Is 2022 your year? Is the time right for you to use your volunteer leadership skills and experiences to serve NAPO on a strategic level?

If you have the desire to continue your volunteer path, and if you aspire to lead our association into the future, I encourage you to apply for one of the open positions on the NAPO Board.

As I reflect on my 7 years of service on the NAPO Board, I always come back to a blog post I wrote in 2017, when I made the decision to serve a second term. It’s still applicable today, so I’d like to share an excerpt with you.

“One thing I recognized early on was that the time spent as a Volunteer Leader is never lost time. The rewards we reap and their impact are often not realized until many years later. What one gets back in rewards, whether tangible or intangible, can be as varied as those who lead.

Alongside the feeling of personal fulfillment and accomplishment, the greatest reward for me is what I’ve learned through my collaborative relationships with other volunteer leaders. Both those who have mentored me and those I have mentored have taught me how to be a better leader and grow as a person. I’ve had the opportunity to:

– Lead and follow;
– Succeed, as well as fail;
– Teach and learn;
– Talk and listen;
– Be a friend, comrade and partner;
– Realize that laughter and tears are related;
– Be a team player and collaborate;
– Change my mind;
– Admit that my way isn’t the only way or the right way.”

Everyone’s path to leadership varies and everyone has different aspirations and goals for being a leader. If you want to play a role in the future success and strategic direction of our association, the Nominating/Leadership Development Committee wants to hear from you. In case you missed it, here’s the Call for Nominations.

If you’re on the fence and want to talk about it, please reach out to me. I’m always available and excited to talk about NAPO and you!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on volunteering.

Susie Hayman
Past President
susie@inyourbizness.com