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LEADERSHIP
Nathan D. Eppink, Director Medina County Park District
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01 WHAT
MAKES A GREAT
LEADER?
The Office
“Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be
afraid of how much they love me.”- Michael Scott
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01 HAVE YOU WORKED FOR
A GREAT LEADER?What traits did s/he exhibit?
What did that experience teach you?
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01 HAVE YOU WORKED FOR
A NOT-SO-GREATLEADER?
What traits did s/he exhibit?
What did that experience teach you?
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LEADERSHIP STYLES
Parks & Recreation
“Honor: If you need it defined, you don’t have it.”
- Ron Swanson
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"My way or the highway."
• One-way communication
• Input is limited
• Unskilled jobs
• Seasonal, temporary staff
• Can be a stressful environment
• Could lead to turnover
The Dictator
BUREAUCRATBy the book
• Rules; SOPs
• Inflexibility
• Jobs that need to ensure quality
• Law enforcement; engineers
• Can slow things down
• Old-school
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Die Hard
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COACHIt’s all about the team.
• Identifies strengths and nurtures
individual team members
• Focuses on growth and success
• Employees are often specialized
• A great coach can encourage
internal communication and the
learning of new skills.
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Hoosiers
DIPLOMATMeetings about meetings
• Team members often participate
in the decision-making process
• Leader appreciates feedback
before making final decisions
• Staff can feel ownership; they play
a role in outcomes
• Lots of meetings; it takes time to
involve the group.LE
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Parks & Recreation
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SERVANTWe’re in this together.
• Selfless; not competitive
• Respects and values others;
considers their needs and may put
them first
• Sees people as colleagues or co-
workers
• Could lead to “compassion fatigue”
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Superman
WHAT’S YOURLEADERSHIP STYLE?
Ask yourself:
• What type of environment do you prefer?
• In which kind are you successful?
• What do you value?
• What are your strengths? Weaknesses?
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Office Space
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FACING CHALLENGES
Seinfeld
“When you look annoyed all of the time, people
think you’re busy.”- George Costanza
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CHALLENGE #1
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CHALLENGE #2
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CHALLENGE #3
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01 WORKPLACE
CULTURE
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MY 3 Cs
• Communication
• Collaboration
• Consistency
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The mission of Medina County Park District is to enhancethe quality of all life through education, conservation,
and the protection of natural resources.
PRESERVED!The new Granger Wetlands Wildlife Sanctuary:
163.76 acres in Granger Township
Bea
chle
rR
oad
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MY 3 Cs
• Communication
• Collaboration
• Consistency
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MY 3 Cs
• Communication
• Collaboration
• Consistency
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01 Mission
to enhance the quality of all life through education, conservation, and the protection of natural resources
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• Posted at HQ
• Each department manager given a framed copy to hang in an obvious location
• Placed in employee handbooks
• Will be incorporated into staff evaluations starting this year
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01 I wanted to take a moment to properly thank you, as well as the leadership
team, for solidifying the park district's core values.
Having been around the office for 22 years now (wow), I have seen these
values exemplified by most of the park staff. For me, the park district is more
than just a job, a paycheck, or a means of obtaining healthcare. Yes, those
things are true. However, if any one person misses or does not personally own
and believe in the park district's mission, the team as a whole suffers.
MCPD has been and continues to be a place where I am honored to use my
talents in a rich and fulfilling way – to help conserve and preserve our
environment and to individually connect with others on our team who feel the
same dedication and drive.
Maintaining these five core values provides the park district with a firm
foundation on which we can continue to build a relevant, safe, and honest
team-oriented organization in which the residents we serve in Medina County
can trust.
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01 GROUND RULES
Leadership Team Meetings
1) I expect candid conversations and no egos behind these doors. If you think an idea sucks, tell me it sucks. Let's be honest with each other. We're a team.
2) These meetings are a chance to beat up ideas. You can bring things to the group for the sake of playing devil's advocate. This is your chance for feedback, too.
3) I'm not solely responsible for agenda items. There are a lot of topics I'll bring forward for discussion, but I expect others to do so.
4) I'm not afraid to fail, and you shouldn't be either. We can try new things in an attempt to make improvements. There's no other way to evolve and grow.
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01 LUNCH & LEARN
Offered several times/year during non-mowing months
• Land management agreements (7)
• Butterflies / volunteer surveys (12)
• Birding in the parks (18)
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01 “Enlightened Hospitality”
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Saturday Night Live
Be Yourself.
No. In the beginning, repeat it.
Email. Sarcasm and jokes. Public records. Personal time.
If you permit it, you promote it.
Admit you don’t know everything. That’s why you have staff.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Let others shine. You like to get credit, right?
Admit to mistakes. You’re human.
Your decisions: Do they pass the red-face test?
It’s not about you. Since 1965 …
Say thank you. No one hears it enough.
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Saturday Night Live
RECOMMENDATIONS
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Linkedin.com/in/nateeppink
@NateEppink
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