Trying to Figure out How to Be a Leader? Just Do It!

Melissa Sines

I joined the board of our local volunteer center four years ago, looking to get involved in the community and get some more experience in nonprofit management. I’ve definitely accomplished that goal – and more.

I decided what board to join by following my passion – making sure that the nonprofit sector is strong and capable with organizations that effectively accomplish their missions. So, a volunteer center was an ideal agency for my first go-’round on a nonprofit board. My plan was to ease my way into the job, do a lot of listening and learning, and slowly ease my way up the path to leadership.

Not so much…  A leadership role on the board fell into my lap at the first meeting I attended, when I was appointed to head the Strategic Planning Committee because of my experience in facilitating this process for clients. Although I felt a bit reluctant to take on a leadership role knowing so little about the organization, the board, and its culture, I thought to myself there was no better test of my skills than trial by fire…  Right?

I found that taking charge of projects, people, and processes was as easy as raising my hand and volunteering, then working with commitment toward the stated objectives. Prior to the time I had joined, the Executive Director reported that sustaining board engagement and board member interest was her most difficult task.

Being a consultant for other boards, I quickly dug in and got to the work of helping frame a strategy, talking more about the mission, helping the board to govern more effectively, putting in place an executive evaluation process, working to organize the committees more thoroughly, and helping to educate new and existing board members on how our board and the organization worked. These board development efforts have paid off in spades. But that’s for another post.

Four years later, I’m chair of the board and just led the organization through a successful executive transition. Some days I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot, and other days I get overwhelmed by all there is still to do at both the board and the organizational level. Either way, I still feel like there’s a lot to learn.

Here are some lessons I will be able take with me when I finish my second term, two years from now:

• It is way easier to give advice to other boards on how to fix problems than to actually fix your own board’s problems. These past four years have deepened and broadened my understanding of my clients, giving me a new perspective on my professional life.
• People matter. Nurturing relationships with a broad cross-section of the community – from other board members, to our agency partners, to the mayor and across county and city offices – allows me to expand my network beyond the happy hour crowd.
• Try to resist the urge to “grab the mouse and drive” (a common ailment of mine when looking over the shoulder of a Boomer at a computer).Don’t get frustrated when everything moves slower than you think it should – it always does, get used to it!
• You will run into people, who think because you’re young, you don’t know what you’re doing or what you’re talking about. Don’t argue with them, get mad or give up – just prove them wrong.

I would recommend joining a board to anyone looking for more experience with nonprofits. Some advice on how to get started:

• Start small – you don’t have to join the board of a huge national organization with assets over $100 million and a suggested board donation of $20K a year. Find a small, local nonprofit in your own community where you can really have a learning experience and have some impact.
• Understand what you’re committing to. Being on a board requires both time and money – be clear about what’s expected of you and honest about what you can give.
• Find a mentor – sure, they’re not young, and they just joined Facebook this year – but leave yourself open to the possibility that they know something you don’t.
• Make sure the mission means something to you. Board work is hard work, if you do it right. Sometimes it’s not fun at all. If you don’t have the passion to keep you going when it sucks, then maybe it’s not the right fit for you.