Leaders Blog

Over the last 20 years, Bernard Coleman has worked in numerous different industries-tech, politics, non-profit and state government. Over the years, he has received great leadership advice, and awful leadership advice. Below are the five leadership lessons Bernard has received that he considers invaluable in growing in as a leader:

1. You're only as good as your last performance. 
2. Heroics don't scale. 
3. All you have is your reputation. 
4. Your attitude determines your altitude. 
5. Hold fast. 

How powerful can a question be? Carly Fiorina, author of the weekly LinkedIn newsletter Leadership Matters, has this to say, "Sometimes the single most important thing a leader can do is ask the right question and actually listen to the answer."

To lead or not to lead? Choosing to lead is a daily decision. Our mind processes this daily decision two ways, the conscious and the subconscious. For some this decision may come easy, for others you may have to work hard each day to make the decision to be a leader.

In 2020, leaders faced a lot of challenges. Adjusting to a pandemic, addressing social injustice and learning to lead virtually to name a few. In the LinkedIn newsletter, The Future of Work, Jacob Morgan shares 15 leadership lessons that he believes are crucial for leaders to learn in order to succeed in the future.

1. Leading by example.
2. Creating your own luck.
3. What culture is and what it isn’t.
4. It doesn’t have to be crazy at work.
5. What to do if you feel stuck at work.
6. How to lead with courage.
7. How COVID-19 has changed leadership forever.
8. How leaders can serve their employees.
9. Creating a mission that resonates with employees.
10. People are the solution, not the problem.
11. Why leaders need a short attention span.
12. The best leadership lessons can come from those around you.
13. How to think like an entrepreneur.
14. Putting people ahead of profits.
15. Creating culture for a remote workforce.

Many times you will find books and articles written about what great leaders do, but what about the things they don't do? Jacob Morgan, 4x Best-Selling Author, Futurist and Keynote Speaker, recently published an article in his LinkedIn newsletter, "The Future of Work."

Broad recognition of NAIFA’s brand image is directly tied to our success. It is important for the NAIFA federation to commit to establishing brand imagery and sticking to its basic themes. The NAIFA Brand Book provides guidelines to leaders and chapters on the correct usage of the NAIFA logo and brand identity. 

2020 was a year that no one expected. As 2020 comes to a close, it's a good time for leaders to look at lessons worth hanging on to. Mark Athitakis, a contributing editor for Associations Now, outlines four leadership lessons that came out of 2020 that he hopes leaders will hang on to in the years to come. 

With almost a year of virtual meetings under our belt, attendee expectations for virtual meetings are evolving. Attendees now have an idea for what they like and don't like, and associations need to take both into account when planning virtual meetings and conferences in 2021.

The need for hosting programs virtually significantly increased during 2020. If you are looking to host your first virtual chapter program, or improve upon the last one your chapter hosted, we've added a section to the Chapter Playbook highlighting virtual, hybrid and watch party style programs! 

As hosting virtual events continues to be the norm, it can be difficult to keep attendees engaged. Shameka Jennings, MTA, CMP, director of meetings and partnership development at the National Coalition of STD Directors, provides five tips for creating a virtual event agenda that will boost engagement.