This is the time of year when the Rotary Club nominating committee is diligently trying to find a willing and capable member of the club who will take on the responsibility of serving on the board of directors. Some members will accept the invitation with reluctance and a frightening feeling of inadequacy, while others will take on the responsibility with a nonchalant attitude. Serving on the board of directors should be neither frightening or taken on lightly.
The board of directors is more than just another level of management for the organization, more than a committee of committee chairs; the board of directors is to govern the organization. This is true for all organizations, big or small, for profit or not, publicly owned with shareholders or community-owned with stakeholders.
So many people are reluctant to join a board of directors because they have watched past directors try to fulfill their responsibility by taking on tasks that would be better accomplished if delegated to others. They make an ever-increasing string of decisions that are often contradictory from board meeting to meeting and year to year. They allow themselves to be bogged down in details and discussions over ‘how things get done rather than thinking about the big picture of what the club should be doing.
Members of the board of directors sometimes feel they are doing everything with little help or assistance from others in the organization. If you take on this opportunity, you can avoid that problem by making the board responsible for the success of the club. It would help if you made your board accountable for leadership in keeping the club’s values at the center of what the club does; as a member of the board, concentrate on defining what needs to be done, empowering the members to do it, and institute leadership in making your Rotary club as successful as it can be.
You can be the club member that accepts this opportunity to be a director and governs on behalf of the people who are not seated at the table. Serving on the board of directors for a Rotary club can be an opportunity for personal growth and learning; the knowledge and skills are transferrable to many other organizations and situations. It can also be an opportunity to make a contribution to your club, your community, and the world at large.