Editor's message

Our world needs leaders: You

For the past 90 years Kiwanis has been building adult and youth leaders who serve the communities in which they live. Kiwanis-trained leaders are serving in education, government, nonprofit organizations, small and large businesses, arts and sciences, in the media, in churches, and just about every sector of society. Kiwanis leaders are woven into the fabric of a community, and in many cases they are the common thread that binds people together in service to children. Because of this desire to serve others, many Kiwanis members do not wear the title of leader comfortably, and in fact, most would say they are much more of a “servant” than a “leader.” It is this humble approach to leadership that makes Kiwanis so magnetic and attractive to people who what to make a difference. 

As Kiwanis accelerates toward its goal of 1 million members by our 100th birthday in 2015, we know we will need to build and empower many more leaders to serve both Kiwanis and their local communities. Over the coming months, you will begin to see a much stronger emphasis in this magazine and in our other communications, on the need to build leaders at all levels of Kiwanis. You will hear about our commitment to help restore trust and belief in our leaders by calling them to a new level of character and integrity. You will hear about the need for each of us to increase our own personal leadership skills and knowledge, and you will hear that you are never too old or too young to lead. Our world needs leaders who are committed to serving others, and we believe Kiwanis is uniquely positioned to help meet this critical need. 

Though this issue of the Kiwanis magazine is full of great examples of Kiwanis leaders serving their communities, don’t miss the article written by leadership speaker and author Margaret Wheatley on page 12. As author of Leadership and the New Science, Wheatley is credited with establishing a fundamentally new approach to how we think about organizations. She defines a leader as “anyone willing to help.” That’s each and every Kiwanian, right? Please join us on this journey to discover our own personal strengths and then put them to work to serve the children of the world.