[nfbwatlk] Thoughts on Leadership

[kris Lawrence]

Well put and thank you for sharing. There is alot of truth in what you say.

Kris

Rebekah Jakeman wrote:
> I'm in a reflective mood, so bear with me here--but this does have to do with blindness.  I'm just throwing these thoughts out.  As you may have guessed with my family just moving here from BYU, I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints.  It's more commonly known as LDS or Mormon.  Anyway this past weekend the Church held funeral services for the 15th President, Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley.  I've met him personally once at a Church meeting in Salt Lake City.  And even though our Church has 13 million members world wide, Gordon B. Hinckley has had a profound influence on my personal life.  I have changed the way I think and feel about life because of what he has said and done.
>  
> Now that all being said--what does this have to do with blindness?  Well, as I was thinking of President Hinckley's leadership, my thoughts couldn't help but think of the leadership in the NFB.  The organization has 50,000 members, but my experience has been similar to those with Church.  I have never felt the leadership too stuck on themselves to extend a hand of friendship or to help me out.  Although I am relatively new to the organization, I have met Dr. maurer on several occasions.  One opportunity was at a seminar back in Baltimore.  It amazed me that he was so personal--I have found that to be true from the top of the NFB all the way to the bottom--all of us normal, everyday members.  Things Dr. Maurer has said and done have also profoundly affected my personal life.
>  
> Anyway this may be obvious to all of you, but it strikes me that this is what makes us effective as an organization.  It is really hard to follow leaders you don't know or really trust.  Honestly that is why I so often find politics confusing because we are entrusting our futures in the hands of people we only know through news reports.  But in the NFB, I don't have to blindly trust my future with anyone.  I known Dr. Maurer, and know that he is not self-serving or stuck on himself, but rather out there to do some good in the world.  With these thoughts, I'm realizing it doesn't do a whole lot of good to state our name and ramble on about our philosophy.  What other blind folks need to know is us.  They need to know we're human and that we have their best interest at heart.  It is easy to lead then, and in turn much easier to follow.  In our Church we make a great point of gaining personal trust for the Church leadership from the headquarters all the way to local leaders.  I'm assuming it is probably the same for you no matter what faith you claim.  I think the same is true in the NFB.  I've found that in the NFB when I share my thoughts with newly blind people, they at first think--oh, that is nice.  It's not until they start to know me and how the NFB works in mine and others' lives that it starts to click.  That is why convention is so powerful--people see the NFB's philosophy working in not just one or two, but thousands of lives.  Then these new people are more willing to follow those NFB members who are leading them to more productive and independent lives.
>  
> Anyway those are my thoughts, for what they are worth--thanks for bearing with my ramblings.
>  
> Respectfully,
> Rebekah Jakeman
>
>   
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