How to hack it? Each fall, the National Speakers Association invites its 34 chapter presidents-elect to its headquarters in Phoenix for a three-day boot camp led by coaches who previously served as chapter presidents. Most of the travel expenses are covered by NSA. “It’s a win-win because we invest in them to attend,” says coach Patrick Donadio. “And they give us valuable time to be groomed as leaders.”

Why does it work? The three-day training is intensive and covers five core competencies: management, membership, meetings, marketing, and money. After the event, each trainee is paired with a coach and required to check in monthly by phone to keep the training going through the year.

What’s the bonus? The chapter boot camp has produced a leadership pipeline for NSA, including two currently serving board members. “We’re bringing in local leaders, but it also helps national to identify future leaders,” Donadio says. “It’s a nice way to build a succession plan.”

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