The Process of Choosing Leaders

Article Outline

• Leadership Development
• Potential Bylaws Change
• References
• Copyright

• 
  • View Large Image
  • Download to PowerPoint

What is leadership? On the popular encyclopedia web site Wikipedia, one definition of leadership is “the ability to affect human behavior so as to accomplish a mission designated by the leader.”¹ Leaders must have good communication skills, including the ability to write well, speak well, give clear directions, listen, seek feedback, and work well with others. They also need skills in managing conflict, determining priorities, managing time, negotiating, and building teams. Leadership requires knowledge of group dynamics and the ability to identify and work within a group's culture.

It has been my privilege to serve you as a leader of our professional Association. During the time I spent as a Board member, as President-elect, and now as President, I have had the opportunity to learn about leadership models in other associations and, particularly, in other nursing associations.

Back to Article Outline

Leadership Development 

For the past 10 years or more, the Executive Director, President, and President-elect of AORN have attended an annual symposium sponsored by ASAE (American Society for Association Executives) and the Center for Association Leadership. This symposium for chief elected leaders and chief staff leaders of associations is designed to enhance the ability to form strong and effective partnerships to lead associations. Some of what we have learned at this symposium involves leadership development and succession planning.

Current association leadership and management literature also supports and encourages boards of directors to be active in planning for their succession. In fact,

a critical ongoing role for all board members is to seek new leaders … [and] part of [a board's] fiduciary responsibility is to leave in place a qualified leadership team with expertise to continue to lead the association effectively.²

Developing future leaders requires consistent attention. Jim Collins, in his book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap—and Others Don't, uses the familiar quote, “We need to get the right people on the bus.”^3(p46) We need to develop a pool of great people, not just good people, from which our members can choose their leaders. With more than 41,000 members, we have a rich pool of emerging leaders, and AORN has many avenues through which to observe developing leaders, including in the specialty assemblies, state councils, committees, task forces, and chapters.

According to Nancy Axelrod, a governance expert and the founding president of the National Center for Non-profit Boards,

The board should not be missing in action from the identification, cultivation, and screening process. The results will have a lasting impact on the future of the organization, the profession, and the industry it serves.^4(p33)

It is difficult for someone who does not have experience related to a position to select the best candidate for that position. Boards should provide a summary of needed skill sets and demographics to the nominating group that prepares the association's slate of candidates for national office. The boards of other organizations, including nursing associations, have adopted this responsibility and practice. The nominating process in these groups is performed by past leaders and is not an “entry level” position, as it has been traditionally in AORN.

Many of our members feel that serving on the Nominating Committee is a “stepping stone” to service on the Board, but serving on the AORN's Nominating Committee does not necessarily prepare one to serve on the Board. We should engage those with experience in the boardroom to evaluate the necessary talents and skills that will provide our membership with the best possible Board of Directors to lead our Association forward.

Back to Article Outline

Potential Bylaws Change 

The Bylaws Committee is proposing a change to the AORN Bylaws that will alter a vital role in our Association. The recommendation that will be brought to the 2008 House of Delegates proposes a change in the Nominating Committee structure to incorporate past leaders as Nominating Committee members (Table 1). Past leaders can use their wisdom and knowledge of association leadership to identify emerging leaders. Knowing the skill sets needed to be an effective Board member, these past leaders can assist in the identification and development of those skills in our future leaders. Our much-valued grassroots members will continue to have an important role in the identification of future leaders as well.

TABLE 1. Proposed Bylaws Amendment Related to the Nominating Committee

KEY: Strike-through text = Deleted text; Italic text = New text; Normal type = Existing text/no change

This is not to say that our process is or has been wrong, but the Board feels that the members should examine and evaluate our current nominating process and seriously consider making this change. This will require some thoughtful deliberation on the part of all of our members. Please consider the rationale for this change and discuss it with fellow AORN members, potential members, and members of other associations. When it comes to a vote at our 55th Congress in April, please think about the best course for moving our Association forward.

• 
  • View Large Image
  • Download to PowerPoint

Back to Article Outline

References 

1. Leadership. Wikipedia . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadership Accessed January 2, 2008.
   • View In Article
2. Tecker G. Speech presented at: Symposium for Chief Staff Executives and Chief Elected Officers (CEO Symposium); April 16-17, 2007; Chicago, Illinois.
   • View In Article
3. Collins J . Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap—and Others Don't . New York, NY: HarperBusiness; 2001;
   • View In Article
4. Rickard A . The right board, right now . Associations Now/The Volunteer Leadership Issue . January 2007;29–33
   • View In Article