Chris Krueger presided over the meeting.  Ray Smith led the members in singing "God Bless America" to get the meeting off to a rousing start.  Ron Thompson led the invocation.
 
Volunteers are needed Saturday, September 7 to pack food with Youth Exchange Kids.  Members can see the article below or contact Matt Rotty for more information. 
 
The Fireside Chat scheduled for October 7 will be held at the home of Tim Troy.
 
Those who wish to support Rotary efforts to support needs resulting from Hurricane Harvey should send funds to any of the three districts mentioned in DG Nancy's recent e-mail.  Members with questions can contact Lucinda General.
 
Tim Troy was a double winner.  He won the attendance $5 as well as the raffle draw of $15, but failed to pull the ace of clubs. 
 
Greg Okonowski served as Sgt. at Arms, collecting some nice fines including $5 from Don LaBarge.  Way to go, Don!  Daryl Bethea introduced his son as a potential member.
 
Janie Pierce of Pierce Development presented the program, Habits of Effective Leaders.  She donated two books titled "Coaching to Win."  Her presentation included some great anecdotal applications. 
 
Habits of Effective Leaders
 
A leader’s #1 job is to get results through others.  Adopting the following three habits will unleash your leadership effectiveness and unlock the talent on your team, giving you a differentiated leadership advantage.
 
HABIT #1:  Look for the gold in others and inspire them to reach higher
Each person has a measure of greatness – or ‘gold’ – within.  It’s a leaders job to find it.  Sometimes you have to move a ton of dirt to find it.  But just like a prospector, the reward is not in the dirt.  The reward is in the gold.  Once you find the gold you are looking for, give it back to the rightful owner in the form of feedback, which will raise the owner’s self worth.  When self worth goes up, so does the desire to contribute at even higher levels.  Everybody wins.
 
HABIT #2:  Never forget that what gets pointed out gets repeated
When you see something, whether it’s a behavior you like or one you don’t like, once you call attention to it, there is a higher probability you will see it again.  It’s not a conscious act…it takes place deep within our subconscious.  We’re designed to be visible.  We do things that make us visible.  Make it a habit to call attention to the things that you want to see repeated. 
 
HABIT #3:  Behavior is always aligned with what gets rewarded
When you see a behavior you don’t want to see repeated, always ask yourself – what’s the reward?  Then address the reward.  It’s your job as leader to ensure you are not unintentionally rewarding the wrong behaviors. 
 
Each one of these habits is impactful alone. 
But when you put them together, it’s magical.
 
When you are consistently looking for the gold in others, they begin to reach higher.  When they are trying to reach higher, that’s when they need your leadership the most.  It’s your feedback that guides them along the way, and the rewards keep them on course.  But, consistency is key.  Always remember:
 
Your consistent actions become your habits, 
your habits become your character, and
your character becomes your destiny!