Leadership lessons from Chairman Emmerson

I had the privilege of hearing Chairman Wayne Emmerson speak to our Toastmasters group on Jan 24th about his experience in Politics.  What stuck with me is that he lost the first two times he ran for Mayor, but he persisted.  Also, he spoke genuinely about how public servants have the biggest impact on people's lives every day.

Some other takeaways:
 

·         “The hardest part of the job is getting elected.”

·         Think big picture: “I can lose a battle in council, but I’ve got to win the war.”

·         The biggest (and most challenging) part of the job is keeping Council going in the same direction (think reining in a team of thoroughbred race horses…)

·         Don’t “waffle” – make a decision and stick to it (note: this is backed up by academic research – not making a decision at all is actually worse than making a “bad” decision)

·         State the facts and do not make any promises

·         A healthy work-life balance is important.  His Sundays are for family time.

·         You can answer a question directly and honestly, while also being respectful and professional (the Chairman had a masterful response to a Donald Trump question)

He left us with an acronym which speaks to his positive approach to politics and life:

 

• P – People (enjoy who you work for and with)

• O – Our Community (live, work, and play)

• L – Like (your job/what you do) [“Listen” is a good one too]

• I – Interesting (satisfaction of a job well done; municipal government directly impacts the lives of all residents more so than any other level of government)

• T – Trust (earn trust)

• I – No “I” in “team” (don’t promise what you can’t deliver)

• C – Communication (communicate often)

• S – Sunday (family and friends are important – family 1st; the Chairman dedicates every Sunday to his family)