Submitted by Laney & Jennifer on 2/3/2012 12:00:00 AM Last updated by Alane on 2/3/2012 7:15:23 PM
President’s Message
Leadership – What does it mean to you?
As we enter the second half of our year, the topic of Leadership comes to mind for many of us. Soon, a nominating committee will be formed and you may be asked to consider a leadership opportunity with the Chapter. I hope you will seriously think about it. You may wonder what qualifies you to be a leader of the Chapter? I believe the most common quality of the leadership in IAAP is a desire to learn new things and gain skills. Second most common may be a willingness to share what they know with others.
What does a leader do at the Chapter level? Fittingly, they handle Chapter business and ensure a year of educational opportunities for the membership. They find the location and plan the agendas and meetings. They create a budget to work within, pay the bills for the Chapter, and send out news releases so our community knows what we’re up to.
The exciting part of being a leader is that you can make a difference. You can make a difference to the Chapter by implementing money saving ideas, participating in the contests and incentive programs and participating with Division leadership. You can make a difference for members by planning and providing interesting and educational programs, and fun times as well. You can make a difference in our community by participating in activities that tie our Chapter to other organizations in the community.
Finally, becoming a leader is exciting because you can make a difference in yourself. With the help of your other officers, the general membership and headquarters, you can learn and practice new skills in a safe setting where you’ll receive support and assistance by those who have done it before you did. Leadership skills are caught, not taught. This means that in order for a leader to be as effective as they can be, they need to continually be involved in leadership training. There’s no class to take. Leadership skills can always be developed in order to make them more effective. Leaders who surround themselves with other effective leaders will grow in their leadership abilities more efficiently.
Taking the Leap to Remarkable might include taking the leap to leadership! Make a difference!
Karen Loughman, CAP, MCAS
IAAP Book Cliff Chapter President 2011-12