The role of being an AmSpirit Business Connections Chapter President involves a lot more than meets the eye. If the chapter President slips in any areas of being an effective leader, it easily can erode an entire chapter culture and have a 'ripple effect'.
While not everyone would agree with me 100%, here is my list for the attributes of an effective chapter President:
1) Overall, the Chapter President must lead by example. How can the leader of the chapter ask others to carry out tasks or exemplify certain behaviors if they do not hold themselves to a higher standard?
2) Attend nearly every chapter meeting throughout the year. The President runs the meeting. If they're absent, the responsibility falls onto the Vice President. If the VP runs more than 1/3 of the meetings, it's a problem. It also sends a message to the membership as a whole that attendance is not a priority.
3) Oversee Effective Board Meetings. Have specific agendas every month for board meetings. Hold all board members accountable for their roles and ongoing tasks. Devoting one hour per month is sufficient to discuss any chapter business and putting plans in place for continual chapter improvement. Take corrective action as needed throughout the year, do not let problems linger to become larger issues later.
4) Attend as many outside functions as time allows, AmSpirit or otherwise. Again, it goes back to 'leading by example'. If others see your effort, they will follow your lead. Even if they don't, you will benefit by expanding your own network.
5) Be punctual with meetings. Everyone is on a schedule, so be sure to be respectful of others' time commitments.
6) Inspire others to achieve. I've witnessed Presidents who lack so much energy and enthusiasm that no one is particularly interested in even being in the meeting. Show energy and always maintain a positive attitude. Your demeanor is picked up on by others in the meeting.
7) When other board members let you down, go back to them and reset the expectations. Not necessarily negative, but reinforce what you need from each person until they're proven to be able to carry out duties responsibly.
8) Let others know when they're doing a great job. Too often, Presidents can seem like they only point out others' shortcomings, but should praise good networking behavior at every opportunity.
9) Rely on your Area Director for advice and guidance. They've seen so many situations over time that they can be an asset to problem resolution. They can help you avoid pitfalls that others haven't been able to avoid in the past.
10) Build leaders in your chapter board. Once you've been able to accomplish that, the role of President gets much easier. Everyone is accountable to each other when leaders emerge in the group.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
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