Leadership Succession

• Develop a formal succession plan for the following year as soon as possible by identifying potential Associates to fill leadership positions. Try to come up with two or three candidates for each position.
• The more organized your board, the greater the incentive others will have to volunteer for key leadership positions. Set your goals to include: timely board meetings, clear agendas, appropriate delegation of responsibilities, strict accountability, and effective communications.
• Reduce individuals' fear or reluctance to assume a leadership role on your board by having at least three board members attend RMA's Annual Chapter Leaders Conference each year. It is a great training ground for volunteer leaders.
• Consider assigning multiple board members to a committee or activity rather than just one individual. Effective delegation and accountability helps to distribute work more evenly. And a more equitable distribution of work will make it easier to fill chapter officer positions, get more members involved, and expose volunteer leaders to a wider variety of tasks, many of which they will likely need to perform in future years.
• Keep past presidents active in the chapter. Ask them to chair a committee, oversee a special program, establish a Past Presidents' Committee, or mentor a new board member to help create a future leader.
• Seize any opportunity at general membership meetings to recruit volunteers for your committees. These are your chapter's future leaders, so never turn away a volunteer. If needed, expand the size of a committee to help the chapter increase its pool of potential leaders.
• If you have a strong committee volunteer ask him or her to take a leadership position on the board. Ask your board members to recruit additional volunteers from their banks and get them involved.
• Get new volunteers and new board members involved in chapter activities as quickly as possible. More involvement leads to more networking and fun, and a greater commitment to RMA. Remember Professional members make good board members, too.
• Ask each officer, director, and committee chair to designate his or her successor in the event of an emergency. Staff your committees with volunteers who will quickly become a great source for new board members. Also, provide each committee chair with a back up in case of an emergency situation like an unexpected resignation.
• The Young Professionals Group chair should serve on your board. This group's members should be great sources of future chapter leaders.
• Ask Senior Associates to suggest potential board members and committee volunteers. Sell the invaluable leadership training these individual will gain and the fact they have unlimited networking possibilities.

For more information and for additional resources, please contact William Githens at bgithens@rmahq.org or 215-446-4124 or contact the Regional Manager for your area.