Lead by Driving Actions to Outcomes: Ask - Act – Reward

By Michel Listenberger OD FVI

Dr. Listenberger is a visionary. He doesnt change what you see; he changes how you see it. Learn to focus on the results you want. See how to influence change in people, groups and organizations by repeating feed-back loops of Lead - Driving Actions to Outcomes. Use the axiom Ask-Act-Reward to direct others toward their successes.

Sharing this process with others can leverage your success as well as build lasting friendships. Give the world your gift of leadership. Change lives. Change the future. Change the world.

Part I starts with an inventory of who you are and how to mold yourself into the leader you want to be. Learn the theory of feed-back loops to implement change.

Part II is about combining your strengths with the strengths of others to influence and change volunteer non-profit organizations from local to international.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Apr 30, 2015
• ISBN: 9781504909624

Michel Listenberger OD FVI

The author Dr. Michel Listenberger is a Past President of VOSH/International and a member since its formation. He has served on twenty-five eyecare missions and is the founder of VOSH-Michigan. He has served a number of non-profit organizations, most notably Optimist International as President and CEO. Dr. Listenberger is the author of two other books, “Self-Utility: a Theory of Everything,” and “LEAD by Driving Actions to Outcomes.”

Book preview

Lead by Driving Actions to Outcomes

Ask - Act – Reward

Based on the THEORY OF SELF-UTILITY with an emphasis on VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS

Michel Listenberger, OD, FVI

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© 2015 Michel Listenberger, OD, FVI. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 04/29/2015

ISBN: 978-1-5049-0960-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-0962-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015906596

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Defining Leadership

Self-Utility and Leadership - An Introduction

Remaking Yourself

Cycles Of Influence

Changing Others

Introduction to Applied Leadership

Act Like a Leader to Be a Leader

Accepting the Challenge

Building Relationships

Assets and Resources

Leading Your Team

Goal Setting - Projecting Outcomes of Mission and Vision

Outcome Management and Communication

Conducting Productive Meetings

Service and Product Delivery

Success Through Growth

Marketing, Promotions and Social Media

International Leadership

The Future of Volunteer Organizations

Dedicated to the memory of Dr. Phillip VanDenBerg - my mentor.

ORGANIZATIONS REFERENCED IN THIS BOOK

V.O.S.H.- International (Voluntary Optometric Services to Humanity) is the largest Non-Government Organization (N.G.O.) of Eye Care Professionals providing eye care around the world to people who cannot afford nor obtain such care. It consists of seventy-five State and National Chapters. V.O.S.H. delivers eye exams and glasses by conducting one to three week missions, supporting sustainable clinics overseas, supporting Optometric Education and local eye health education onsite. Thirty-nine million people are blind in the world and 45% are blind because they have no access to glasses.

Junior Optimist Octagon International (J.O.O.I.) is a 16,000 member Youth Organization. J.O.O.I. is under the umbrella of Optimist International and represents a youth membership class. J.O.O.I. is made up of Clubs in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean Nations. J.O.O.I. has an elected Youth Board of Directors and an elected Youth International President. Members experience leadership and build confidence in themselves by volunteering in their schools and communities.

Optimist International (OI) is an adult civic service organization collectively embracing Optimism as a positive value that enriches and propels life. Optimists provide Optimistic experiences to young people as they Give Hope and Vision by Bringing out the Best in Kids. Optimist International is the fourth largest civic service organization in the World. Headquarters are in St. Louis and Montreal.

Niles Education Foundation (NEF) is a local (Niles, Michigan) Foundation to acquire and distribute funds in support of the Niles Community Schools for programs and projects aimed at enhancing, enriching and supplementing opportunities for students, staff and community – changing minds, changing lives.

FROM THE AUTHOR

This Book was written because someone took the first step to show an analytical introvert the real power in being a leader working with other people. By moving outside of managing my eye-care practice toward volunteer leadership roles, I quickly learned the basic process of leading which changed my life as well as the lives many others who served with me.

After a few years a system emerged from my deep interest in scientific principle being applied to changing behavior patterns in people. Philosophically a Theory of Self-Utility was developed which applied to everything. This Book explains how the basic theory of Self driving actions to outcomes. The Ask initiating an Act resulting in a Reward repeating itself in feed-back loops leads to change.

This basic system then was applied to many offices leading to mobilizing groups with positive outcomes in every attempt. My authority for writing this Book comes from this record of success leading from local to State to International Organizations.

• President of Optimist Club of Niles 1985-86 (#1 of 110 Clubs in Michigan)

• Optimist Lieutenant Governor SW Michigan (#1 of 18 zones in Michigan)

• Founding President of Michigan Voluntary Optometric Services to Humanity 1985-88 (annually conducting four annual eye care missions around the world)

• Governor of Michigan Optimists 1988-89 (#1 of 50 Internationally)

• Vice President of Optimist Region 1993-95 (#1 of 10 Internationally)

• President of VOSH-International 1995-97

• Junior Optimist Octagon International Chair and Advisor mentoring five International Youth Presidents and their Board of Directors

• President of Optimist International 2005-06 (top growth in twenty years)

The uniqueness of this Book is that it demonstrates you can change. Part One Leadership Theory and You shows how to change yourself and others using Ask – Act - Reward cycles to influence change. Part Two Applied Leadership shows ways to use the theory to lead groups and organizations. This book is primarily based in VOLUNTEER organizations. Instead of getting results by rewarding employees with payment of wages, this book shows how to get results by rewarding volunteers with recognition and enhancement of their self-image. Ask Act Reward is leveraged with efficiency systems from local to international.

In my life leadership was learned. You can learn to lead by practicing and embracing this basic system. Take a risk. Change your life and others around you.

FOREWORD

– ASK – ACT - REWARD

So many good books and so many good articles have been written about leadership. They talk about skills, attitudes or characteristics that make a better leader. In this book, however, we take a different approach.

Leadership is about asking people to do something; acting by doing it; and being rewarded appropriately. Leaders can use this interactive process to drive change and achieve success.

- Do this once and you change a little

- Do this often and you change a lot

- Make this your Habit and change a community

- Make this your way of life and lead the world

A good leader must understand what people emotionally want, need and fear. These can be major barriers to a person facing change, or they can be what motivate people to action. A good leader knows how to guide outcomes that turn want and need into passion. A good leader sees potentiality and empowers others to lead. Directing others into action multiplies outcomes.

People are a leader’s greatest asset. People provide the purpose and the mission. People make the product and deliver the service.

When working together toward honorable causes a tremendous amount of self growth rewards those who interact with the leader as well as the leader himself. Personal relationships and a depth of friendships form bonds so much stronger than casual social contact. Helping others changes them and yourself in ways that give meaning to life itself.

Benefits of using this process:

• You build positive habits for yourself – and learn to break old ones

• You learn how to motivate and influence others which leads to getting results