Tuesday Thoughts | 9 April 2024 | The People in Your Charge
Danielle S. Russell, CAE, C.Dir
Multi-Award Winning Association Leader | Connector of Ideas and People | Consultant | Author | Speaker | Chartered Director
I’m a huge fan of Simon Sinek, and of the many smart things I’ve heard him say, perhaps my favourite is that “leadership is not about being in charge, its about taking care of the people in your charge”.
It’s a pretty easy leap, then to understanding that while, I will clearly communicate expectations and provide direction, I always strive to do so in the kindest way possible; and let’s not forget that nice is not always kind, and kind is not always nice.
If we expect people to come to work as their whole selves, then it follows logically, that we must not betray their trust in doing so, by not caring for the entire person (not just the part that does that thing for which they are paid).
There’s something really interesting about my line of work – most specifically when one is the Executive Director or CEO (what we might call the Chief Staff Officer) of a Not-for-Profit – the people “in your charge” expands to include the broader human resources supporting your organization. The volunteers, be they board members, regular volunteers, or the micro volunteer who you see for an hour a year.
On some level I’ve known this for a while, at least from the perspective of having a responsibility to not only provide my team with the resources, knowledge and support they need to fulfill their roles, but in also providing volunteers with the tools, support and information they need to meet their commitments to the organization.
But recently, its really crystalized for me; my obligation to care for the people in my charge goes well beyond the names on the payroll. Somewhat coincidentally, one of the members of my board recently asked me to help them balance and manage their responsibilities to the organization, to avoid taking unnecessary time away from their other commitments.
At the same time, since I don’t treat my team with kid-gloves (except where the circumstances dictate), it follows that I follow the same KIND > NICE formula in my interactions with volunteers. Everyone is important, everyone is valued, but at the same time ‘no’ is a complete sentence.
As long-time readers of this newsletter will know, I have a bit of a fascination with kindness; from November 14, 2023’s Planning for Kindness and Generosity (centred around my Giving Tuesday Guide – which is still available for free download on my website); to July 11, 2023’s Kind Eyes; to March 8, 2022’s The Invisible Labour of Kindness and Empathy.
It has me wondering if, in the same way teaching Organizational Behaviour made me a stronger leader by forcing me to think about how I think systems should work, all this work on kindness has made me a stronger leader, by forcing me to get really clear on how to apply it to my work?
So, why this deep dive into kindness today? Did you know that today marks ‘International Be Kind to A Lawyer’ Day? This April 9th – the second Tuesday of April, 2024 - as I continue to settle into my new-ish role as the Executive Director of the Canadian Defence Lawyers ; I’m exploring how I might apply the element of kindness through my work not just today – but everyday – with my board, our many volunteers and each and every member of the association.
This week’s call to action is to push at the boundaries of who you should be including in the people in your charge, and to apply a healthy dose of kindness in each and every one of those relationships and interactions.
New and Noteworthy is a collection of things readers of #TuesdayThoughts might find interesting, important, or informative;
??Other Stuff I Did This Week (shameless self promotion): The video from my competition speech at Speaker Slam on the theme of 'Human Connection' went live on YouTube | I got new Glasses! (I can see tent cards on the other side of a hollow square again)
???Hold These Dates: Tuesday, 16, April 2024 - CSAE Leadership Awards Celebration | April 15-19, 2024 National Volunteer Week
?? What to Do: Check out 'Ink Your Inner Peace,' a faux calligraphy booklet from Angie Bailey - Calming Calligraphy for Stress Awareness Month | Take part in the first 6k Father’s Day Stroller Walk in support of The Baby Depot h/t Maggie John
领英推荐
?? What to Read: Beyond Membership Fees: Strategies For Generating Non-Dues Revenue For Your Association from Hailey Rodgers writing for the Redstone Blog | Handling Conflicts of Interest On Your Non-Profit Board from Heather Terrence, CAE (she/her) in the Pinpoint Governance Group Blog h/t Lori Prospero, CAE | Dave's Top 10 List During Job Searches post from David Stempowski
?? What to Watch: The latest video from Meetings Mean Business Canada h/t Debbie van der Beek | In case you missed it, my Speaker Slam competition speech: video
????♀? Cool Jobs (Paid and Volunteer): Senior Advisor/Advisor, Regulatory Affairs @ Electricity Distributors Association h/t Mike Chopowick, CAE | Vice-President, Research, Advocacy & External Relations @ Imagine Canada h/t Cathy Barr, PhD | Senior Coordinator, SLDO, NDO and Community Programs @ DRI h/t Thomas Foley, CAE | Social Media Manager and a Digital Communications Manager @ Giving Tuesday | VP of Brand @ Toronto Global h/t Mary-Ellen Hynd, MBA, CPCC, PCC | Board of Directors @ Cycle Toronto h/t Dana O'Born
?? Take Note: Rich Batchelor is offering his Certified Change Agent course in Mississauga in a couple of weeks | A group of volunteerism advocates is putting together a faciliated discussion on Zoom on April 30 h/t Karen Knight
CALL FOR CONTENT: I crowd source 99% of what appears in New and Noteworthy, but I would love the help of the Tuesday Thoughts Community to identify content about you and for you. Got a cool new project? A Job Posting to Fill? Or just something you found interesting? DM me with a link.
I am a Certified Association Executive with over a dozen years of experience in leadership positions across Canada’s Not-for-Profit Sector, with deep ties in the Meetings and Events Industry. I use the art of storytelling in speech and writing to explain ideas, and to inform audiences and readers on a variety of topics. Learn more about how we can collaborate;
?? Consulting Services: I offer a suite of consulting services for Associations and Charities, and am interested in working with likeminded organizations on projects that contribute to better governance, leadership and the overall growth and health of Canada’s Association and Not-for-Profit Industries.
??? Speaker/Facilitator: I have spoken to standing room only crowds in the Association and Events sectors, connecting ideas and people; topics include, The Introvert Experience, Imposter Syndrome and Mentorship, EDI: Lived Experience as a BIPOC Woman in Leadership, Minimalism and Essentialism, Finding Your Voice and Building Your Unique Brand, Making and Impact, and the #TuesdayThoughtsFormula.
??? Contributing Writer: I have written for Industry Publications and Blogs with a focus on the role of Associations, Volunteerism, and the Intersection of Not-for-Profit Management and many current social and economic trends. My inclination towards storytelling lends itself well to the style of Creative Non-Fiction.
?? The Tuesday Thoughts Formula: I am on a mission to inspire actions that amplify my impact, each week I follow the #TuesdayThoughtsForumla to deliver a call to action inspired by relevant stories; new this year, I’m bringing live demonstrations of the formula to the stage to help conference, event and meeting attendees tell their own stories that amplify their ROI of in-person attendance.
?? Check out my website daniellerussell.ca or email me: [email protected]
?? I’m on a Mission to?Change The World, By Inspiring Actions That Amplify My Impact! Despite my Introverted tendencies, if I have any hope of success this cannot be a solo affair. Join my community where I Connect People and Ideas;
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?? Let’s Be Friends: LinkedIn: Danielle S. Russell, CAE (she/her) | Instagram: @danielle.s.russell
I assist social impact agencies increase their effectiveness by helping them leverage their volunteer workforce.
7 个月Thanks, Danielle, for the shout out, and especially for sharing the video of your Speakers Slam talk. It was brilliant!!
Non-profit consultant specializing in governance.
7 个月Thanks for the shout out! Hope you are loving your new role.
Founder & ED of the Women’s Nonprofit Network | Marketing Strategist Specializing in Nonprofits, B2B Businesses, & Health-Focused Organizations ? | AHP Top 40 Under 40 ?? | 2024 Women Empowerment Awards Finalist
7 个月Wow!!! Thank you so much for this meaningful shoutout ?? You are the best!!!
I'm famous! Thanks for the shout out, Danielle. So excited to work with you and grow our organizations together!
I have always taken great pride, as a business owner, that the people in "my charge" included not only the people who worked in our company, but their families too, since they are often dependent on the income they are able to bring in. Interesting question though, is how far does this stretch? Should there be / is there a limit? Is there a mysterious line which divides people "in our charge" from those who are "not"? What creates that line, if there is one? Are the plumber and the electrician a part of that?