Board Oversight Group on Leadership
Development
Building Leadership Skills and Pipeline
Development
Building Leadership Skills and Pipeline
The American Chemical Society, like many nonprofit associations, has found that
fewer “natural” leaders are emerging from its membership. As a membership
organization, ACS benefits greatly from the service of its member-volunteers; many
of the programs that we take for granted — from national meetings to National
Chemistry Week — simply would not be possible without the dedicated time and
efforts of ACS volunteers. In fact, according to an Independent Sector survey, 44
percent of American adults did volunteer work in 2001 — some 83.9 million people,
or the equivalent of more than 9 million full-time employees at a value of $239 billion.
Yet many members are hesitant to volunteer and assume leadership roles with the
Society because they already juggle multiple demands at home and in the
workplace. In 1999, four ACS Committees (ConC, DAC, LSAC and N&E) expressed
concern to Daryle Busch, then president-elect, that the Society needed to examine
its strategies for recruiting and cultivating a diverse cadre of future leaders at all
levels. In response, Dr. Busch convened a conference to define the challenges
facing volunteer leaders and garner widespread support for improving leadership
development. As a result, in 2002, President Eli Pearce appointed a Working Group
to develop a set of recommendations for how the Society should address leadership
development issues.
Later the Board Oversight Group on Leadership Development was established to
implement a new Leadership training and development program for ACS.
fewer “natural” leaders are emerging from its membership. As a membership
organization, ACS benefits greatly from the service of its member-volunteers; many
of the programs that we take for granted — from national meetings to National
Chemistry Week — simply would not be possible without the dedicated time and
efforts of ACS volunteers. In fact, according to an Independent Sector survey, 44
percent of American adults did volunteer work in 2001 — some 83.9 million people,
or the equivalent of more than 9 million full-time employees at a value of $239 billion.
Yet many members are hesitant to volunteer and assume leadership roles with the
Society because they already juggle multiple demands at home and in the
workplace. In 1999, four ACS Committees (ConC, DAC, LSAC and N&E) expressed
concern to Daryle Busch, then president-elect, that the Society needed to examine
its strategies for recruiting and cultivating a diverse cadre of future leaders at all
levels. In response, Dr. Busch convened a conference to define the challenges
facing volunteer leaders and garner widespread support for improving leadership
development. As a result, in 2002, President Eli Pearce appointed a Working Group
to develop a set of recommendations for how the Society should address leadership
development issues.
Later the Board Oversight Group on Leadership Development was established to
implement a new Leadership training and development program for ACS.
Expanding and deepening the Leadership pool is a common thread through all of
Les's activities and this is an obvious synergy with one aspect of ConC's mission.
ACS needs to reconsider what it means to be a Leader or a volunteer. Given the
current pressures of work, family and other commitments we need to find ways to
involve members in ways which can adjust to their changing needs and interests. Les
is particularly proud of the way North Jersey has developed its leadership pool by
giving volunteers opportunities matched to their skills, interests and time. Central to
this is the use of mentoring and using small diverse groups or committees to carry out
a task rather than allowing an established leader do in all themselves.
Leadership Development and an effective committee structure are vital for
the future success of ACS. Les is committed to this goal and his service on the
(ACS) Board Oversight Group on Leadership Development has given him an insight
into both the need for and the opportunity this type of activity presents. ACS Council
and its National Committees should set the standard in terms of efficiency and
effectiveness. We cannot expect volunteers who are familiar with productive and
efficient committee and Team structures common in large industrial and academic
organizations to respond to ACS if we present them with an overly complex, slow or
inefficient system.
Les's activities and this is an obvious synergy with one aspect of ConC's mission.
ACS needs to reconsider what it means to be a Leader or a volunteer. Given the
current pressures of work, family and other commitments we need to find ways to
involve members in ways which can adjust to their changing needs and interests. Les
is particularly proud of the way North Jersey has developed its leadership pool by
giving volunteers opportunities matched to their skills, interests and time. Central to
this is the use of mentoring and using small diverse groups or committees to carry out
a task rather than allowing an established leader do in all themselves.
Leadership Development and an effective committee structure are vital for
the future success of ACS. Les is committed to this goal and his service on the
(ACS) Board Oversight Group on Leadership Development has given him an insight
into both the need for and the opportunity this type of activity presents. ACS Council
and its National Committees should set the standard in terms of efficiency and
effectiveness. We cannot expect volunteers who are familiar with productive and
efficient committee and Team structures common in large industrial and academic
organizations to respond to ACS if we present them with an overly complex, slow or
inefficient system.
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