Everyone is a leader at UCE! The Leadership Development Team is here to help you learn about positive leadership aligned with UU values and grow as a UCE lay leader, whether you’re a current leader of a UCE committee or team, want to be, or would simply like to learn more about yourself as a leader. Come to one of the leadership sessions we host, check out what we have for you online or join the Leadership Development Team!

Here are three ways you can get started:

1. Review UCE’s Leadership Model
2. Take UCE’s Leadership Self-Assessment
3. Browse Leadership Resources

The Leadership Development Team is charged with supporting the emergence, development, and growth of UCE lay leaders.  Our team promotes the distribution and utilization of the Leadership Development Guide, consisting of the UCE Leadership Model, a leadership self-assessment tool, and a variety of learning resources for current and aspiring leaders.  In addition, the Leadership Development Team sponsors education, training, and discussion events related to the elements of UCE Leadership Model.

Our team meets monthly at a time agreed upon by the team members, and can opt to do independent work between meetings.   New members are welcome, and we appreciate ideas and perspectives on continuing to strengthen positive leadership at UCE.

Contact:  Carla Williams through REALM Membership Directory or at admin@ucevanston.org.

Strong, positive leadership is defined in various ways, depending on the nature of the organization. The UCE Leadership Development Guide reflects our UU values, principles, and practices. This Guide includes a model, a self-assessment tool, and accompanying resources to enable UCE members and friends to “know and grow” the elements of leadership within themselves.

Follow these steps to use the Leadership Development Guide:

1. Read the UCE Leadership Model below.
2. Complete the Self-Assessment.
3. Review your strengths and weaknesses.
4. If you determine there are areas for further development, study the Resources for each area in which you’d like to refresh your skills or enhance your competency.

Reach out to the Leadership Development Team for assistance as needed. Current members: Carla Williams, Jim Dibble, Kathy Monk, and Margaret Pekarak.

The Model

See UCE Leadership Model section below.

Resources

The resources are available to leaders and aspiring leaders who want to go deeper, to learn about and build strength in various elements of the Leadership Model. Once you’ve completed the self-assessment, you are able to narrow your focus to those resources related to one or two of the elements. The resources serve as a library of information that leaders and aspiring leaders may access when and how they choose. It is intended to enable customized learning – completely driven by the needs and interests of the particular leader.

The Self-Assessment Tool

The self-assessment tool is for leaders and aspiring leaders. Are you wondering how your leadership style is reflected in the Model or how you might discern areas that would be good to explore? One way to gain this insight is by completing the self-assessment. You use the self-assessment personally and there is no need to share it with others. It is designed to enable leaders to consider their attitudes and behaviors in relation to those outlined in the five elements of the Leadership Model. Leaders and aspiring leaders are prompted to consider their strengths, areas of curiosity, and the leadership elements that they discover they want to develop or enhance.

Leaders begin with, or develop, UCE mission focus and spiritual grounding. They recognize and embrace that the work is rooted in our living tradition. As individuals, and in our collective work, leaders have and share a grounding in UU core values and principles, bringing passion, excitement, and commitment to the undertaking.

Leaders are encouraged to assume responsibility for the five elements below, which roughly align with the logical sequence of their work of gathering, cultivating, and working with their group.

I. Practice Awareness and Radical Welcoming (“Let’s embrace each other.”)

Leaders acknowledge that a broad range of cultures and identities enhances the quality of group actions. They recognize their personal biases and those of their culture and identities. Discerning leaders with privileged social status make an effort to reflect on how little they may know about the lived experiences, beliefs, and customs of some cultures and identities. Leaders are comfortable admitting their lack of knowledge; they understand learning is a lifelong pursuit.

In building group membership, leaders seek out and recognize the many cultural groups and different identities who may be present in the congregation. They approach a diversity of individuals with curiosity and openness, inviting all to contribute their knowledge, viewpoints, and experiences. Leaders demonstrate how all cultures and personal identities are to be respected. They seek to find existing common values, and to create and negotiate values and practices acceptable to all. Such guidance instills a sense of trust and respect in group members towards each other, and commitment to the group purpose and process.

II. Build Relationships  (“Let’s get to know and understand each other.”)

Building relationships with and among members of the group is vital to developing future leaders and to building congregational capacity to engage with others. Leaders demonstrate respect and caring, build trust, listen deeply, demonstrate humility, apologize for missteps, lend support, and periodically check group member satisfaction. They appreciate differences, and demonstrate an anti-racist, anti-oppressive, and multicultural sensibility. Leaders value and appreciate group members in tangible ways, demonstrate and reinforce among team members the UCE Covenant of Engagement, and establish a process for addressing conflict. These practices deepen connection among members, and contribute to a sense of safety, security, and joy.

III. Stimulate and Facilitate Progress  (“Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work.”)

Leaders practice and encourage curiosity, demonstrate willingness to learn, promote the sharing of abilities and talents, encourage taking risks and accepting challenges, promote candid exchange, and ensure conflict is effectively managed. These practices boost momentum, energy and productivity.

IV. Manage the Process  (“Stay on track, accomplish the goals.”)

Leaders prepare for and facilitate meetings, ground the work in our Unitarian Universalism tradition (maybe with a simple chalice lighting), clarify and promote the relevance of the work, establish direction or goals, manage time, demonstrate openness to various group member approaches and ideas, establish a reliable and equitable decision making process, and track progress. These practices demonstrate respect for the time and energy of group members, create healthy boundaries around commitments made, and nurture our relationships so we are able to build capacity for more engagement within our congregation and in the world.

V. Cultivate Development and Succession Plan  (“Build future leaders.”) 

To ensure that more members are encouraged and prepared to lead within our congregational structure, leaders identify growth opportunities for group members, prioritize delegation and collaboration, and develop succession planning. Leaders recognize how assumptions and internal biases based on one’s social status influence how talent is developed and methodically relinquish power associated with their official position.