOLVE ME, AND I WILL UNDERSTAND.”

IT IS THROUGH REFLECTING ABOUT THE

ACTIONS AT WORK AND THE CONCRETE
EXPERIENCES THAT WILL LEAD US TO
RECOGNIZING THAT THE EXPERIENCE HAS
FORGED A NEW WAY OF OUR THINKING.
2. BE OPEN TO
CONTRIBUTION
OF OTHERS.
WITH THE RIGHT ATTITUDE, YOU HAVE THE POWER TO
CREATE HAPPINESS AT WORK, CONTRIBUTING TO A
POSITIVE WORK PLACE, AND TO BE THE TYPE OF CO-
WORKER WHO ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO NOT ONLY
STAY AT THEIR JOBS, BUT ENJOY THEM, TOO.

HERE'S HOW: SHOW UP , JOIN IN,

SPEAK UP, BECOME ENGAGED,
BECOME A LEADER.
3.PRACTICE
COLLECTIV
E
LEADERSHI
P.
COLLECTIVE LEADERSHIP
IS A GROUP OF PEOPLE
WORKING TOGETHER
TOWARDS A SHARED GOAL.
* IN COLLECTIVE LEADERSHIP, THERE IS SHARED RESPONSIBILITY
AND DECISION MAKING, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND AUTHENTIC
ENGAGEMENT. ALL MEMBERS ARE INVOLVED IN CREATING THE
VISION AND ARE COMMITTED TO WORKING TO ACHIEVE THAT
VISION.
* COLLECTIVE LEADERSHIP IS BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT
EVERYONE CAN AND SHOULD LEAD.2
COLLECTIVE LEADERSHIP REQUIRES SPECIFIC CONDITIONS FOR
THE SUCCESS OF THE WHOLE: TRUST, SHARED POWER,
TRANSPARENT AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION,
ACCOUNTABILITY, AND SHARED LEARNING.
* IT IS BASED ON THE RECOGNITION THAT WITHOUT THE GIFTS,
TALENTS, PERSPECTIVES, AND EFFORTS OF MANY, SUSTAINABLE
CHANGE IS DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE.
4.SUPPORT
THE
GROWTH OF
OTHERS.
1. ENCOURAGE THEM TO THINK AND ACT IN
WAYS THAT COME MOST NATURALLY TO THEM

A GREAT LEADER DOESN’T TRY TO MAKE YOU

THINK LIKE THEY DO. THEY EMBRACE THE
NATURAL WAYS YOU THINK AND BUILD OFF OF
YOUR OWN STRENGTHS.
2. DEVELOP THEIR DECISION-MAKING ABILITIES

A GOOD LEADER KNOWS HOW TO EVALUATE

DECISION-MAKING BLIND SPOTS. MANY TIMES IT’S
NOT JUST THE IMMEDIATE DECISION THAT NEEDS TO
BE MADE – BUT THE SUBSEQUENT DECISIONS THAT
MUST BE ANTICIPATED BEFORE CIRCUMSTANCES
FORCE OUR HAND.
3. EXPAND THEIR PERFORMANCE TOLERANCE

A GREAT LEADER KEEPS CLOSE TABS ON

HOW MUCH EACH INDIVIDUAL IS ABLE TO
HANDLE. THEY MEASURE THEIR
PERFORMANCE TOLERANCE THRESHOLD
BY IDENTIFYING HOW WELL THEY MANAGE
ADVERSITY, HOW THEY OPERATE UNDER
PRESSURE, THEIR WILLINGNESS TO
ACCEPT NEW CHALLENGES AND THEIR
OVERALL MENTAL TOUGHNESS.
 THE
DIVERSITY IN
OUR
COMMUNITIES
.
 EFFECTIVELY MANAGING CULTURAL
DIVERSITY AT WORK HELPS EVERY
INDIVIDUAL FEEL WELCOME, ENCOURAGES
THEM TO BE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN
DECISION-MAKING, AND CAN EVEN HELP
BOOST THE ORGANIZATION’S REPUTATION
SO THAT IT ATTRACTS MORE OF THE BEST
AND BRIGHTEST NEW TALENTS.
 6.VALUE
PERSONS
OVER BEING
RIGHT.
WHY BEING KIND TO
PEOPLE IS BETTER
THAN BEING RIGHT?
I WILL SAY THAT GIVING UP THE NEED TO
ALWAYS BE RIGHT, IT’S ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT LESSONS WE CAN LEARN FROM
LIFE,
A LESSON THAT WILL HELP US ACHIEVE PEACE
OF MIND AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF OUR
RELATIONSHIP,
NOT ONLY WITH THOSE AROUND US BUT WITH
OURSELVES ALSO.
* TO WORK ON GIVING UP THE NEED TO
ALWAYS BE RIGHT,
* LEAVING YOUR EGO BEHIND,
* TO ALWAYS CHOOSE TO BE KIND TO
PEOPLE OVER RIGHT,
* CHOOSING TO DISAGREE WITHOUT
BEING DISAGREEABLE.
7. SPEAK
UP.
BEFORE YOU SPEAK UP POWERFULLY,
UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU’RE DEALING
WITH AND FORMULATE THE BEST PLAN
YOU CAN SO THAT YOU CAN BE HEARD
AND UNDERSTOOD IN THE DEEPEST WAY
POSSIBLE BUT ALSO GET WHAT YOU
NEED.
 8.LIVE
DEMOCRATICALL
Y
DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP, ALSO
KNOWN AS PARTICIPATIVE
LEADERSHIP OR SHARED
LEADERSHIP, IS A TYPE
OF LEADERSHIP STYLE IN WHICH
MEMBERS OF THE GROUP TAKE A
MORE PARTICIPATIVE ROLE IN
THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS.
 EVERYONE IS GIVEN THE
OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE, IDEAS
ARE EXCHANGED FREELY, AND
DISCUSSION IS ENCOURAGED. WHILE
THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS TENDS TO
FOCUS ON GROUP EQUALITY AND THE
FREE FLOW OF IDEAS, THE LEADER OF
THE GROUP IS STILL THERE TO OFFER
GUIDANCE AND CONTROL
9. SUSTAIN
CRITICAL
HOPE.
 IN OUR DEEPEST SELF, WE
GRASP THAT “HOPE” IS NOT A
REMOTE CONCEPT OR NICE PHRASE .
. . BUT. . . THAT HOPE GROWS OUT OF
LOVE, AND THAT TO SUSTAIN HOPE
WE MUST TALK AND ACT IN WAYS
THAT CREATE HOPE.
10. IMAGINE
GOD’S
VISION
HOW DO WE IMAGINE GOD’S VISION?

ARE WE ABLE TO INCLUDE A

GLOBAL UNDERSTANDING THAT
REALIZES THAT CHANGE WITHIN
OUR COMMUNITY MUST
ACCOMPANY CHANGE IN THE
WHOLE WORLD?
 LIVING OUR VISION
TURNING FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE INTO
ACTION ON BEHALF OF WOMEN, CHILDREN
AND YOUTH AROUND THE WORLD.
•WE PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES TO GROW
SPIRITUALLY, BECOME MORE DEEPLY
ROOTED IN CHRIST AND PUT FAITH INTO ACTION.
•WE ARE ORGANIZED FOR GROWTH, WITH FLEXIBLE
STRUCTURES LEADING TO EFFECTIVE WITNESS
AND ACTION.
•WE EQUIP WOMEN AND GIRLS AROUND THE WORLD TO
BE LEADERS IN COMMUNITIES, AGENCIES,
WORKPLACES, GOVERNMENTS AND CHURCHES.
•WE WORK FOR JUSTICE THROUGH COMPASSIONATE
SERVICE AND ADVOCACY TO CHANGE
UNFAIR POLICIES AND SYSTEMS.
•WE PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES THAT LEAD TO
PERSONAL CHANGE IN ORDER TO
TRANSFORM THE WORLD.