Acquire allies: These can be members within your group, student life professionals, advisers, alumni or just your parents. These are the people that will be there to help you realize resources that you may be unaware of. Campuses are inundated with resources to make your group and your individual members succeed. (Something I didn't learn until I forced myself to ask around) Many of these resources are people who have the experience necessary to take your group to the next level.
Show up bigger than you are: Find ways to be present on campus in ways that are positive and resourceful. This can be through a physical presence on student senate or a witty public relations chair who knows how to use Facebook. Recruitment becomes easier when people see your group for how it is before having the conversations about why/how/what you do.
Identify the needs of the campus, in other words, what roles can your group fill?: This will allow you to address the goals that you'll need to create and better prepare your vision of what the final product will look like.
Set goals and communicate those goals effectively: This is essential for any group's success. Make sure that each member with a position knows what is expected of them and what part they are playing in your groups progress. Take time to include all members in the process and make sure that the goals are group approved. This will generate a more successful group buy-in. You can set individual goals for yourself as well.
Become strategic: Do your best to stabilize the group dynamic and work flow. Put people together based on whether or not they would be suited to get tasks done, not necessarily because they are friendly. It's also important to allow your men to follow their passions. If a brother is passionate about serving in one way, motivate him to do that.
Commit to it: Do something. As long as you are trying to produce positive results, it's okay to fail. Failure will teach you about yourself, your group and your campus. Let those allies know when you are burning out. Burnout is a common symptom for chapter presidencies so be aware of when you may need a pick-me-up.
Learn to motivate: Realize that you are leading a group of men that are NOT your employees. You must tap into the passions and motivations that the men already have in order to generate a path to excellence.
Remain values driven: Hardly an explanation is necessary here. This is at the core of what we do as fraternity men. All goals and actions of the fraternity should be consistent with values.
Do whatever it takes to keep your men involved: Not all of them will be passionate about all aspects of the fraternity but try to take their passions and apply them. This also includes the idea that you must not do everything yourself. If you are working toward a goal it means A LOT more to those in your group when you accomplish it together. Assign tasks and delegate. The men need to know that they are capable of leadership as well and you can give it to them.
Take from groups and leaders who do their jobs well: It is absolutely no use reinventing the wheel. Look to leaders, from history or on your campus, who have changed their organization for the better. If your organization is administratively failing or inefficient, look to groups on campus that are striving or take ideas from groups that are doing it well.
No comments:
Post a Comment