I'm just a week or so away from embarking on a new journey as President of the NC Society of Government Meeting Professionals. I am both excited and nervous to take on this challenge. I think that's a normal feeling.
We have a retreat planned for July 9 and I'm in charge of it. *Cue scared face* I've never run a retreat, so I actually have no idea what to expect, but I have lots of ideas to discuss with the incoming board. Although I am terrified at the thought of taking on something new, leadership in general is not a new thing to me. Here is my advice on leadership.
- Be a good example. Showing people that you are invested in something gives them respect for you. When I managed a staff, I let them know from the start that I would never ask them to do anything that I hadn't done or wouldn't do. They knew I was serious, because given the opportunity I scrubbed toilets for clients, but that's another story.
- Don't try and do it all. There is a reason that you have people that work for you, or a board to help you, or committee, etc. As an event planner, this is often one of the toughest things because you are usually the one in charge of making sure that every last detail falls into place. This is a lesson that I learned early on. Go with me as I digress for just a minute.
My first year as a lead counselor at Rider University Study Tours I made things as easy as I could for the counselors that I pseudo managed. I was in charge of their day-to-day tasks, but was not actually their manager. Regardless, I woke up extra early transport lunches from the dining hall, count and divide lunches by bus, and assign group leaders and counselors. Basically, the counselors had to roll out of bed, stand at their assigned bus, and make sure everyone was on it before they left. I think they loved it, it was the life. They didn't have to think about anything prior to departing from campus. That was until there was a day that I couldn't be there.
I had planned to be unavailable that morning, so our manager was there in my absence to make sure things went smoothly for departures. I met up with him later to ask how departures to New York went that morning. He reported, "They were like lost puppies without you." I didn't take this as a compliment. I measured my success based on how well the staff I oversaw functioned and on that day... they had failed. It was the best lesson I ever learned. You can't do it all by yourself.
The following 3 years as a manager for Rider, I trained the staff to function on their own. I empowered them to make decisions, the right decisions, and became a resource to them rather than their mom.
- Set clear expectations. Setting deadlines, understanding responsibilities, and who is completing which task will go far when you communicate these things in advance. If your expectations are unclear you have no reason to get mad when they are not met or things are not done.
- Trust. This one can be difficult too. I like to work under the assumption that everyone is doing their job unless they prove otherwise. Even then, it is important to get to the root of why something isn't done, not jump to the conclusion that someone is messing something up on purpose.
- Ask questions. This is a two-way street. You should always ask questions of the people you are managing or working with. Likewise, they should also feel free to ask questions of you. I have found that some people are fine taking directives, but others want to know why and understand the bigger picture and how they fit into the organization as a whole.
In the end, people are people. I've found that you can treat people fairly, but this doesn't always necessarily mean equally. I'm eager to listen to what kind of expectations the board has of me and how we can best work together. Everyone has their own style and leading is all about adapting to the people around you. I believe that those around you can always make you better.
What kind of leadership advice do you have for me? What kind of leader would you want leading you?