GRATITUDES….
CONGRATULATIONS….
WHY YOU ?
A District Training Assembly is a university that imparts knowledge, information and guidelines to the club leaders who are students of Rotary College. And this is done with enthusiasm and dedication .
In Rotary, we deal with equals and therefore it is essential for club leaders to understand how to deal with equals and some more experienced members such as PDGs, past presidents,Sr.Rotarians.
What a marvellous, fascinating unforgettable mission! What a serious & difficult mission! To be a leader amongst equals-
every year in Rotary leaders change but leadership continues. And as you change the baton of leadership, remember in a relay one does not stop to pass the baton- but runs alongside for some time at the same speed.
Your year is not a marathon- it’s a 366 days sprint- so be fast off the blocks and keep up the tempo till you breast the tape.
The District Training Assembly also serves to highlight the thrust areas of Rotary and Districts.
It highlights the theme of The Year “Rotary Connects the world ” and also urges us define the ways of service and the roads leading us to reach our goal.
Who ever thought more than a a century ago, that Rotary will become what it has become today? No crystal grazer even dreamt that Rotary will become a force of salvation.
Today, we are in our second century of existence and we are wiser today than we were a century ago.
The strength of Rotary depends on Rotarians who volunteer to help, who go out to serve and who promote, propagate and promise help with a compassion that dwells in every heart and which is waiting to be tapped.
The future of Rotary depends entirely on the service it provides. Since the needs of the communities change, so should the outlook of the Rotarians.
Individual Rotarians gets inspired by world leaders, get educated by teachers and get motivated by Clubs leadership.
If the needs change, action will change. If Rotary has to survive, the individual Rotarian should act .
In this Training Assembly DGE Hari GUPTA who has attended the International Assembly full of ideas, innovation and implementation tools and invigorating motivation will, in turn, transform this Training Assembly into an arena of action full of compassion, commitment and communication.
Believe me I would not leave a single stone unturned to make my year a success so as to ensure that there shall be no regrets later for things I could have done but didn’t.
You are all leaders in your respective professions & businesses & Rotary is no different – in – all respects- but one. In Rotary you are a leader amongst equals. A demanding task requiring all your skills to motivate & inspire those working with you.
It is therefore with a great sense of responsibility that you should look forward to challenges of the year ahead knowing fully well that leadership in Rotary entails not Power, nor Authority, but only Accountability.
It is here that you will discover that you have much in common with your fellow President Elect or other office bearers of different clubs.. You will find that your differences are few and your shared interests and goals are many.
It is here that you feel the spark that ignites your spirit of service , for it is here that you will begin to understand the enormous scope of Rotary . It is here that you will grasp the vision of service Rotary can provide for the creation of better world.
It is here that you will discover new gifts and talents that will enable you to carry out one of the most important position in Rotary .
You are the men and women who will carry the message through out your District that ROTARY Connects the world . that Rotary brings love to the abandoned , hope to the Sufferung and peace to the world filled with hatred and injustice.
The question today is not CAN YOU LEAD ? The question is HOW WILL YOU LEAD ?? And the more important question is WILL YOU BE A SUCCESSFUL LEADER OF ROTARIANS ??
What can I teach you about leadership?
I would like to express one idea that I think is the key to successful leadership in Rotary —
IF YOU ARE ALL TO SUCCEED AS LEADERS IN ROTARY , THEN YOU MUST LEAVE THIS DISTRICT TRAINING ASSEMBLY WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF ONE IMPORTANT ASPECT OF LEADERSHIP– YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THAT “TO LEAD YOU MUST SERVE “. As Mahatma Gandhi once said I MUST FOLLOW TE PEOPLE —-BECAUSE I AM THEIR LEADER.
You will leave this Training Assembly understanding fully that leadership is not about power . Leadership is not a speech or slogan . Leadership is not a position of authority to hold over people .
Leadership is relationship between people . Leadership is about nourishing and cultivating relationship with the people who will follow you , work with you and succeed with you in the coming year .
Yes, my friends and fellow Club Leaders in 2019-20 , I sincerely believe that Leadership in Rotary is an Art as well as a Science.
It is – The Art of making friends
The Art of awakening enthusiasm
The Art of inspiring hearts
And
It is- the Science of transforming dreams into reality
The Science of maintaining unity in diversity
The Science of adding and multiplying efforts to
achieve Great goals.
Today, as we prepare to go into the next Rotary year, we look at all the miracles accomplished by Rotary and the Rotary Foundation- all working together, combining efforts & resources to connect the world.
There is so much to be done in this world, it’s almost unbelievable, but there is one organization & one individual who can help improve our world. That organization is Rotary International & that Individual is you.
However, more than it is tempting to question what one person can do in a world of over Seven billion people.
US Anthropologist Margaret Med once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world- indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.”
It is said, “Small minds discuss Personalities, Average minds discuss Events & only Great minds discuss ideas.”
Rotary gives us this forum not only to discuss ideas but also to make them in to realities. Tagore wrote, “I slept & dreamt that life was happiness, I woke & saw that life was service. I served & learnt that in service happiness is found.” & it is that happiness which Rotary gives us.
Chinese Proverb: If you want Happiness-
For 5 minutes – take a nap
For 1 hour – go fishing
For 1 week – take a vacation
For 1 month – get married
For a year – inherit a fortune
Forever – help others
Yes, being a President, or Director, or Chairman of any Service Committee gives you this unique opportunity to help others.
My dear Friends, the Rotary we all love so much is in your capable hands so that you can make it even better. No one can tell us what Rotary will be tomorrow, but one thing is certain, what Rotary will be tomorrow depends upon what we Rotarians do today.
Yes, Leadership in Rotary can be described in one word OPPORTUNITY. For it gives ordinary people like us the opportunity to do extraordinary things.
Story of polio eradication in India and U p
PDGs Sudhir Ji , Brij BHUSHAN Ji , and many others …
Remember – “The highest award for a man’s toil is not what he gets for it, but what he himself becomes by it.”
Margaret Thatcher was a Rotarian as was her father. He used to tell her, “Don’t be afraid to be different – don’t blindly follow the path – instead make a new path for others to follow.”
Today The leaders of tomorrow – asks yourselves- what kind of a Leader will you be? Have you thought about this? Will you lead by command or by example? Will you lead by force or by persuasion? Will you lead by inclusion, can you lead by love? Or will you lead by inspiration & Motivation.
PLANNING IS THE MAGIC WORD IN EVERY SUCCESS
FAILURE TO PREPARE IS PREPARING TO FAIL ..
BE STUBBORN ON YOUR VISION Have a determination to Pursue your vision and not get sidetracked. You need to have grit , perseverance, and passion for long term sustainable projects.
PUT YOUR HEART IN WHAT YOU DO… Mother Teresa was described by the Secretary General of UN as “the most powerful woman on the earth” and she was asked what made her so. Filled with embarrassment ,in simple words came her most profound statement “Small work with great Love” It is this love that is generated through Heart. That’s why we say “put your Heart in what you do” .
BE KNOWLEDGEABLE-
Knowledge is power but we must be knowledgeable not only about Rotary but more important to know more about Rotarians. There lies the key to success.
Story of watering bearer
ROTARY INFORMATION–
The story of a FATHER OF A CHURCH
CREATE OPPORTUNITIES-
Our leaders must learn the art of creating opportunities and you have to set your goals and learn your dreams. In Rotary, we turn problems into opportunities to over come them
This reminds me of a RYLA Camp I attended at Moral Re-Armament campus at Panchgani . At the entrance of the camp is a board saying “There are no problems here – only opportunities” Whilst I was standing near the registration desk where many participants of RYLA were clustering the desk, a boy came running and said to the organizer- “Sir, I have a problem” The organizer smilingly pointed to the placard saying “There are no problems – only opportunities.”
The boy hesitated and replied “Call it what you may, Sir – but you have allotted me a room which is occupied by a girl”. I don’t know whether the boy turned the problem into opportunity or not ….
The successful leaders see the opportunities in every difficulty rather than the difficulty in every opportunity
COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY
THE STORY OF SNAKE AND MANGOOSE
To be a GOOD LEADER you must recognize and appreciate the efforts of others.
A good leader takes a little more than his share of blame and little less than his share of credit. Never hesitate to appreciate and recognize the efforts of all the club members who will work with you so closely to make a wonderful year.
THE STORY OF PELE
Honour them, respect them and communicate their achievements through the Club Bulletin
BE FLEXIBLE……
EGO TO BE KEPT AWAY.
JOIN ROTARY AND MAKE ENEMIES—-
TO BE A GOOD LEADER ONE MUST BE COMPASSIONATE
A leader must talk the walk.even the leader may not know every thing, but a good leader must be open to learning.
MOTIVATION —
The Dictionary describes Motivation as “the process, which gives incentive to arouse, sustain & regulate the human behaviour.”
How true
it is in the present context for it applies to your role as a President or the office bearer or the Director to arouse, sustain & regulate the behaviour of the members in your club.
Remember- The mediocre Leaders Tell
The Good Leaders Explain
The Superior Leaders Demonstrate
But only the Great Leaders Inspire & Motivate.
If you tell a Rotarian to work and tell how to do it you are building a monument with one hand.
If you tell them to work and go home do nothing more, you are building a monument with one hand and demolishing it with other.
If you tell them to work and you work with them, only then you are building a monument with both hands.
Therefore motivate yourself first and then motivate others.
Always remember the two words Humble and Hungry as the key to your career of continuous improvement and growth.whether you are trying to make a name for yourself or you have achieved the pinnacle of success .
Don’t ever feel that you know every thing. Every day you get an opportunity to learn something. The success or failure should not get in to your head.
Be kind to every one and let people know that they matter.
Live with Humility because the moment you think that you have arrived at the door of greatness it will get shut on your face.
No matter how successful you get, no matter how much you achieve, you always have to be Hungry for more.
You always have to be hungry for learning new things.
You always have to be hungry to have more achievements.
You should be hungry to make your mark and you should be hungry to be seen and to be heard to have an effect out there.
But as you move on and become successful make sure to Also stay hungry for helping others and looking beyond your self.
Let the leaders of tomorrow, gathered here this day be alive to the need for effective leadership and the means of achieving this leadership. We have the intelligence, we have the determination. Let us have the know how.
Friends! The torch of service is lit by the fire of our Rotarians in their efforts to serve. Let this fire be strong enough to do what we are expected to do. This Dist. Training Assembly will show you the way. This Dist. Training Assembly will enlighten you on the area which need Rotary’s help. This Training Assembly will make new friends and build bridges of understanding and communications.
I wish you all a great 2019-20 . How great it is will depend on you and your dedication. May the Almighty give you strengths to achieve all what you desire and deserve in the year ahead.
ure what they say and do.
My ONE LINE LEADERSHIP MANTRA ? Knowledge, Action, Integrity, Humble and Hungry.
5 May 2019