Don't Just Join...LEAD

I attended a professional development session led by a search consultant a few years ago. During the session the consultant was sharing some of the attributes that colleges were looking for in searches for Athletic Directors. Many of these attributes were common: proven ability to manage resources, experience hiring successful coaches, demonstrated fund-raising expertise, etc. The consultant went on to say that schools weren’t just looking for individuals that were “members” of professional development organizations…they were looking for individuals that “lead” their professional development organizations.

Like many in our profession, I just returned from the preeminent professional development conference for collegiate athletic administrators….NACDA. NACDA brings together 7,000 attendees representing 17 different associations that cover every imaginable area in our profession. Many of the folks that attend the event are Athletic Directors and many want to be an A.D. The challenge is: How do you stand out among 7,000 (or more appropriately 50,000) folks when building your personal profile?

I became an Athletic Director in 2002 at the age of 38. I was naïve, ill-prepared, and not very good at my job. I diligently attended the NAIA and NACDA conventions and attended sessions geared toward me. I was drawn to the folks who led these sessions or who were engaged in leadership in various organizations. This ultimately led me to a lunch with Larry Carpenter who was at the time the President of the NAIA Athletic Director’s Association. In a nutshell, I told Larry that I wanted to be more involved and he made it happen. He nominated me for the secretary’s position on the ADA board and away I went.

From there I continued to expand my service on the conference and national level. I serve on multiple national committees within the NAIA, have presented multiple sessions at the Business of Small College Athletics (BOSCA), NAIA, and NACDA conventions. I also currently serve on the executive committee for NACDA. Naturally, each of these opportunities requires a commitment of time and, in some cases, resources. I have to be careful that none of these commitments takes away from my full-time job. The positives of my involvement far outweigh any negatives. My involvement brings increased awareness for my university and for me personally, gives me access and the ability to network with other leaders in collegiate sports, makes me aware of issues in collegiate sports as they are coming into focus, and gives me an opportunity to add my perspective and input on issues that shape our industry.

I have the benefit of 16 years in my position and have grown my involvement steadily over the past 12-13 years. Here are 5 ideas that might help you position yourself to be more engaged and eventually lead.

JOIN – Join NACDA, even if you have to pay for it yourself, and find the right affiliate organization within NACDA for you(NAADD, NACMA, N4A, etc).

GET INVOLVED – Attend every session that you can and get to know the leadership. Keep in mind that NAADD, for example, is run by folks like you that work full-time on a campus. In addition to that, they are responsible for putting on a great professional development experience each summer. NAADD is always looking for folks to help present sessions, to become a conference representative(keep folks in your conference up to date on NAADD news), etc. Rather than waiting to be asked to present, why not propose an idea yourself? The more involved you are the more you become known and trusted…and the more likely you will be considered for a board position in the future. Leadership, like so many other things in life, is earned. You’ll do a lot of grunt work before you become a leader…just like the current leaders did.

SERVE and SHARE – Two good friends of mine, Brian Sisson and Matt Donovan, helped create a professional development opportunity within their own conference. Look for opportunities on your campus, within your conference, or on the National Level (NAIA, NJCAA, or NCAA) to serve on committees and to contribute. The ability to express and share your expertise has never been easier than it is today. Utilize social media (Twitter, LinkedIn, etc) to share your ideas and expertise.

NETWORK – Get to know the folks that are in the leadership positions that you aspire to. Ask them what they do, why they do it, and how they do it. Ask for their advice on how you can become more engaged. Whether it is a vote by a larger group or just the board members…your opportunity to serve will be determine by others.

GROW – Develop a hunger for knowledge and growth. The more you grow the bigger the impact you make on your department will be. At the same time your stature and the recognition that you receive from those on campus, and around the country, will increase. Generally, the folks leading organizations started at the bottom and made tons of mistakes…just like you. Seek out every opportunity to learn and grow and share the wealth (help those around you do the same thing!).