Connecting Willing Volunteers with Fulfilling Opportunities

Comerica Bank hosted an event today, featuring a stellar panel of community leaders, who shared their reasons for volunteer engagement and practical ways to maximize impact.   My aha moment occurred when one of the panelists I'd invited, shared that his community engagement prior to 9/11 had been two-fold: supporting his wife's volunteer leadership and writing checks/attending nonprofit events.  I've only become friends with this successful lawyer and incredible community leader since his immersion into board service.

My assumption, prior to today, was that successful folks included board service or other significant volunteer commitments in their way of being/doing/operating.  My aha discovery was that the "engagement gene" may well evolve as an individual has more control over her/his schedule.  Sometimes it is inherited - and sometimes it evolves.  

Regardless of how an individual invests time, talent and/or treasure, passion is the key.  Excitement about the organization's mission will ideally inspire engagement and commitment.

Hopeful Anticipation

We are in the midst of an executive search for a non-profit leader.  The current CEO is terrific, but has chosen to retire.  We've carefully crafted a success profile for the search firm to identify necessary skills, abilities and experiences in a qualified leader.  Now we are in hopeful anticipation of a rich pool of superb candidates. 

When we have carefully prepared for an important task such as this, hopeful anticipation is a realistic and energizing force for the team responsible for taking the next steps.

Multipliers by Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeown

The authors clearly contrast effective leaders, Multipliers, with ineffective leaders, Diminishers.  On average, Multipliers get twice the capability from those they lead.  The five practices that distinguish Multipliers are:

• Attract and optimize talent throughout the organization.
• Remove fear and require best thinking.
• Extend challenges and create the belief that success will result.
• Arrive at sound decisions through rigorous debate.
• Provide resources and expect ownership and accountability.

Brad McCoy's Leadership Lessons

Brad McCoy was the featured speaker at the recent Touchdown Club Sterling Bank Sportsmanship luncheon.  Three key points he made are:

• Prepare the child for the path, not the path for the child
• Coaches (and other leaders) don't have the luxury of bad days
• No organization can rise higher than the constraints imposed by its leadership

Lead Like Dr. Seuss

I've always loved Dr. Seuss books.  So I thought about leadership in his rhyming fashion.

So You Want to Lead?
Work as Agreed
Assess Need
Plant the Seed
Follow a Creed
Acknowledge a Good Deed
Read, Read, Read
Be an Info Feed
Listen and Heed
Learn to Plead
Know When to Cede
Control Greed
Bite Tongue When Teed
Daily Lead

Santa Claus Leadership

Recently I was moderating a Sterling Bank Women's Business Initiative panel and it occurred to me that great leaders are a lot like Santa Claus:

• belief
• positive attitude
• service orientation
• passion
• vision
• stellar reputation
• committed
• servant leader
• appropriately attired
• always planning, preparing or executing

What Leaders Do

A leader listens, learns, lights the path, lessens obstacles and leverages resources.