Doing The Right Things

E. Arthur Haglund, 33°
5433 Quail Ridge Circle
Spokane, Washington 99223

To succeed, Masonry needs true leaders, not just able administrators.

"Unless you change direction, you are likely to arrive at where you are headed." All of Freemasonry must heed this old Chinese proverb. We need skilled and committed leaders at all levels who will help other Masons be "capable of joint performance through common goals, common values, the right structure, along with the training and development they need to respond to change and to perform."

That is the fundamental leadership task according to Peter Drucker, the founding father of the science of management. In his book The New Realities, Drucker also identified the most critical problems facing leaders of non-profit organizations like Freemasonry:

• developing rewards, recognition, and opportunities;
• creating a unified vision in the organization;
• devising a management structure for an organization of task forces;
• ensuring the supply, preparation, and testing of top people.

Leadership is the key for Masonry to once again become a preeminent, viable, and growing fraternity. We need leaders who innovate, focus on people, inspire trust, and have their eye on the future. Only such leaders will assure Freemasonry and Freemasons make a difference in the world. These leaders must work cooperatively for the common good of the Masonic Fraternity, regardless of the organization they may currently represent. After all, aren't we all Masons? Didn't each of us take the same obligations?

Warren Bennis, in his book On Becoming a Leader, identified personal and organizational characteristics for coping with change and forging a new future for what he calls "learning organizations," such as Masonry. He wrote: "Leaders manage the dream, communicate the vision, recruit meticulously, reward, retrain, and reorganize."

Great leaders set out their vision and get others involved to follow on their own. Bennis differentiated leadership from management (administration is the often-used term in Masonic organizations). "Managers administer, focus on systems and structure, rely on control, and keep their eye on the budget. Leaders are interested in direction, vision, goals, objectives, effectiveness and purpose. Leaders innovate, focus on people, inspire trust, and have their eye on the future."

Leadership fundamentals are similar for non-profit and for-profit organizations. Now, most organizations recognize leaders based on their ability to perform and provide effective leadership. They are not entitled to leadership positions because of progression, birthright or arbitrary promotion, as often was the case in the past. Successful leaders know where they are going and are agents of change by inspiring others to share their vision.

Planning is a behavior found in the best-run corporations and in preeminent volunteer organizations. Planning for the future is a subject included in the preface and first section of the Membership Development Manual, published by the Imperial Council of the Shrine, a book recommended for use by all Shrine Temples. Planning is choosing a course of action; making decisions to do things in an orderly fashion; and providing for things to happen that would otherwise not happen. Perhaps Past Grand Master Ben Franklin said it best: "Failing to plan is planning to fail."

Planning first requires a vision. Walt Disney said it simply: "If you can dream it, you can do it." Similarly, Burt Nanus, in his book Visionary Leadership, demonstrates that "human behavior in organizations is very much shaped by a shared vision of a better tomorrow; developing and promulgating such a vision is the highest calling and truest purpose of leadership."

Most of those reading this article are members of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, USA. But there are also 61 independent Grand Jurisdictions in North America representing each state and province of Canada, the Northern Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite, and its equivalent in Canada as well as the York Rite, Shrine, and many other Masonic groups. All such organizations are concordant or appendant to the several Grand Lodges. A few have stated their organization's vision. Some have a strategic plan, as does the Scottish Rite (see "1997 Biennial Session Report of the Subcommittee on Strategic Planning," Scottish Rite Journal, July 1997).

But what about Freemasonry in total? Are we doing things right? More to the point, are we doing the right things?

Bennis points out that when you think about doing things right, you think about control mechanisms and the how-to of accomplishing things, the process of management (or administration). "But when you think about doing the right things, your mind immediately goes toward thinking about the future, thinking about dreams, missions, strategic intent, and purpose." Bennis says, "That is the essence of leadership."

The 1994 report of the Imperial Shrine Membership Task Force included one section on leadership: "It seems self-evident to us that leadership in the Shrine and, indeed, throughout our Masonic-related organizations is one of our most pressing needs." The report did not address the concerns of continuity nor training, but it did include selection and tenure: "Those with leadership talent and skills developed elsewhere should be identified and called for service through a well-qualified nominating committee." And "progressive lines may be too long for today's leaders."

Nanus believes there are many with leadership skills but that leadership is much more difficult than it once was. He writes that not only corporate and government but also "cities, churches, schools, courts, hospitals, museums and other institutions [such as Masonry] all seem to be sorely in need of the kind of visionary leaders that built them in the first place—leaders who were determined and confident in their sense of direction, unafraid to take risks, bold and courageous, inspiring, and uplifting."

He concludes: "It may not be an easy process, and it is not likely itself to turn around a hopeless situation, but if there is one thing that can profoundly increase a leader's chance of success, it is developing and sustaining a compelling organizational vision."

The fundamental beliefs of dignity of manhood, strength of brotherhood, and the virtue of truth must be the basic principles for a vision for our Fraternity. Here is one vision: Freemasonry will be a relevant, preeminent fraternity, committed to attracting, developing, and retaining men of high quality who strive for self-improvement and the opportunity to make a difference.

With such a vision, Freemasons can view the future as worth achieving as each Mason encourages and promotes Masonry. As a result of a compelling vision achieved, a man who is or becomes a Mason should expect to find in his Fraternity:

• A non-discriminatory Brotherhood of men who believe in a Supreme Being.
• An organization well led with the opportunity to learn and to lead.
• Outstanding fellowship, enjoyment, dignity, pride, and personal connections.
• A role with his family and in his community.
• Participation as a Brother with his friends, neighbors, sons, supervisors, and peers.

Masons must convince men and their families that to be a Freemason is worth their time and effort. Friendships and self-improvement, including leadership development and networking, must be among the benefits we offer any man who asks for a petition. Freemasonry, our Lodges, Valleys, Temples, clubs—all must truly provide these benefits.

Freemasonry must be ready for this man through improved methods of teaching, responsive leadership, and by the examples he sees when he joins. Masons must help him recognize that all of Masonry, including the Concordant and Appendant Bodies, are relevant parts of the new century and worthy of his time, his attention, his participation, and his support.

In his book and video Who Moved My Cheese?, Doctor Spencer Johnson offers insight for each of us to discover how to deal with change (see Scottish Rite Journal, May 1999). Similarly, excellent resources are available from the National Masonic Renewal Committee of North America and The Center for Leadership Excellence.*

The many lessons learned from these authors and others can provide Masonic officers the opportunity to become Masonic leaders who assure that Freemasonry provides quality in everything it does; leaders who optimistically commit to achieve excellence and long-term success as they share a plan to reach a vision of the preferred future; leaders who inspire Freemasons to achieve joint performance as each responds to change and performs; leaders who not only do things right but do the right things; leaders throughout the Masonic Fraternity who change direction before we arrive at where we are now headed.

The 21st century is the right time to be a Mason. It is time to do things right as we do the right things so we once again become the preferred choice of men in our communities, attracting and retaining more youthful, community-active men as we rekindle the interest and activity of our existing members!

*For these materials, please contact the National Masonic Renewal Committee of North America, Inc., 10200 N. Executive Hills Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64153 Phone 888–891–8235; Fax 816–891–9062; e-mail masonicrenewal@hotmail.com. Or visit the Renewal Committee's website at www.masonic-renewal.org. Or contact the Center for Leadership Excellence, 1400 Highview Drive, Lutherville, MD 21093 or call 410–296–9185, or e-mail dcginc@erols.com.