Who does the work in your chapter?
Jim Lawson | 9/23/2003 Everyone has a job! There are two jobs in any organization, one for every member.The officer elections are over and the new Number I and his officers enthusiastically take the leadership reins. Full of fresh ideas and visions of chapter success, the new administration begins its term of office. There’s excitement in the air as the brothers go through the usual acclamation that accompanies a leadership change. Shortly thereafter things become routine, and before long, the chapter is back to normal.
Normal? What does that mean? In far too many instances, it means the Number I and the officers attempt to lead and brothers at large become observers. These brothers operate under the false assumption that officers are elected to do the work, that’s why they’re officers. So, what can you expect in this climate? Don’t be surprised if many of the officers and committee heads eventually lose interest and the Number I becomes a force of one who tries to do everything. You’ve heard the justification, “ah, I’ll just do it myself. That way I can be sure it gets done.” To no ones surprise, he eventually burns out.
Everyone has a job! There are two jobs in any organization, one for every member. One is to lead (planner & delegator); the other is to follow (doer). Neither is more important than the other. No matter how strong the leader, he must have doers who will carry out the mission and make things happen. When a brother becomes Number I, he moves from the role of doer to planner and delegator. Although he should listen to suggestions and consult with his officers when appropriate, his primary role is to get others to believe in the chapter’s possibilities and to help them achieve the vision. The Number I provides the direction, and the members at large are charged with the day-to-day work of the chapter. As the Number I, your elected leader, he should become concept oriented (visionary, planning and delegating) and not task oriented (doer). Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to see him become a doer.
The Number I is the Coach. How often have you seen a football coach wear shoulder pads and a helmet!
Who is doing the Number I’s job when he sets up the chapter room for a formal meeting, or chases brothers to get them to pay their bills, or plans a Convivium. Since the Number I serves as the visionary and oversees the chapter operations, such duties do not belong to him. His role is to get others to do tasks of this nature.
Some may say, “Oh, so the Number I is too good to do the grunt work!” No, that’s not true. Depending on the task, working along side the brothers is a positive way for him to demonstrate commitment.
Nonetheless, the Number I must avoid a pattern of doing everyone else’s job. He should focus on helping others to learn and grow by getting them to do their jobs.
The Number I is like a ship’s Captain. He is ultimately responsible for making sure the ship remains on course and the crew performs their tasks properly and efficiently.
The Number I is a time honored position within our Order and must be treated with respect and dignity. When a Number I allows the chapter to dump their work on him or on the few doers, he, his officers, and the chapter suffer because:
- Members fail to gain experiences that groom them as potential leaders.
-
Members don’t get involved, because they have no role in making things happen.
-
The few workers become overloaded, and eventually burnout.
-
Your chapter misses future leadership. (example - an overworked sophomore burns out and contributes little his junior and senior years.)
-
Chapter efficiency suffers and mediocrity becomes the norm.
(This is part one of an article on chapter operations and culture.)
|
