Leadership

Lunchtime Links: Don’t Paint Yourself Into A Corner

You may have the big vision, but if you're the only one painting that picture, you may fail to execute. Also: Disrupt operational thinking in your association to leave room for creativity.

Most artists use a variety of colors and brushes to execute their vision. One brush or one color alone couldn’t possibly be enough for Picasso. And it’s the same thing with a leader presenting a wider vision: Your association has a huge canvas to create big things, but you shouldn’t be only one painting.

Why involving others in the creative process can bring your association to life, and more, in today’s Lunchtime Links:

A crew of painters: According to Eric Lanke, CEO of the National Fluid Power Association, involving people from different parts of your association, such as diverse staff and association members, is an effective way of carrying out ideas. Lanke believes being a leader is defined by how you use the people in your organization to paint the big picture. “If you are going to create something that is useful and appreciated today you have to bring other people into the creative process. In the world of associations that means members—because they are the consumers whose needs you are trying to satisfy. But it also means staff people—because they are the foundation upon which the future vision must be sustained,” Lanke writes.

How disruption works: Implementing change in an association comes with its own set of complications. For starters, your members and staff may not be ready yet for big changes. How do you change their minds and make that change happen? A tiny disruption here and there doesn’t hurt, as long as you’re strategic and aligned with how your association thinks. “Identify and root out entrenched, often hidden, assumptions that may limit creative thinking and options; and develop competencies for strategic thinking that are in sync with your environment and market,” Anna Caraveli, managing partner of Connection Strategists, recommends.

A social world: Did you know Twitter has 288 million monthly active users? Or that there are 6 billion hours of video watched every month on YouTube? Social media has molded itself to our society—even if it does lend itself to distractions. But the fact is, each social platform has its purpose and offers a different user experience, making it almost impossible for users to focus on just one network. “The social web is the modern version of Alice in Wonderland, where we are following not one but many rabbits down innumerable rabbit holes,” Jeff Bullas explains. Get more social media facts and statistics on Bullas’ blog.

What’s on your reading list today? Let us know in your comments below.

(Lifesize/Thinkstock)

Anita Ferrer

By Anita Ferrer

Anita Ferrer is a contributor to Associations Now. MORE

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