4.1 Development

Developing leadership skills requires more than accepting a title. A leader must develop certain characteristics and be aware of his or her responsibilities and how to use the tools that are available. Leadership involves a blend of learning what to do, and actually doing those things. To develop these experiences and skills within an organization, it is often wise to hold a retreat and to take advantage of other leadership activities sponsored by NOVA.

A. Retreats

Retreats are a good experience for any group. It literally involves stepping away from the daily tasks of what the group does, and developing skills that will allow the group to perform the tasks better and more efficiently. Retreats should not only develop individual leadership, but also group cohesiveness. A group of individuals working at the same task but on separate channels is less effective than a group that works hand in hand to complete a task, removing a small part of the burden from each individual. Retreats also introduce the element of fun to organization workings. Make your activities a little more light-hearted and your members will return from the retreat rejuvenated and motivated to improve the organization. (See Appendix F).

B. Leadership Development

NOVA offers many leadership opportunities. These opportunities may include Leadership related events or workshops, open to all students which may feature break-out sessions, speakers, or awards opportunities.

C. NOVA Leadership Retreat

Coordinated by the Office of Student Life, the NOVA Leadership Retreats give NOVA students the opportunity to grow in their leadership abilities at a weekend retreat held during fall semester, and a day-long summit in the spring semester. These intensive programs focus largely on the ability to create a vision and to learn how to bring that vision to reality. The NOVA Leadership Retreats further promote the values of “leading with integrity” and the impact that it can have on the community. After these training, student leaders take their new found abilities and knowledge back to their organizations and pursue the realization of those visions. These opportunities are an excellent way to ensure the further improvement of your organization.

D. VCCS Student Leadership Conference

An annual conference featuring student leaders from all 23 member colleges of the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) to provide theories, practices, and skills needed to support more effective leadership.

4.2 Transition

By far, the biggest challenge for student organizations today is leadership rollover. With each transition to new organization leaders, vital information can be lost and worse yet the spirit and intent of annual activities held by the organization can change. Membership involvement can decline when the leadership fails to be effective. Because of this, the involvement level of an organization can be seen as having a trickle-down effect from leaders to the general membership. It is important that your organization take measures to ensure that it remains efficient and effective in the activities it performs.

A. Officer Binders

To ensure a smooth transition from one executive board to another, officers should keep a binder of materials, a physical copy or in digital format, that they reference on a regular basis, and of information that they find useful in performing their office duties. When doing this, don’t hesitate to fill the binder with detail. What seems like common knowledge now may well be forgotten in a semester or a few years. Your successors will thank you for not having to spend their entire term learning something that could have been explained to them in a few sentences. In addition to the concrete information that exists for each position, it is a good idea to include a list of recommendations and ideas for the new leader. Much of their first few weeks will be dealing with absorbing all the information, but duties and problems don’t wait until you’ve properly learned the position. Having your input will give them somewhere to start.

B. Look for Leaders

Who knows the person that will best fill your shoes? You do. Start looking for emerging leaders early. When you notice them, give them encouragement. Get them thinking about taking up a leadership role. One word of encouragement can go a long way, so don’t neglect the opportunity to inspire your organization’s future.

C. Training Sessions

Everyone gets busy at the end of the semester. Even if your officer transition isn’t at that time period, it’s important to schedule training sessions. It’s great to hand the new leaders a binder and tell them to read it, but interacting with the person who last held the position is much more beneficial. The binder is a good reference, but what you see is what you get. Only the person who has experience can answer the questions that will undoubtedly be asked. Be proactive and schedule a couple hours with your successor before the officer transition period is complete.

D. Establish Relationships

Every leadership role is not all-inclusive. You must work with other people to get your job done. During transition the outgoing leadership should introduce people with whom they worked closely with to incoming leadership. This will save them from figuring out who they need to know and then meeting them. It would be advantageous to establish these relationships as you train your successor of his or her duties. Make sure to include the contact information for these important people in the transition binder.

E. Bringing it all Together

The most important relationships you will have will be between your executive board members and your advisor. All of the officer positions are designed to mesh and complement each other. As an outgoing executive board, it is important that you set up a meeting between the new officers and the advisor, and explain how the positions all fit together into a concentrated effort. At this meeting, it would also be good to establish some expectations for the organization that year, and how they are to be accomplished. Now that you have given the new leadership of your organization the tools and guidance to lead your organization, you may feel confident about the future of your organization.

4.3 Recognition

Appreciating people for things they’ve accomplished is the best way to ensure that good things keep happening. It is important that in your organization, and in the student body as a whole, for leaders to be recognized. The following are some ideas for recognizing the efforts of leaders.

A. Individual Organization Awards

Many NOVA student clubs and organizations recognize outstanding student leaders. If your club or organization is not recognizing outstanding contributors or student leaders, meet with your Office of Student Life to discuss strategies to reward your group’s best.

B. SEAL Awards

The Student Life Offices annually recognize the best student leaders on campus that exemplify the following attributes: Service, Engagement, Academics, and Leadership. The NOVA SEAL Award honors the many talents and contributions of our diverse community of scholars. This includes community service, club or organizational participation, outstanding academic achievement, and college/or community leadership.

C. Other

Often, it is not possible to fully appreciate your organization’s members on a broad scale such as the opportunities listed above. It is therefore a good idea to organize your own ceremony to ensure that all those that invested their time and effort are rightfully given recognition. It’s also a good idea to plan a fun and relaxed event that gives your members the opportunity to reflect on the year. Certificates of recognition and free food are two simple things that can be offered in appreciation. Whatever your group decides to do, keep it in the spirit of giving back and you will attain your desired results.

D. Other Ways to Recognize Members

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. A simple thank you
            2. Thank you cards
            3. Thank you announcements at meetings
            4. Random notes left in their mailbox
            5. Small gifts
            6. Surprises at meetings
            7. Candy and snacks