When I look at leaders that I admire in history, I realize that these movers and shakers didn't just wake up one day and decide that they want to be leaders. Rather, they had a clear vision of a goal and a message. They fiercely stood for that vision and goal and took steps to achieve their mission. The journey to achieving their goals and the way in which they treated people along the day was inspiring to others. It was through their vision and their actions that people took notice and naturally got behind these leaders.
Serving as a Board Member in your Homeowners Association is admirable and so important. All too often, people in the community are asked to serve on the Board because of a lack of willingness from others to do so. When deciding to serve on the Board, it's important to ask oneself, what is my goal and what do I hope to achieve for this community? From there, be clear about your goals and intentions with your fellow Board Members.
Serving on the Board can be extremely challenging. You are met with homeowners from all walks of life and communication styles. There are many who will be appreciative of Board Members from afar. There will be some who will oppose Board decisions and progress and will be very vocal about it. At the end of the day, the best leaders will be those who will remain calm in the face of adversity and will listen to all voices with interest and compassion and will respond with kindness and empathy.
Those who will be the loudest are not typically the people who will become collaborative, supportive and your strongest allies. Yet it is everyone else who is quietly watching the actions of those in the leadership positions and determining whether those put in charge are inspirational leaders.
"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." John Quincy Adams