Emerging Sage Leader: Interview of Richard Baker

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

5. What do you consider to be the major strengths and capabilities that have made you an effective civic community leader? Are they rooted in action, in your personal style, in your organizational, political, and personal relationships, or in something else?

I am not very political. I am focused on creating good relationships and working with people with similar concerns. I am a very good listener and a creative thinker. I am into results and working hard, and I am a pretty good communicator. I am fair, accept other people’s ideas, am consistent and trustworthy, and am not ego engaged when making a decision.

6. There are five key roles that civic leaders often play in their community:

• Mentor: teaching and engaging others
• Mediator: helping to resolve conflict
• Monitor: serving as a community watchdog
• Mobilizer: working to bring about change
• Motivator: urging people toward public good and away from self-interest

As you think about your own civic involvement in our community, which of these roles have you played and which do you consider to be your strongest?

My strongest roles are mobilizer and motivator. I am usually the youngest person in groups that I belong to and do not see myself in the mentor role, except for my family. I can be a  mediator but don’t seek this role, and I do not see myself as a monitor. I tend to be very positive when working as a mobilizer with a group. Being a motivator while working for the natural history cruise ship meant being a role model as a hard worker.

7. This project has to do with the involvement of sage leaders like yourself in civic organizations that seek to improve the quality of life and well-being of Grass Valley and Nevada City. This includes nine types of civic organizations:

•  Fraternal and service clubs
•  Social services organizations
•  Educational organizations
•  Governmental and political organizations
•  Arts organizations
•  Media organizations
•  Faith-based organizations
•  Environmental organizations
•  Other nonprofit organizations

In which of the nine types of civic organizations on the list are you currently involved? Overall, how many total hours a month do you give to these organizations?