Turning Board Members into True Leaders

My thoughts today seem to be preoccupied by the many associations struggling to find real leaders among their membership to sit on the Board of Directors. Not once, but three times this week, I've listened as association leaders spoke of the difficulties their organizations are having finding individuals with solid leadership skills to sit on their Board.

Many reference the exodus of the boomers and the differing motivations of Gen X and Y (often characterized as "what's in it for me"). The challenge is compounded when the members of an association are not, by their nature, leaders in their own right.

What's the answer? Well, for me it comes down to dedicating time and resources (through a professional development budget item for the Board) to giving Board members the leadership skills they truly need to govern their association. Building a 45-minute to one-hour training session into every Board meeting agenda makes sense. As does marketing the opportunity to develop leadership skills to the younger generation in response to their "what's in in for me" response to the volunteer "ask".

It astounds me that many not-for-profit organizations fail to budget for Board professional development. The Board needs leaders. If you can't find them, you'll need to develop them. It's a must.