• Home
  • Leadership
    • Team Members
    • Board of Directors
    • Collaborators
      • Bee Heroic Project
  • Education
    • Blog
    • Educational Presentations
    • Log-In To Learn Recorded Webinars
    • Event Planning
    • Publications
    • Videos, Handouts, etc.
    • K-12 Student Resources
  • Action
    • Akron, Ohio Environmental Justice Coalition
      • Save White Pond Wetlands (Akron, Ohio)
        • Wetlands- Take Action Through Education & Advocacy
        • SAMPLE Letters and Topic Area (updated often)
        • Wetlands Information
        • Development Guidance To Sustain Wetlands
        • White Pond Wetlands News Stories
        • White Pond Wetlands Background Documents
        • Photos of Activity To White Pond Wetlands
    • Mosquitoes and Pollinators
    • Reporting Damage or Loss From Pesticides
  • Development
    • Pollinator Habitat
  • Contact Us Today
  • Donate
    • Donation Affiliations

We act as a catalyst, facilitator, and collaborator to support the work of local and state beekeepers and others who work for environmental sustainability

info@LEADforpollinators.org
Lead For PollinatorsLead For Pollinators
  • Home
  • Leadership
    • Team Members
    • Board of Directors
    • Collaborators
      • Bee Heroic Project
  • Education
    • Blog
    • Educational Presentations
    • Log-In To Learn Recorded Webinars
    • Event Planning
    • Publications
    • Videos, Handouts, etc.
    • K-12 Student Resources
  • Action
    • Akron, Ohio Environmental Justice Coalition
      • Save White Pond Wetlands (Akron, Ohio)
        • Wetlands- Take Action Through Education & Advocacy
        • SAMPLE Letters and Topic Area (updated often)
        • Wetlands Information
        • Development Guidance To Sustain Wetlands
        • White Pond Wetlands News Stories
        • White Pond Wetlands Background Documents
        • Photos of Activity To White Pond Wetlands
    • Mosquitoes and Pollinators
    • Reporting Damage or Loss From Pesticides
  • Development
    • Pollinator Habitat
  • Contact Us Today
  • Donate
    • Donation Affiliations

Leadership Styles Not to Copy

Home DEVELOPMENTLeadership Styles Not to Copy

Leadership Styles Not to Copy

January 21, 2020 Posted by Terry DEVELOPMENT, LEADERSHIP

We have all experienced how leadership can make or break any association.  Here are a few leadership styles that may not seem to negatively impact a club, but are sure signs of future problems.

President for Life

You have seen those “president for life”(PfL) leaders.  Although they say they are unable to get anyone to step up and become president, the truth is that those leaders purposely do not spend the time training the next group of leaders.  PfLs feel they are invaluable to the organization and that no one can care for the members the way they have done for these past many years.  In fact, this type of leadership throttles the growth of the club, puts a kibosh on anyone wanting to become a leader and bring a new perspective to the group, and diminishes the effectiveness of the organization.  PfL leadership uses the club to reinforce their own sense of value.  They act as though managing the club is like working a magician’s black box – only they know the secret to managing the association.  The club devolves into “so and so’s” club, no longer truly belonging to the members.

Placeholder

These leaders are basically warming the bench and the club will “fail to thrive” until someone else steps in to help the club.  Hopefully club members will see the need for a true leader, and during the next election, leaders will emerge and be elected to office.  I have been in clubs with placeholder leaders, and I appreciate the fact that at least the person(s) stepped up to fill a vacancy, rather than letting the club not have any leadership in place that year.  If your club has such a placeholder, it is the responsibility of the board and membership to support that person, and develop a nominating committee to ensure that a qualified person is nominated for future years.

Musical Chairs

This is actually a just a group of friends who maintain club leadership by trading spots within the club on a regular basis.  The President becomes the Treasurer, the VP becomes the Secretary, the Treasurer becomes the VP, Secretary becomes the President, and then the following year or so they switch positions again.  Similar to the President for Life, the Musical Chair leadership blocks entry into the board by keeping club leadership between friends.

Do you recognize any of these styles in any organizations in which you volunteer, or is your organization dealing with other critical issues?  LEAD for Pollinators can work with your organization to help ensure a sustainable future to support your agricultural community.  Call us for consultation regarding: Strategic Planning, Board Member Training, Nominating Committee Development, Constitution and By-Laws Review, and other educational and board development support for your association.

Share
0

About Terry

Terry Lieberman-Smith has been actively involved with bees, beekeeping, and local beekeeping associations for over 15 years. She has held a variety of leadership positions in both the local and state level beekeeping associations. Terry understands the importance of clean pollinator habitat and enrolled part of her property in CRP to ensure that not only the bees in her apiary, but all pollinators in the area have a haven for forage. Terry holds an undergraduate degree in business, along with an MBA specializing in Logistics. She incorporates her business background, leadership skills, and interest in sustainable beekeeping practices to help strengthen the beekeeping community and develop partnerships with other like-minded groups.

You also might be interested in

Summer Buzzing

Jun 24, 2020

What is your reaction to a bee buzzing by? Is it the same as when you see that gorgeous butterfly flitting from flower to flower? Ever wish for summer to end so the bugs would die off? What if they actually did and never returned?

Virtual Global Google Scavenger Hunt

Virtual Global Google Scavenger Hunt

Apr 13, 2020

Join the Sierra Club in a virtual scavenger hunt,

Conflicts of Interest

Jun 26, 2020

Private inurement is prohibited in all nonprofits. It happens when an insider — an individual who has significant influence over the organization— enters into an arrangement with the nonprofit and receives benefits greater than she or he provides in return.

Recent Post

  • Role of the Audit Committee
  • Key Financial Questions Your Board Should Ask
  • Serving on your member board is an honor that comes with responsibility
  • Accounting for Donations

Categories

Let's get in touch

Send me an email and I'll get back to you, as soon as possible.

Send Message

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide leadership, education, action, and development to support the health and sustainability of honey bees, native pollinators, and the keepers of the ecosystem.

Find us here

  • Michele Colopy
  • LEAD for Pollinators
  • 330.803.3449
  • ExecDir@leadforpollinators.org
  • https://leadforpollinators.org
  • Terry Lieberman-Smith
  • LEAD for Pollinators
  • 937.272.6549
  • info@leadforpollinators.org
  • https://leadforpollinators.org

Fresh from our blog

  • Role of the Audit Committee
  • Key Financial Questions Your Board Should Ask
  • Serving on your member board is an honor that comes with responsibility
  • Accounting for Donations

© 2025 - LEADforpollinators.org

  • Home
  • Leadership
    • Team Members
    • Board of Directors
    • Collaborators
      • Bee Heroic Project
  • Education
    • Blog
    • Educational Presentations
    • Log-In To Learn Recorded Webinars
    • Event Planning
    • Publications
    • Videos, Handouts, etc.
    • K-12 Student Resources
  • Action
    • Akron, Ohio Environmental Justice Coalition
      • Save White Pond Wetlands (Akron, Ohio)
        • Wetlands- Take Action Through Education & Advocacy
        • SAMPLE Letters and Topic Area (updated often)
        • Wetlands Information
        • Development Guidance To Sustain Wetlands
        • White Pond Wetlands News Stories
        • White Pond Wetlands Background Documents
        • Photos of Activity To White Pond Wetlands
    • Mosquitoes and Pollinators
    • Reporting Damage or Loss From Pesticides
  • Development
    • Pollinator Habitat
  • Contact Us Today
  • Donate
    • Donation Affiliations
Prev Next