Hello all,
This is my first post to the Leadership Academy Community.  Gail Richard has asked me and other outgoing ASHA Board members to reflect on their experiences on the Board in relation to leadership.   This is a perfect request, as being a member of the Board embodies the call to leadership. I am just completing my 3-year term as the Director of Science and Research for ASHA.   I came into the post with anticipation of a new experience, one from which I would learn.  But, I wasn't quite sure what it was I would be learning.  I've   often "ended up" in leadership roles from my early grade school years as Captain of the school safety patrol to my current position in my university as Director of our research center.  That said, I have also filled these roles as a reluctant leader, not feeling truly up to the task.  In this time of my life, when reflection on one's actions and habits is a common mental past time, I wonder why I always felt reluctant to fill these leadership roles.   Why did I doubt that I could meet the challenges that confront any leader?  In part, it was a confidence issue, but more than that, I think it was because I thought I did not know enough or did not have the experience needed to be a leader. 

This brings me to my thoughts about my time on ASHA's Board of Directors and how it helped me understand what it means to be a leader.  I did not "end up" on the Board. Rather, a friend suggested I consider a nomination to the Board. At first, I laughed at and dismissed the suggestion, thinking I was not prepared for such a position.  Soon, though, I started to imagine filling this role and having the opportunity to contribute in an area that was quite new to me.    Although I had served on ASHA committees, my volunteer work had been largely in the science and research domain.  This VP position would also draw on that experience, but the opportunity of being part of the governance of ASHA, even for a short time, was a completely new experience for me.       And so, I put aside my reservations of being up to the task, and I took that leap, went through the nomination process and had the good fortune to be offered this chance to contribute to ASHA's mission in this way. 

What I learned about leadership from being part of the Board of Directors is that it's not about what you know or whether you have the right experience. Those elements play a role, of course. But what it is mostly about is stepping up to the plate and saying I can contribute.  I can learn from others and can share my knowledge with them, and together we can forge the path forward as leaders do.    I learned so much from my colleagues on the Board. In each meeting and each phone call and in all our activities, they demonstrated extraordinary leadership prowess, meeting responsibilities and making decisions that called for the courage of conviction as well as compromise.      And with this sharing of leadership responsibilities, came the friendships with my colleagues that I know will carry on beyond this experience.

I'm not sure how to end this sharing of my experience, but will say that if you have any thoughts of being  a leader, do not doubt your abilities, but count on  your conviction to listen, learn and contribute.

Nadine

 Hello all,
This is my first post to the Leadership Academy Community.  Gail Richard has asked me and other outgoing ASHA Board members to reflect on their experiences on the Board in relation to leadership.   This is a perfect request, as being a member of the Board embodies the call to leadership. I am just completing my 3-year term as the Director of Science and Research for ASHA.   I came into the post with anticipation of a new experience, one from which I would learn.  But, I wasn't quite sure what it was I would be learning.  I've   often "ended up" in leadership roles from my early grade school years as Captain of the school safety patrol to my current position in my university as Director of our research center.  That said, I have also filled these roles as a reluctant leader, not feeling truly up to the task.  In this time of my life, when reflection on one's actions and habits is a common mental past time, I wonder why I always felt reluctant to fill these leadership roles.   Why did I doubt that I could meet the challenges that confront any leader?  In part, it was a confidence issue, but more than that, I think it was because I thought I did not know enough or did not have the experience needed to be a leader. 

This brings me to my thoughts about my time on ASHA's Board of Directors and how it helped me understand what it means to be a leader.  I did not "end up" on the Board. Rather, a friend suggested I consider a nomination to the Board. At first, I laughed at and dismissed the suggestion, thinking I was not prepared for such a position.  Soon, though, I started to imagine filling this role and having the opportunity to contribute in an area that was quite new to me.    Although I had served on ASHA committees, my volunteer work had been largely in the science and research domain.  This VP position would also draw on that experience, but the opportunity of being part of the governance of ASHA, even for a short time, was a completely new experience for me.       And so, I put aside my reservations of being up to the task, and I took that leap, went through the nomination process and had the good fortune to be offered this chance to contribute to ASHA's mission in this way. 

What I learned about leadership from being part of the Board of Directors is that it's not about what you know or whether you have the right experience. Those elements play a role, of course. But what it is mostly about is stepping up to the plate and saying I can contribute.  I can learn from others and can share my knowledge with them, and together we can forge the path forward as leaders do.    I learned so much from my colleagues on the Board. In each meeting and each phone call and in all our activities, they demonstrated extraordinary leadership prowess, meeting responsibilities and making decisions that called for the courage of conviction as well as compromise.      And with this sharing of leadership responsibilities, came the friendships with my colleagues that I know will carry on beyond this experience.  

I'm not sure how to end this sharing of my experience, but will say that if you have any thoughts of being  a leader, do not doubt your abilities, but count on  your conviction to listen, learn and contribute.  

Nadine