Taking a leadership role can be daunting, but worth the effort
By Camille Stell, Special to CPN
In the United States, presidential job approval ratings are determined by polling citizens to gauge the level of public support for the president’s actions. A typical question might ask, “Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as president?”
Luckily, most of us who serve in leadership positions do not have to worry about our polling numbers. However, the role of the leader is a public one, and your constituents will have an opinion about your skills even if you are not polling them.
Do you have what it takes to be an effective leader? Before you decide to serve in a leadership position, you should examine your skills to see which ones you already have and which ones you need to develop.
Core skills
Effective leaders need a wide array of talents to succeed. Such skills include problem-solving and decision-making capabilities as well as the ability to plan, delegate, budget and coordinate projects.
Leaders are also adept at public speaking, writing, maintaining internal and external communications, management and holding others accountable for their actions when needed.
They also need to be visionaries. Many paralegal or legal associations have long-range planning or strategic planning committees that are tasked with developing a strategy for growth. As a leader, you are charged with creating an agenda and putting that plan into motion.
Accomplishing that task is not always easy. Leaders also need to be able to successfully lead a meeting with differing opinions and to be a balanced and objective voice to help build consensus.
Testimonials
Reading that job description may be daunting, but the purpose of this article is to encourage you to get involved with leadership, not run screaming in the other direction.
Jennifer L. Watford with Young Moore & Henderson in Raleigh, N.C. described her time as president of the Raleigh-Wake Paralegal Association as a learning experience.
“The skill that I didn’t have, but would have sworn I did, was the ability to distinguish between the big picture and the micro-managing style of some board members,” she said. “Initially, I let too many individuals sway my opinion instead of relying on my own understanding of the goals of the association. I tried too often to make one or two people happy.”
It’s also easy to look at a list of leadership traits and think you can nail them down, but Jen said it’s a different story “once you’re in the driver’s seat.”
“It quickly became evident to me that I should pay attention to other leaders and their behavior so I could mimic that as I sought to define my own leadership style,” she explained.
Marion A. Young, the current chair of the Paralegal Division of the N.C. Bar Association, pointed out that no one has everything they need to take on a leadership role.
“I continue to be a work in progress,” she said.
When asked what skill had improved during her tenure, Marion said her listening abilities grew.
“It is so important to hear what is being said and sometimes, what is not being said. It did not take long to realize that I did not know the answers to most of the questions, but those around the council table did,” she explained.
One benefit of serving as a leader is that you have the opportunity to learn from those around you. Your skills improve not just based on your own experience, but on the shared experience of working with a leadership group.
And you don’t have to shy away from leadership just because you don’t have the skills.
“An easy way to start to learn is by reading,” said Deborah L. Lawrence, business development manager for Huseby Inc. “I would say if you don’t think you’re ready for a leadership role in a professional association, volunteer to serve on a committee just to get a feel for how things work.”
Commitment
Indeed, committee work is the way Jackie Houser, former paralegal and now attorney with Walker, Clark, Allen, Grice & Ammons in Goldsboro, N.C. started her involvement with the N.C. Paralegal Association.
“I remember being encouraged by a friend to serve on a committee for NCPA. The next term I served on another committee – with more responsibility. Then I was asked to chair a committee, and finally to serve as an officer. Looking back on the time I served in NCPA and the NCBA’s Paralegal Division, I don’t know how I was able to be so involved. At that time, I was mom of two small children, I had a full-time paralegal job and I was teaching part-time. But I enjoyed the association work, and so I found balance in choosing those positions that would not be as demanding as others. If you want to work in an association, I believe it is possible, but it is very important to understand – from the outset – the commitment involved.”
And that’s another trait of leadership. Most associations have had their share of individuals who sign up and never show after the initial meeting. Sometimes this is a failure of the organization to choose good leaders, sometimes it is a failure to communicate to the member what the job looks like, but sometimes, this is a member who decides that the hard work involved isn’t for them. If you are looking for a challenge, get involved in your local, state or national association and see for yourself.
What’s on your mind or being discussed at your water cooler? Next month, we are going to continue our discussion of leadership skills. Do you have a story to share about a leadership lesson you have learned? You can contact me at camille@lawyersmutualnc.com or CPN Managing Editor Diana Smith at diana.smith@nclawyersweekly.com.
Editor’s note: Camille Stell is director of client services for Lawyers Mutual Liability Insurance Company of North Carolina. With over 20 years of experience in the legal field, Stell has worked for law firms as a paralegal, legal recruiter and business developer. She can be contacted at (800) 662-8843 or Camille@lawyersmutualnc.com.
