Mariah Burton Nelson: Leadership Lessons for Nonprofits and Associations: It's All Educational

Having served on several nonprofit boards of directors, I've come up with a way to frame my leadership role in a way that keeps me engaged and entertained. Though that may sound self-serving, ultimately it's not. If, as a leader, I'm enjoying the process, that positive spirit will undoubtedly affect and even infect my colleagues, so they benefit from the process as well.

Here's what I do: I think of everything as a Leadership Lesson.

So the program committee chair bails out just before the big event? Well, okay, now what? How can I rise to the occasion? How can I persuade others to help me? How can I treat the deserter professionally and respectfully, despite personal feelings of resentment or anxiety?

Same goes for the treasurer whose reports are chronically late. What should I say? Who else should get involved in this decision-making process? How would my most admired leaders handle it?

Regardless of the circumstances, I return to these questions: "What can I learn from this about leadership?" "What can I learn about myself and others?"

Collectively, I call these experiences Leadership Lessons. They're not limited to disappointments or defeats. They're available during victories and celebrations too. How best to honor and acknowledge volunteers? What should we do with surplus funds? How can board meetings be fun?

All of these questions, when asked in the context of Leadership Lessons, direct me toward insight and even wisdom - which I find so interesting, and so helpful, that all the hours of volunteer service become meaningful and "worth it."

Sure, there are other aspects of volunteer service that make the experience "worth it" as well: knowing you're contributing to a good cause, getting to meet interesting people, developing new skills, feeling valued and valuable. All of that feeds my soul.

But I find myself often focusing on Leadership Lessons because they interest me greatly. And it's a successful strategy. When you focus on Leadership Lessons, everything becomes educational - which greatly lessens resentment and frustration when things "go wrong."

If you pay attention (and you probably already are!), you'll acquire your own Leadership Lessons. Of course, we can learn from each other. Here are my top ten Leadership Lessons, mostly based on a presidential year at the National Speakers Association/Washington, D.C. Area (NSA-DC.) Perhaps some will be useful for you as well:

1) Prepare to be President: If you've never been president of anything before (or not since high school,) you may have a lot of questions about how to delegate (especially with volunteers,) how to develop a team, how to choose priorities, how to develop and maintain a budget, etc. Interview past presidents of your organization, if you can, and ask them for lessons learned. Choose one or two of these people and ask if they'd willing to be informal advisors or mentors throughout your term. For the most part, they'll be flattered that you asked. Read leadership books. There are certainly plenty to choose from!

2) Build relationships: Before I began my presidential year at NSA-DC, I took each board member out to dinner. I got this idea from a colleague (Jim Thompson) who teaches leadership at Stanford's Business School and also coaches girls' high school basketball. He takes his captains out to dinner before a new season begins, and recommended it. It's amazing what a simple meal can do. By reaching out to people individually, you indicate personal interest, learn something about who they are and how they operate in the world, and begin to establish a friendship and loyalty that will serve you well throughout the year.

3) Use crisis to build community: My NSA-DC presidential term happened to include 9/11/2001. As I was calling and emailing board members, committee chairs, and members to check on them and their loved ones on 9/11 and 9/12, I remembered something previous NSA-DC president Rick Ott had told me before I took on this job: Each president will face one crisis. (His had been finding a new hotel.) As I realized that a national emergency was not exactly what Rick meant, I laughed for the first time after the attacks. Our executive director, Sheila Summers, and I had both faith that the crisis would boost attendance; that people would feel a need to see each other and to work on their businesses in this time of economic uncertainty. For whatever reasons, attendance was indeed up, and camaraderie was superb. We did ask our October speaker (Leslie Charles) to change her topic to "How 9/11 might affect our programs, our audiences, and our businesses," and we did deal with increased security concerns at our hotel. But overall, we felt a renewed sense of community and commitment as a result of the crisis - which is a good thing to know, and to note. We received a show of support from other chapters - even the New York chapter -- and thus our renewed sense of community spread nationwide.

4) Establish ground rules: I believe in establishing ground rules: How board members and other members expect to communicate with each other. I believe in involving all interested parties in this process - then reviewing the ground rules periodically. On my boards, ground rules usually include such guidelines as, "Do what you say you'll do." One practical ground rule I find extremely helpful is, "No emotional conversations via email. Pick up the phone instead." A few colleagues have told me that they had had productive phone conversations rather than tense email arguments because I've emphasized this early on.

5) Get the right people in the right seats: Jim Collins says in Good to Great that a leader's vision (where a leader decides to "drive the bus") isn't as important as "getting the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats." I learned this the hard way a few years ago, by naming a new enthusiastic member as the Membership Chair. He soon quit -- the association as well as the position. Based on this experience, and other similar ones, I recommend: No matter how talented and enthusiastic someone may seem, don't grant them a significant leadership position until they have been around a while - even if you're short on volunteers. Give the most important jobs to the people who have demonstrated their commitment, and fill those positions first.

6) Respect presidential power: When I showed up, along with the NSA-DC president-elect and vice-president, at a new-member orientation, the new members told us repeatedly how impressed they were that all three of us had participated. Even though I had, in the past, given the words and actions of previous NSA-DC presidents a lot of weight, I was surprised by the reactions of those new members. It was a reminder of how carefully the president (and other board officers) are observed, and how much their actions matter to the members. The way I think of this now: Always be the kind of leader who's worth looking up to, just in case anyone's looking.

7) Keep perspective: One thing I learn from taking on volunteer work is how to manage my time. I learn to prioritize, to delegate, and to work quickly and efficiently. I also learn to let go of perfection -- that cruel paddle so many of us beat ourselves with. Leaders are people who simply do the best they can do. They can't do it all, and they will definitely make mistakes. C'est la vie - and that "vie" is full of plenty more Leadership Lessons,

8) Support the President: At NSA-DC, members, Leadership Council chairs, and board members spontaneously gave me support -- verbally and in writing. This was unexpected and gratifying. I mention it here to remind people that leaders, too, need and appreciate support. So when you see a leader doing something well - let them know.

9) Plan for the future: I've seen organizations suffer from lack of succession planning - as you probably have too. It's up to the current leaders to actively groom future leaders. You can tell who has leadership potential by the way they show up, participate, volunteer, follow through, and even carry themselves. Who is responsible? Who might be a good leader for the organization in the future, if only you would take some time to show them the ropes now? Future leaders need leadership opportunities now - to help them develop their skills and get comfortable. So step aside and let others make announcements, give reports, lead committees. When you care enough to commit to an organization, you care about its future, too, and by grooming future leaders (and putting good systems in place,) you'll give the organization a gift that keeps on giving.

10) Share Leadership Lessons: Throughout my terms of board service, I share my Leadership Lessons with other people - including but not limited to other board officers. Often I end up discussing and dissecting my mistakes. These conversations serve two purposes: 1) Others benefit from what I'm learning about organizations, leadership, and myself; and 2) my openness creates a climate in which we are all free to take risks and make mistakes. I have come to think of this as a "culture of compassion," and highly recommend it.

Mariah Burton Nelson helps organizations clarify and communicate their core messages in compelling and effective ways. She has served on four association boards, one as president, and has a vast body of experience in written and oral communications, sports, and leadership at the national level.