Have you ever thought about what it would mean to step out of your comfort zone and try out a greater leadership role? 

When I was asked to chair the NAPO Nominations and Leadership Committee this year, my first year serving on NAPO’s Board of Directors, I was so excited. I love NAPO and everything it offers and joining the Board meant I could not only give back to the organization, but I would also build my strategic thinking and leadership skills. In these first 5 months, I’ve already learned so much and have grown both personally and professionally. Now, I have an opportunity to use these skills and serve NAPO in a new way: helping identify and develop the future leaders of NAPO. 

Up until now, I was a member of national committees and chaired the Marketing Committee, but it wasn’t until I joined the Board and became Chair of the Nominations Committee that I realized that there is a path to NAPO leadership and serving on the Board. It’s not written in stone, but individuals who contribute most effectively on the Board have these key skills, competencies, and experiences in common.

I thought this would be an important topic for me to share and help our members identify how they might pursue their own journey of leadership at NAPO. 

The Nominations Committee reviews candidate applications and interviews the candidates to learn more about the skills, competencies, and experiences that are hallmarks of success on the Board. The most consistent qualities of successful Board Members and Committee Chairs are:

• Being an engaged and reliable team player 
• Understanding how NAPO operates at the National level
• Having a passion to volunteer, especially to NAPO

While there are many other important skills, like the ability to think strategically, I want to focus on these three today. 

Being an Engaged and Reliable Team Player: 

“Being a team player” can be a tough quality to grasp and measure. An engaged and reliable team player serves different roles on a team – from leader to delegator, solution developer to implementer, challenger to listener. Understanding that a candidate has the confidence and experience in multiple capacities helps the Committee evaluate whether he or she will be able to serve effectively on the Board. 

Understanding How NAPO Operates at the National Level: 

“NAPO National” isn’t a mysterious, secretive network, but it is unique! It’s a blend of three bodies: the Board of Directors, which sets the strategy for the association; NAPO HQ, which helps operate NAPO on a day-to-day basis; and the many committees, which implement the initiatives of NAPO and fulfill its overall mission. When candidates have Committee Chair experience, they are more likely to have first-hand knowledge of how decisions are made, strategies are developed and initiatives are implemented. This experience typically puts the candidate into a much better position to contribute and enjoy a role on the Board. 

Passion to Volunteer, Especially to NAPO: 

Your dedication to serve NAPO will naturally guide you down the volunteer pathway – perhaps first as a micro-volunteer at your chapter, next as a chapter board member and then as a member of a national committee. Once at the national level, you may be inspired to lead that committee. Your passion to volunteer at this stage earns you the distinction of becoming one of NAPO’s esteemed “Volunteer Leaders.” Next stop? The National Board!

If you are ready to take the leap and join the Board, please apply! If you aspire to serve on the National Board in the future, make a plan on how to get there. Find a committee that resonates with you, ask to join (you can join at any time) and dive in with your eagerness to volunteer. You can also reach out to me and I’ll help you find a great place to invest your passion and develop your leadership skills at NAPO. 

As an engaged team player and maybe even as a future committee chair, you will learn first-hand about how NAPO National and the Board work while also gaining insight to the awesome responsibility of serving in a larger role within NAPO. It’s so exciting to hear about the rich, valuable experiences of volunteers who want to become our future leadership. Their unique blend of passion, collaboration, and experience will guide NAPO into the next decade.

I can’t wait to meet our future leaders of NAPO! 

Jan Lehman