Being (or becoming) a Director
Mitchell Westra
“If you want to improve people’s lives, you need to listen to them, the people who care for them, AND the people who love them.”
As a past Local President – JCI Melbourne, 2016 – I have worked with a few National Boards and many National Directors so I have always admired their role as an integral support link in JCI’s structure.
When I received an invitation to join the second half of a National Board weekend meeting I was excited to come along but I quickly realised that I had no idea just how much work goes into being a National Director. Planning is already well underway for next year’s support and development programme for local boards and the international five year strategy is being adapted to suit the UK's local context and environment in 2020-24.
The big questions are being asked: How can the National Board best support existing and potential new chapters to deliver projects and events? Which of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are most relevant in the United Kingdom? How much coffee is too much to drink before midday on a Sunday?
It was a hugely enlightening meeting - and a pleasure to have been part of an organisation that values transparency enough that I could attend in the first place - so I’d like to thank the 2019 National President, Mark Smith, and the National Board for the opportunity to contribute.
In my experience, two kinds of people express interest in JCI; those with a desire to learn, and those with a desire to impart knowledge. The National Board of JCI UK contains people with both of those desires and I strongly recommend that anyone with an interest in board relations or JCI more broadly look into attending a meeting.
Brand Builder & Strategic Marketer | Driving E-commerce & Global Visibility
5 年I agree. If you ever want to be part of a board or management of a company, JCI national board is the best thing you can do for yourself. I found that being a part of JCI UK National Board was the best preparation to enter senior management. When you're a boss or a manager you can tell people what to do, but when you're in senior management, the most important bit becomes to influence other senior managers to make your priorities theirs. Which is exactly what you learn on national board, trying to get other volunteers and volunteers leaders to make the national priorities theirs. You learn how to influence, argument for your case and negotiate results. It was absolutely brilliant.?