Followers Must Be Willing and Able
I once volunteered for a local parachurch organization. They addressed an unmet need in our area, and I relished the chance to give back to my community.
It wasn’t long before the executive director asked me to join the board of directors. I jumped at the opportunity, but what I experienced at my first meeting shocked me.
Though the board members were willing, they lacked the ability to do what they were supposed to do. I earlier said that a leader must have followers. Let me amend that to say a leader must have able followers.
No one on the board understood what their role was or even knew what they were supposed to do. This included the board president, who struggled to run the meeting.
For the better part of an hour, they discussed an ongoing fundraising effort that in good months brought in $25. Then they segued into a seasonal fundraising effort that produced even less.
That was the extent of the meeting. What have I gotten myself into?
At my second meeting, they appointed me to fill the open vice president position. I agreed, seeing it as an opportunity to bring needed structure to a dysfunctional board.
Before the next meeting occurred, the board president resigned. The remaining board appointed me president at my third meeting.
Though everyone on the board was passionate about the group’s mission, they all functioned better at the grassroots level and not at the board level.
Working with what I had, I set about reforming our meetings by introducing structure.
Some board members welcomed my efforts and eagerly supported me. Other board members resisted my changes to the status quo and eventually resigned. Even so, some dissenters remained.
I worked at bringing higher-functioning volunteers onto the board. This raised the level of our discussions and improved our decision-making process, albeit not as much as I would have liked had I been able to find experienced board members.
One new board member, however, stood out. He was a businessman. We shared common ideals for how the organization should function and how to run meetings.
At my suggestion, the board appointed him as vice president, and I groomed him to take over when my term ended.
Though the organization didn’t yet have the board it deserved, I did turn the ship around. I got it moving in the right direction and at a decent speed.
I set my vice president up for success when he would take over the reins at the end of my term.
Leadership and Management Success Tip Merely having followers is not always enough. Sometimes they require training to turn their willingness into ability.
Read more in Peter Lyle DeHaan’s book Sticky Leadership and Management, featuring his compelling story-driven insights and tips.
Peter Lyle DeHaan is an entrepreneur and businessman who has managed, owned, and started multiple businesses over his career. Common themes at every turn have included customer service, sales and marketing, and leadership and management.
Peter shares his lifetime of business experience and personal insights through his books to encourage, inspire, and occasionally entertain.