Notes #18 Max De Pree and the De Pree Center for Leadership

Max De Pree is an interesting character in the world of servant leadership and leadership development.  He is a son of D. J. De Pree, founder of the Herman-Miller office furniture company.  Now, you may not have heard of Herman-Miller, but it is a very successful company which is also known for their corporate culture which has been very employee focused.   They implemented the Scanlon Plan, as well as servant leadership.  Max and his brother Hugh De Pree assumed leadership of the company in the early 1960s. He succeeded his brother Hugh as CEO in the mid-1980s and served in that capacity to 1990.  After this he moved into his ‘second career’ as a writer and speaker on leadership, including servant leadership.  He has written several works on the topic.

In 1996, the De Pree Center was founded in connection with the Fuller Theological Seminary.  In 1999, Walter Wright came on board as the executive director, and in 2009 the Center’s name was changed to the Max De Pree Center for Leadership.  The focus of the center is on the “relational leadership” ideas of Max, which is Max’s take on servant leadership which focuses on the relationship between the leader and the follower, which takes on a mentoring element.

 

Max himself has written four books, and contributed to several shorter works.  His main two works are Leadership is an Art (1989) and Leadership Jazz (1992/2008).  These are the works he is most famous for, and deservedly so.  Leadership Jazz has recently been revised, but I am not familiar with what has been changed.  This two are very readable works on Max De Pree’s view on leadership, and ones I would recommend to anyone.   The theme of Leadership is an Art is that leadership is about liberating people to what is required in the most effective and humane way possible and Leadership Jazz continues that theme.

His next book is a little different, Leading without Power: Finding Hope in Serving Community (2001).   While the first two focused on business (but the ideas could be used anywhere), here his focus is on the non-profit world, again with the purpose of how to bring out the best in people. Called to Serve: Creating and Nurturing the Effective Volunteer Board (2003), is as its title suggested, is focused on those who serve as part of a trustee group for an organization, and would have a limited audience.  I actually have not read this one.

In addition to these works, he has also contributed to a few short monographs published by the De Pree Center, such as “Mentoring: Two Voices” (with Walter Wright, Jr) and “Does Leadership Have a Future?”  These are available as a digital download at the Center's website.

I should also point out the works done by Walter Wright, Jr, who is the executive director of the Center.  First off, there is Don’t Step on the Rope! Reflections on Leadership, Relationships and Teamwork (2005).  This work focuses on teamwork and how to develop and nurture teams.   There is also his work Mentoring: The Promise of Relational Leadership (2005), which I don’t yet have, so can’t comment on it.  Then there is Relational Leadership: A Biblical Model for Influence and Service, revised (2009), which is his take on servant leadership.  The term “relational leadership” is used, because the focus is on the relationship between the leader and the follower.  It’s not a different form of servant leadership, but one were we focus on that relationship. 

In addition to those, he has also contributed to some short monograph as well, such as the previously mentioned “Mentoring: Two Voices”, as well as “The Gift of Mentors”.  Again, these are available as a download from the Center.

The Center has put out several good works, so I recommend you check them out.

Notes #17 Debate

(part of the parliamentary procedure subseries)

Debate is the discussion on the merits of a pending question [motion] in a deliberative assembly [your organization]. "It is the essential element in the making of rational decisions of consequence by intelligent people." RONR (11th ed).

 

Debate is NOT a dirty word. Debate in itself is not something to be avoided. It’s our chance to voice our views, for or against, the pending matter at hand.

 

 

RULES OF DEBATE

• A motion must be proposed before a matter can be debated. [ie discussed]
• The maker of a motion has the right to speak first in debate. [this is their time to expand upon their motion and explain why others should vote for it]
• A member must be recognized by the chair before speaking in debate.
• Debate is closed and the vote taken when no member rises to claim the floor. [this can be clear if the chair asks for further discussion, and no one steps forward]. The chair may not cut off debate without the permission of the assembly.
• Debate may be closed by the adoption of the motion Previous Question which requires a two-third vote.
• A member may speak for 2 times for a maximum of ten minutes on each pending question.  [this is the default]
• The rules of debate may be modified by adopting a special rule of order [such a rule would apply only in the crew, for however long the rule exists], by changing the limits for a single session [ie this particular meeting], or by changing the limits on the pending question only.
• The requirement that the presiding officer [the officer serving as chair] remain impartial precludes their exercising their right to debate while presiding.

DECORUM in Debate

• Remarks must be confined to the merit of the pending question.
• When speaking in debate, a member must refrain from attacking a member's motives and avoid name calling. The motion, not the member, is the subject of debate.
• All remarks should be addressed thru the chair. Members do not address one another directly.
• Avoid the use of member's names. Instead say, "the member who made the motion" or the like.
• Do not speak adversely about some prior action of the organization which is not pending.
• The maker of a motion is not permitted to speak against their own motion.
• Permission of the assembly is required to read from any paper or book as part of a speech in debate.
• During debate, during remarks by the presiding officer, during voting, no member should be permitted to disturb the assembly by whispering or any other way.

Complied by the Plantation Unit of Parliamentarians, with minor edited by MRB.

 

Notes #16 Situational Team Leadership

Teams are a big part of what we will deal with as leaders.  Much of what we will do will be as part of a team or leading a team, and we need to understand how teams work, how to be part of a team (sometimes called ‘followership’) and how to lead a team.  One of the main ways of dealing with teams is the application of Situational Leadership (covered in Notes #7) to teams, sometimes called Situational Team Leadership.  Of course, this entails several concepts.

First off, we need a better understanding of teams.  We are many times part of groups, large and small.  We may be part of various groups and orgs, such as local clubs or professional associations or the like.  Many of these groups may have subgroups, such as committees or subcommittees (these we covered in Notes #12).

Notes #15 Rights & Responsibilities of Members

[originally by Lydia Croft, PRP with minor editing by Michael Brown]

 

(part of the parliamentary procedure subseries)

[[NOTE: please keep in mind that we are speaking of "rights" in terms of "parliamentary rights of members", which by and large means the “right of voice” (make motions, speak in debate of said motions) and “right of vote” (to vote on motions), sometimes referred to as the “right of voice and vote”.  We are mainly speaking here of the rights of members within membership organizations.]]

RIGHTS

1. To attend meetings
2. To be notified of meetings
3. To make and second motions
4. To debate the questions (discuss the motion/business at hand)
5. To vote on all motions
6. To appear before the club/organization or committee to state your case
7. To serve on committees
8. To serve as an officer
9. To object to the consideration of disagreeable motions
10. To help elect officers
11. To help decide how the money is to be spent
12. To promote all the projects of the organization
13. To appeal the decision of the chair
14. To invite qualified people to join
15. To defend the purpose of the organization

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. To attend and remain to the end of the meetings
2. To pay all dues & fees without complaining
3. To obey all rules & customs of the organization
4. To read and understand all the bylaws and rules of the organization
5. To take your turn in serving on committees
6. To support with money and service and time the activities of your organization
7. To know how to use the rights given to you by the bylaws and adopted parliamentary authority
8. To learn the correct way to make motion to carry on business
9. To express opinions on questions while IN the meetings and while the motions are on the floor
10. To amend motions if they don't express the need of the majority
11. To know and observe the rules of DEBATE and COURTESY of debate
12. To know when some motions should be sent to a committee for further information
13. To call a "point of order" when you see a rule has been broken. Must be called to attention immediately.
14. To appeal the decision of the chair on a point of order if you disagree with a decision
15. To know the difference between the use of "To Lay on the Table" and "Postpone to the Next Meeting"
16. To realize when discussion has gone on too long and CALL FOR THE PREVIOUS QUESTION (ie, end debate/discussion)
17. To know that motions that limit or take away a privilege require a 2/3 vote.

REMEMBER

• Members have more rights than the president!
• Express your opinions while in the meeting, and do NOT criticize to others AFTER the meeting.
• If you want better officers, be more careful whom you elect.
• If you can do better, offer your services; don't criticize unless you are willing to do the job yourself. (RUN for office! Get on a committee! Make a difference!)

 

BE LOYAL TO YOUR ORGANIZATION *OR* LEAVE. DON'T TEAR IT UP.

Postscript- if some of the terms aren't clear to you, then you need to learn more about parliamentary procedure. Please read up on it, or see past and future entries in this series.

Notes #14 Outdoor/Adventure Education & Leadership

For many of us who are involved in the program, Scouting provides a unique educational program and experience for our youth (and adults), but it’s actually part of larger educational “world”.  Some of us may have heard the terms “outdoor education”, “adventure education”, “experiential education” and variants of these.  Scouting is part of this. 

Let’s look at Outdoor education first.  It usually applies to education done in the out of doors.  Nature hikes, field trips to museums and nature centers, outdoor activities and the like are part of this.  Adventure education is a subset of this, focusing on more strenuous activities such as high adventure camping and activities such as white water rafting, rock climbing and the like, which can challenge the participants physically, mentally, and spiritually.  Experiential learning/education is all about learning by doing, which encompasses all of these.  Instead of talking about baking a cake, let’s actually bake that cake.  Or build that bridge or the like.  But it’s meant to be more than just doing science experiments in class, but a larger view of learning that gets away from memorization and rote learning.  Experience is the best teacher, hence the importance of experiential learning.