Tis The Season To Give Hope

When Life Punches you in the Teeth Leading through crisis   I am not resilient.   When life gets hard, I usually do one of two things: I get angry and demonstrative, or I run away. Usually, I do the latter since it generally does less damage. Running away doesn’t mean literally hoofing it down the street and away from my life. Instead, I like to dress it up and call it, “making a change,” then I leave my job or move to a new city or put my children in a different school. Running away can also mean running TO a coping mechanism and abusing it by watching hours of Netflix, drinking copious amounts of coffee, or doom scrolling on social media.   None of these responses are very helpful, as you can imagine. While coping mechanisms are understandable and even beneficial in some circumstances, overusing them will not build resiliency.   Resilience is the ability to adapt and recover quickly from difficulties, trauma, stress and adversity. Luckily, it’s sold in pill form at the local Walgreens for $12.99 so there you go, blog over.   If only that were true.   Resiliency is built over time by being in situations that cause stress, anxiety, and fear, and, instead of running away, learning how to endure and thrive in them. A good leader has built resiliency in his or her own life and can therefore, successfully lead teams through the challenges that cause stress, fear and anxiety.   Tim Hanley is one of those leaders.   Tim successfully led his team of highly skilled accountants through one of the most unprecedented scandals of the century. Tim’s accounting firm, Arthur Andersen, closed its doors in 2001 after being indicted during the Enron Crisis. This left Tim’s team scrambling trying to find new jobs quickly. Instead of letting his good people get cherry-picked by other accounting firms around the city, Tim orchestrated a large scale move for his team to join Deloitte, another accounting firm, successfully saving many jobs and continuing the positive working dynamic that his team had established.   In the face of exorbitant adversity, Tim calmly created unity among his team, communicated the plan, casted vision for a positive change, and delivered on his promises. He was trustworthy, courageous and calm. His team followed him because of it.   On the IOL podcast, he shares a few key tips on how leaders can become more resilient in order to be better leaders:   Find a good mentor or role model: Resiliency doesn’t appear overnight. It comes from learning how to endure challenges while staying calm and leading from a place of confidence and assurance. To grow in this area, it’s important to have a role model—someone who is already doing this so you can see what it looks like. Follow that person’s example, and engage with them about situations, strategies and tactics.   Keep the crisis in perspective: Tim shares on the podcast that his brother was battling cancer during the time that he was fighting to keep his team together. He said that this helped him remember that his job and the jobs of those around him, while important, were not as important as other things in life. Putting the situation into perspective helped Tim stay calm and cool-headed in the face of his team’s strong reactions, reminding them that no matter what, it would be okay.   Be a trustworthy leader: A good leader is a servant-leader, one who thinks of others before himself or herself and who leads with empathy, compassion, and care. A leader who leads this way, quickly builds repertoire with others. In the face of a crisis, this repertoire is the foundation from which a team will follow that trusted leader wherever they may go. If a leader is not trustworthy, team members will be less inclined to follow.     Prioritize mental health in crisis: A leader cannot lead with an empty tank. Especially in times of crisis, a leader needs to take the time that is needed to care for his or her body, mind and soul. This could look like maintaining healthy disciplines, regular exercise and a good diet, or continuing to spend necessary rest time away from work and with family and friends. Spiritual disciplines are also necessary for regular daily life and are needed all the more in times of crisis. Don’t let those go.   I highly encourage you to check out podcast #175. On the podcast Tim shares a second story in which he successfully led a team through an unprecedented crisis, the entire episode is more than worth the listen.   I also want to highlight a few IOL quotes that Patrick shared on the podcast. Consider writing these down and posting them somewhere this week:   “It’s not your fault, but it is your problem.”   “More is caught than taught.”   “We all get punched. How do you react when life hits you in the mouth?”   As always, at IOL we’re here to remind you that you’re not alone. Are you walking through a crisis? In the throes of building that resiliency?  we’re here to help! Reach out! ###   This blog is based on IOL podcast episode #175: Resilience & Servant Leadership Builds Trust with Tim Hanley.   Author: Ashley Buenger 

How To Be A Great Board Member And Make a Huge Difference   Lots of good work is happening around you in your community. I can guarantee there are least four organizations a stone’s throw from your office that are dedicated to helping others.  Houses are being built for those who can’t afford them at market rate. Exercise classes are being taught to lonely elderly who need social connections and ways to stay healthy. After-school programs are giving children a warm and safe place to be while their parents finish their workday. The list is endless.   These organizations are usually being run by mission-driven, big-hearted, thinly spread executive directors who need your help. While giving financially is, of course, always an option, the best thing you can do with your experience, position and resources, is to join the board of directors.   The board of directors is a group of volunteers who help the executive director fulfill the mission of the organization. This is a great way to truly serve in your community, but it’s not always easy. You can choose to simply fill a seat, or you can be a great board member.   According to Grant Buenger, Executive Director of Racine Habitat for Humanity, the board has a huge impact on the success rate of a non-profit organization. Buenger, who has served on multiple boards himself and now leads his own at Habitat, says that all board members are usually well-intentioned but without proper training in governance, the board as a whole can become a traffic jam of egos, poor execution and bad meetings, leaving the board ineffective and an executive director exasperated.   Being a great board member can have the opposite effect by supporting the executive director, growing the organization, fulfilling its mission and changing a community. Buenger offers the following ways to be a GREAT board member:   Learn the ins and outs of the organization: Ask questions. Learn the structure of the organization, its mission, history, goals and programs. Listen to the executive director and truly understand what he or she is doing to fulfill the mission. You are there to help steer the ship, but the ED is the captain. Get on board with his or her vision, making sure that person feels encouraged and supported. Approach the other staff with a position of humility and ask them about their jobs and the daily operations. The more you understand about the organization the better you can help steer it.   Make sure your input aligns with the mission: Fulfilling the mission is the top priority. Use that lens to filter your comments, ideas and decisions. Continually check to make sure that you’re not letting your personal opinions, ego or just plain fear get in the way of you serving the organization in such a way that furthers the mission. You have great resources, experience and expertise to bring to the table but it's only useful if you are tailoring what you offer to the needs of the organization. Think about what’s needed first, then how you can help fill that need.   Bring resources to the table: Here’s where you get to shine. The two things non-profits need the most are money and connections. You can leverage yours for the organization. Advocate for the cause in your social circles. Talk about the mission and organization everywhere you go. Showcase your excitement and support. Invite those you know to participate in fundraisers or other events and tell them that you are giving to the cause, encouraging them to do the same. Use your season tickets to take a potential donor to the game or offer unused tickets to the ED for him or her to do so. Your energy and support is contagious. Use it to make a difference. Roll up your sleeves and work: Non-profits generally have lots of volunteer opportunities. You can join a board committee in your field of expertise, offering to review financial documents, lead projects or support other employees. You can also volunteer in the actual programs, such as mentoring a youth, building a home or organizing an office. Make sure to show up for these tasks as an actual volunteer, taking direction from others instead of offering your expertise.   A great board member is a huge asset to an organization. You can be that asset. ### This blog post is based on the IOL Podcast #147 Building Hope and Transformational Leadership with Grant Buenger.   Blog Author: Ashley Buenger