Answering the Call of Leadership

by Cindy Jarboe ’77, Former President, W&M Alumni Association

You developed technical skills at William & Mary, on the job and through organized training. However, leading your organization takes more than technical knowledge. It takes true leadership skills that are learned over time in leadership roles. Most are no different whether you are leading a corporation, a country or a non-profit. These thoughts have been accumulated from various leadership books and from discussions with well respected leaders.

Take Care of Yourself

A leader needs to be able to handle stress and focus on leading the organization without other distractions. The first step is to focus on self-care. Think about what helps you to feel good. This includes eating properly, staying hydrated, getting sufficient sleep, exercising regularly, meeting your spiritual needs and sometimes taking a break to do whatever you enjoy. Everyone hears about work/family balance but in reality, it is better to think about four areas that are not “balanced” as in 25% of your time gets devoted to each but are integrated into each other with priorities and focus changing each day. 

By not putting pressure on yourself to balance all the circles, you can decide what your priorities are for that day and not feel guilty if that family circle shrinks. The concept of balance leads to self-criticism and trying to do everything equally well. It is just not possible every day.

Accept that the brain processes change as stress. Develop effective coping skills when you can’t control every outcome and reaction. Losing control leads to a feeling of vulnerability and fear. However, trust overrides fear. Honoring the reaction, you feel allows you to focus on challenging the conclusions and ask yourself what else might be true.

Self-care also means enjoying the present and celebrating small personal successes. The leader not only has to look calm but actually be calm for their team and organization.

Leaders are Role Models

Think about the leaders you have admired and learned from. Are there specific characteristics that contributed to their success and resulted in you wanting to follow their example? Leaders must model the way. Leaders need to be the first to contribute their time talent and treasure to the organization. That is modeling behavior. Never ask any volunteer to do something that you would not be willing to do. It sends a message when a leader is willing to take out the trash or serve meals. Working side by side with all levels of stakeholders also gives the leader the opportunity to listen and observe what is going on. Some call this management by walking around.

Being in regular contact with the stakeholders is a two way street. Not only does the leader get to listen directly and not hear things third hand, it provides opportunity for teaching moments and for sharing the vision, mission and values of the organization.

Integrity

A quote from a nominator of an individual for Outstanding Chief Executive in the Credit Union Management magazine, November 2018, stated “Joe naturally possesses the qualities required of great leaders: integrity, trust, passion, commitment, humility and empathy.” The foundation of each of these qualities is integrity. Without integrity everything else collapses. It is what holds the organization together. A person with integrity is honest, upright, ethical, and moral. They have a high standard for always doing what is right, even when it may not be in line with the majority or popular. Remember how we remember Abraham Lincoln as “Honest Abe”. He exemplified integrity and honesty.

A leader with integrity takes fiduciary responsibility seriously, always putting the interests of the organization ahead of personal interests. A leader with integrity understands the policies, regulations, laws and organizational documents and ensures compliance with them. A leader with integrity is fair to everyone and does not show bias.

Passion and Commitment

There are leaders who are just filling a seat, maybe show up half the time, and give a minimal donation, lack passion and commitment. They will not inspire volunteers and will drag down the organization. One cannot be a cheerleader for the organization if one is not passionate about the organization. Passion is contagious. Hearing leaders speak passionately and emotionally about the impact the organization has builds passion and commitment. The leaders of the organization need to be able to articulate and demonstrate their passion. In difficult times, it is passion and commitment that carries a leader through. The leader must be passionate about the mission of the organization or find another organization to serve.

Here is where the personality and presentation skills of a leader come into play. A leader may devote extensive time and effort to the organization and be very passionate about the cause. However, if they cannot share that passion and exhibit that enthusiasm they are not as strong a leader as your organization needs to inspire volunteers and donors.

Humility and Empathy

A great leader needs to relate well to the organization’s volunteers, donors, staff and beneficiaries. There is no room for a big ego. Being modest and humble helps a leader empathize with their constituency. A humble leader understands they are serving others vs others serving them. Understanding both your weaknesses and strengths forces the leader to be humble.

If you are humble it is easier to understand the feelings of others and therefore empathize with them. Leaders who puts themselves in the shoes of another, whether it is another board member or someone receiving services from the organization, significantly increases the understanding of other person’s priorities, thought processes and needs. The best negotiators are those who can empathize with the person they are negotiating with. And leaders often find themselves negotiating.

Listen Listen and Listen

Have you noticed that the less you talk and more you listen the more information you gather? Poor leaders can develop egos and think they know all there is to know. They may try to force the group into making a decision they are not ready to make or only allow their opinion to count. Ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to be heard results in more buy-in as the participants feel an integral part of the decision-making process. Those who listen attentively are perceived as better and smarter leaders. Show that you are listening by summarizing what you heard and asking questions to confirm your understanding.

Persuade, Direct and Motivate

As Lincoln stated in remarks in the first Lincoln-Douglas debate in 1858, “he who molds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes or pronounces decisions.” Lincoln’s oratorial skills were well known as a motivational factor in directing the military troops and building support among all his constituencies. With confidence and poise, present your decision or point of view supported by facts. Present them in a friendly manner, interjecting humor or entertaining stories if relevant.

Sharing the vision and how the path to achieving that vision requires the decision or action also will motivate and persuade. Building passion around the vision and sharing confidence that the vision can be achieved is also important. Guiding your team to think big, while sharing how those big goals are achievable, one task at a time will help move everyone in the same direction.

Another key characteristic that builds support is consistency. A leader can not be constantly wavering or changing direction based on who was in front of them last. Sticking to the plan consistent with the vision is important. That does not mean that a leader should be inflexible. A leader needs to correct errors or change course as better information dictates. Again, communicating why a change was required is necessary. In a recent speaking engagement, Alison Levine, the team captain of the first American Women’s Everest Expedition, pointed out that sometimes you have to backup, regroup and gather strength. “That is not the same as backing down.” She related it to how her expedition of women was only 300 feet from the summit of Mt. Everest when a storm came up. As captain she had to make the tough decision to end the climb and head back down for the safety of everyone. That was not the plan but the situation changed so the plan had to change.

Respect and Recognition

The personal contact with stakeholders helps the leader show appreciation for their efforts. Let them know the importance of their efforts in achieving the goals of the organization at every opportunity. A leader should empower their staff and volunteers and provide them with respect as well as opportunities for advancement. If they see their leader as their mentor who has confidence in them and shows they care for them, they will be more supportive.

A key to being a strong leader is to win the respect of those lowest in the organization. A leader needs to convince everyone they take their interests seriously. As Bob Gates stated in A Passion for Leadership, “Most new bosses – both in business and in the public sector-who want to change things don’t make much of an effort to reach out to these folks.” He went on to say, “The only way for a leader to persuade them he has their interests at heart is through consistent actions over a period of time. Rhetoric cuts no ice. But knowing the person at the top cares matters a lot, regardless of the kind of institution or its size.”

Conflict

Leaders need to understand that conflict and disagreement can be productive. The leader though needs to be able to manage through conflict. The leader needs to see conflict as an opportunity for discovery. As Robert Gates, former Secretary of Defense, recently commented in a panel discussion on civil discourse, “We have to learn to disagree without making it personal “. Promotion of respectful disagreement is a tool of leadership. A leader should want to be surrounded by those who will disagree and point out if he or she are going down the wrong path. If you as a leader are surrounded by “yes” people, you won’t know if you are going off course or the negative implications of a particular decision.

As a leader being willing to change your position after listening to all points of view is not a sign of weakness. Rather it is a sign of an effective leader who acknowledges that others may have very valid points of view and additional information that will result in the best possible outcome for the organization.

A leader also needs to know when it is time to move forward and get the board to come to a decision. There are times that a leader needs to call for a vote and abide by the results. Too many boards have leaders that allow a difficult decision to be tabled for further study until it just goes away, another lost opportunity for moving the organization forward.

These are just a few thoughts on the key attributes of a great leader. For a more in-depth discussion consider reading my new book, A Guide to Nonprofit Board Success: Answering the Call of Leadership which covers what is needed for effective board leadership in a concise, easy to understand and interesting fashion. Available on Amazon or use promo code Q12020 for 20% off and order online at abc-clio.com.