Leadership

Jeffery C. Camplin, CSP, CPEA, /spresident of Camptin Environmental

Services Inc., a safety and environ-mentat Consulting firm in Rosemont,

IL He is an active volunteer serving asa member of ASSE's Leadership TaskForce. Jeff has received the Society'sPresident Award (2003), Culbertson

Outstandirjg Volunteer Service Award(2005) and Council on Practices &

Standards Safety Professional of theYear Award (2008). He holds a B.S. in

Safety from Northern Illinois Universityand is currently enrolled in the

VolunteersLeading,

VolunteersMEMBERSHIP-BASED NOT-FOR-PROFITorganizations such as ASSE provide manyleadership opportunities to their members.These leadership roles occur in constituent groupssuch as chapters, regions, practice specialties, taskgroups, committees and councils. Volunteers inthese roles can struggle with leading other volun-teers for a variety of reasons. One primary reason forthis struggle is that these leaders do not recognizethat volunteer members choose to follow them; theycannot be forced to follow. Therefore, to be success-ful, leaders who lead volunteers must leam to usetheir influence to motivate volunteers and achieveassigned tasks or goals.

Using ASSE as an example, this article exploresthe leader-member exchange (LMX) theory and thethree major leadership skill sets on which it is based:mutual respect, trust, and sense of obligationbetween leader and member (Northouse, 2007).These three skill sets are defined through review ofseveral leadership texts with recommendations pro-vided for further research and study The article alsoserves as a guide for personal leadership growth forvolunteers at all levels—chapter/section, region,council, practice specialty and Society—and it pro-

vides guidance to help active volunteerleaders become better leaders and men-tors to emerging volunteer leaders. Itconcludes with suggested actions read-ers can explore to improve their effec-tiveness as volunteer leaders.

Volunteer Leaders AreCritical to the Mission

ASSE's (2007) stated mission is to be"a global member-driven associationproviding representation, promotion,and support for those engaged in theprofession and/or the practice of safety,health and environment in their efforts

Master's in Safety and Emergency to protect people, property and the envi-Managementprogram at Eastern ronment." Although ASSE has a paid

Kentucky University, professional staff, the organization relies

3 6 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY MAY 2009

significantly on member volunteers to perform thework to achieve the vision to "be a global champion ofthe safety, health and environmental profession, aglobal leader of the profession and a premier resourcefor those engaged in protecting people, property andthe environment" (ASSE, 2007).

An important question for volunteer leaders inany organization is, how do leaders transform themembership into volunteers, influence these volun-teers into essentially becoming unpaid staff, and cre-ate and develop future volunteer leaders? PresidentDwight Eisenliower defined leadership as "the art ofgetting someone else to do something you wantdone because they want to do it." This is the key toleadership in a not-for-profit organization. Volunteerorganizations such as ASSE require some volunteersto lead and many others to follow. Its fiiture growthrelies on volunteer leaders. Therefore, the Societymust continue to grow the effectiveness of its currentleaders and also identify and cultivate future volun-teer leaders.

The Leader-Member Exchange TheoryNorthouse (2007) found that many theories on

leadership emphasize the leader's traite, skills orstyle, while others ftKus on the follower and the envi-ronment or context of the leadership situations. TheLMX theory of leadership differs in that it focuses onthe interactions between leaders and followers. In thiscontext, the term leaders refers to volunteer leadersand the ierm followers refers to volunteer members.

The key to the LMX theory is to identify the m-group and out-group within the organization. In-group members are those who do more than isexpected and are continually looking for ways tomove their groups forward in innovative ways. Thein-group is given more responsibility, more opportu-

www.asse.org

Developing the leadership chainin not-for-profit organizations c.

nities and greater recognition for its extra efforts(Northouse, 2007).

Alternatively, the out-group does what it isassigned and nothing more. This group is still valu-able, but will not typically gain special support orrecognition beyond the basic acknowledgments of itsmembers' volunteer contributions (Northouse, 2007).

Chandler (2008) states that the most importantprinciple of motivation is to understand that leadersachieve success in the areas in which they offerrewards. Leaders must acknowledge any volun-teer's contributions in order to build trust and tomofivate the out-group members to continue togrow. The LMX theory focuses on building trust andrespect within both the in-group and out-group.This is accomplished by offering all volunteersopportunities for growth through new assignmentsand responsibilities. It also provides encouragementand an additional pathway for those in the out-group to become part of the in-group.

The LMX theory calls for giving special supportand recognition, similar to that given to the in-group, to all members—active or not. This requiresthat all members be offered the opportunity to takeon new positions, responsibilities and expectationsto the degree to which they want to be involved.This process engages inactive members andprompts them to move into volunteer positions. Italso attempts to bring some out-group members intothe in-group.

The LMX theory emphasizes that leaders must befair with all volunteers, paying attention to how spe-cial treatment is allocated and perceived by allinvolved (Northouse, 2007). Leaders must recognizethat each volunteer is unique and has some specialskill set or knowledge to offer in his/her own way.The key to maximizing this relationship is to respect

each member's unique potentials and contributionsto construct a shared trust.

According to the LMX theory, leaders must culti-vate high-quality exchanges with members, lookingfor ways to build trust and mutual respect so that allvolunteers function at their own level, yet areencouraged by those currently in the in-group.Finally, leaders need to look beyond their currentassignments to build high-quality partnerships withother members at every level throughout the organ-ization (Northouse, 2007). This helps constituentgroups and the organization meet the goal to pro-

vide members with more leadership skills as theypursue a greater leadership role within theorganization. The LMX theory focuses atten-tion on the "special, unique relationships that

leaders can create with others. When these rela-tionships are of high quality, the goals of the leaders,the followers and the organization are all advanced"(Northouse).

Not-for-profitmembership organiza-tions such as ASSE relyon their volunteers tofufill their vision andgoats. Some membervolunteers lead, manymore follow in manage-ment roles, others volun-teer only on small tasks,and an even largergroup never volunteer.To be successful, a volun-teer-based memberorganization must con-tinue to develop strongleaders who can influ-ence the membershipto achieve the organiza-tion's vision and goals.This article examines onetheory of leadership andhow it can be applied tobuild a successful leader-ship chain.

Leadership Skills in Support of LMX TheoryAs noted, the LMX theory relies on mutual

respect, trust and sense of obligation between theleader and follower. Therefore, effective volunteerleaders must recognize how these three areas affecttheir own leadership skills and those of the membersthey seek to develop into leaders. However, the con-stituent groups and ASSE must also support volun-teer leaders and focus on high-quality exchangesbetween the organization and its leaders, and fromleaders to volunteers.

Northouse (2007) summarizes Graen and Uhl-Bien's (1991) theories that leadership making devel-ops over time in three phases: 1) the stranger phase;2) the acquaintance phase; and 3) the mature part-nership phase. The stranger phase is a low-qualityexchange between leader and volunteer relating toeach other under prescribed chapter or organizationroles. This theory suggests that during this phase,volunteers are motivated by self-interest rather thanthe good of the given organization. An examplewould be a member who joins a committee solely toearn continuing education units to maintain a certi-fication or to build up a resume.

In the acquaintance phase, the leader and volun-teer explore whether opportunities exist for the vol-unteer to take on more roles or responsibilities. In thisphase, the quality of the exchange is improved overthat of the acquaintance phase. Interest shifts fromoneself and one's goals to the organization and itsgoals. An example of the acquaintance phase wouldbe a member who writes an article for a newsletter,then is asked to be the newsletter editor.

The high-quality exchanges the organization andits leaders should seek are found in the mature part-

www.asse.org MAY 2009 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY 37

Figure 1

Phases in Leadership Maicing

RolesInfluencesf-.x changesinterests

^•Thase I: StrsnKerScripleJOne wayLow qualitySelf

Phase II: Acquaintance

MixedMedium qualitySett" and others

Phase fll: PartnerNegütiuledReciprocalHigh qualityGroup

TIME

Note. Adapted from Leadership; Theory and Practice, 4th ed. (p. 138), by P.Northoiise, 2007, Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

nership phase of Graen and Uhl-Bien's (1991) theo-ries. At this level, both leader and volunteer havedeveloped a high degree of mutual trust, respect andobligation. The exchange has now morphed into anextremely effective way to relate. This interactionproduces positive outcomes for the leader and vol-unteer, as well as the organization (Figure 1). Anexample of a high-quality exchange would be a vol-unteer working on a membership developmentcommittee who suggests an idea for a topical pres-entation, then steps up with committee leadershipsupport to lead and organize this new project.

The following key skills are needed to developthese high-level exchanges among and betweenleaders and volunteers—respect, trust and sense ofobligation.

Establish Mutual RespectMaxwell's (1998/2007) 21 laws of leadership

include law number seven: the law of respect.Maxwell found that the less-skilled tend to followthe more highly skilled and gifted. Yet, he recognizesthat stronger leaders will choose to follow a weakerleader out of respect for a person's status, rank orpast accomplishments. However, the law of respectfinds that followers are attracted to people who arebetter leaders than themselves. Those with strongerleadership skills generally can recognize leadershipstrengths or weaknesses in individuals and a groupin which they participate. Strong leaders will identi-fy stronger leaders and follow—or, where strongerleadership is lacking, may leave the group and pur-sue their own agenda. Maxwell identified six waysfor leaders to gain others' respect:

1) Natural leadership ability. Northouse (2007)discusses the pros and coiis of born leaders in hisdiscussion of the "trait approach" leadership theory.The pros are that most recognize or believe that theyare bom leaders—and one can point to more than acentury of research to support this inherent trait. Italso provides some benchmarks for what to look forin a leader.

However, natural leadership cannot be taught—aleader either has it or does not. Also, the leadershipapproach focuses only on the traits of the leader, notthe follower This recognifion of natural leaders canwork against the LMX theory, which focuses on theinteraction between leader and follower. That said, it

38 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY MAY 2009 wwwasse.org

is important to recognize theperceptions by followers ofnatural leadership and theaccompanying respect associ-ated with it.

2) Respect for others.Leaders cannot force a volun-teer to comply. By its very defi-nihon, volunteering is a choice.Maxwell (1998/2007) foundthat "when people respect youas a leader, they will followyou" (p. 79). According toAbrashoff (2002), the main

challenge for leaders in the 21st century is attractingand retaining "not just employees, but the bestemployees—and more importantly, how to motivatethem so that they work with passion, energy andenthusiasm" (p. 12).

Abrashoff, a naval officer, reviewed exit surveysand interviews conducted with personnel leavingthe Navy. The top reason people cited for leaving themilitary was not being treated with respect or digni-ty (p. 13). Carnegie (1936/1981) found that there wasonly one way to get people to do something: "Andthat is by making the other person want to do it"(p. 47). He found that the only way to get someoneto do something was to give them something theywant. Respect is something everyone seeks. Givingvolunteers respect makes leaders more effective intheir ability to influence them to participate in achv-ities that achieve the organization's goals.

3) Courage. Personal experience has demonstrat-ed that leaders must pierce the thin veil of fear to beeffective. Ziglar (1986/1987) defines the acronymFEAR as fictitious events appearing real. Leadersmust face their fear and push through it. Good lead-ers do what is right, regardless of its popularity orthe criticism that may be received.

Maxwell states that "a leader's courage has greatvalue; it gives followers hope." Abrashoff (2002, p.27) discusses leaving "his comfort zone" to have apositive effect on the Navy and the young men heled. He found that what motivated him to overcomefear was not to squander an opportunity that waspresented to liim. He did not want to look back on aproject or his life and say, "If only I had " (p. 28).Organizations such as ASSE must continue toencourage their leaders to push themselves and theorganization forward and do the right thing.

In his 1933 inaugural address. President FranklinD. Roosevelt said, "Ail we have to fear is fear itself."Often, this involves the fear of change from theorganization, its leaders, and/or the membership.Becoming an agent of change is an important con-cept for leaders in an organization such as ASSE tounderstand.

Likewise, Abrashoff (2002) found that "changefrightens workers and their fears thrive in silence. Theantidote is obvious: Keep talking" (p. 54). Leadingand communicating change are skills leaders musthave to overcome tlie fears among their followers. In

the case of ASSE, the notion of providing a vision forchange and providing supporting communications toits leaders and membership to alleviate fear is anoth-er area that should continue to be developed.

4) Success. People respect others' accomplish-ments. Maxwell (2007) states that a person will fol-low success because s/he wants to be part of successin the future (p. 80). He advances this notion furtherin his law number nine, the law of magnetism.Leaders tend to draw followers who possess thesame qualities. "Who you are is who you attract"(p. 104). ASSE must continue to recognize the suc-cess of its leaders and followers to build a success-oriented legacy. Leaders must recognize andacknowledge the success of group members so thatthey, too, build a legacy of success for future leaders.ASSE has a strong volunteer recognition programthat it must continue to emphasize and expand. Thiswill build a deep track record of member successeswithin the organization and the SH&E profession fortheir benefit as future leaders.

5) Loyalty. By definition, loyalty is being faithfulto a cause, ideal, custom or institution. Being faithfulis defined as steadfast in affection or allegiance. Thisallegiance or devotion to the organization is whatdrives member volunteers to action. Therefore, anorganization like ASSE and its leaders need to por-tray a sound vision that demonstrates a cause inwhich its members can believe.

This also suggests the need for a greater focus onthe members'/volunteers' needs. When volunteersare asked to follow a leader on a project to reach a

Strong Leadership Tipsfor Leading Volunteers

•Volunteers choose to be led—they cannotbe forced to follow you.

•Influence is the strongest trait of a leaderof volunteers.

•He who thinks he leads but has no follow-ers is just taking a walk (Maxwell, 2007).

«Develop respect from volunteers and giverespect back.

• Be trustworthy—have both character andcompetency.

• Develop a sense of obligation for volun-teers—get buy-in.

• Acknowledge appreciation for a volun-teer's efforts—people want recognition.

•Provide opportunities for volunteers togrow-—then ask them to participate.

•Keep your eye out for emerging leaders—give them opportunities to advance.

• Mentor or provide mentors for up-and-coming leaders—show them the way.

• Lead by example—present an image ofwhat a good leader looks like.

• Leave a legacy by filling your shoes with anemerging leader—always have a succession plan.

goal, they must first be able to understand the goal.The leader must then be able to explain what is in itfor the volunteer. This establishes several positiveconditions for the leaders. Answering what is in itfor the follower provides a value or service a mem-ber needs, which can influence him/her to want toactively participate in the project.

Answering this question is also good salesman-ship. Good salespeople develop loyal customers orfollowers. Chandler (2008) puts it simply: "this[salesmanship] simply means asking for what youwant, being very direct with your requests, and hav-ing your communication centered on requests andpromises." Understanding what sales techniquesleaders need to use is another area that must bedeveloped. Ultimately, a member-based organiza-tions like ASSE must focus on developing and main-taining loyalty among its membership and leaders.

6) Value added to others. As notecî, the organiza-tion (ASSE) must provide a vision of value to itsleaders and members. Maxwell (2007) takes it a stepfurther, stating, "you can be sure that followersvalue leaders who add value to them. And theirrespect for them carries on long after the relationshiphas ended" (p. 81). Therefore, there must be a meansto measure or demonstrate the increased value theindividual receives from participating in activitiesthat serve the organization's goals.

Maxwell concludes his discussion on respect bydiscussijig how strong leaders surround themselveswith equals or better while less-successful leaderssurround themselves with subordinates. ASSE, itsconstituent groups and leaders will benefit fromestablishing additional venues where top leaders canmentor up-and-coming leaders to nurture and solid-ify mutual respect tliroughout the leadership ranks.

Leadersmustrecognizeand

the successofgroupmembers sothat they,too, build alegacy ofsuccess for

Establish TrustAbrashoff (2002) found trust to be "a kind of jujit-

su: You have to eam it, and you eam it by giving it"(p. 63). However, leaders can only give trust to thosewho are trustworthy. A survey performed by Covey(2004) of 54,000 people asked them to identify essen-tial qualities of a leader. Tlie study listed integrity asthe clear top choice. Covey defines trustworthinessas having both competency and character. He states,"When you develop strong character and compe-tence, the fniit is wisdom and judgment—the foun-dation of all great and everlasting achievement andtrust" (p. 149).

Most of ASSE's volunteer leadership positionsevolve from capturing and sharing subject-matterexpertise in some form. If a member has strong char-acter yet lacks technical competency, the knowledgeis suspect. Likewise, if a member has great technicalcompetency yet lacks character, s/he might witlvhold the knowledge and refuse to share it. Therefore,volunteer leaders and volunteers must possess char-acter and competency.

Chandler (2008) notes that building trust alsorequires gotxl communication. If feedback to volun-teers is cut off, they may begin to speculate, leading

wwwasseorg MAY2009 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY 39

to fears about their performance. Chandler alsostates that "it is r\o accident that trust and communi-cation are two organizational problems most oftencited by employee surveys" (p. 30).

ASSE is continually preparing and developingopportunities for its members to enhance their tech-nical competencies and participate in professionaldevelopment. These efforts should also encompassthe expansion of leadership and communicationcompetencies. ASSE has a major role and responsi-bility in developing core competencies among itsleaders, volunteers and members. The organizationand its volunteer leaders should continue to identifyways to balance competency development withcharacter expectations and a strong adherence to acode of conduct and/or ethics. Character and com-petency go hand in hand in building trust.

Figure 2

Adapted LMX QuestionnaireiuiiH: rius qucsimnnairc amiains ilcnis ihm ask you m describe your relalionship between either ASSE, the

[cam teaJer, and/or the voluntceits). For each ilctn indicate tlie degree to which you ihink Ihe item is tme for you bycircling on of ihe responses thai appear helow the item.

1) Do you know where you stand with ASSEyieader/volunteers and do you usually know how satisfied ASSEis with what else you do?

Establish a Sense of ObligationWhen discussing the law of buy-in, Maxwell

(2007) states, "People don't at first follow worthycauses. They follow worthy leaders who promotecauses they believe in" (p. 171). He then discusseshow leaders are messengers. If the followers believethe messenger is credible, then they will find valuein the message.

This point is illustrated by the numerous ads andcommercials featuring athletes, movie stars andother celebrities. For example, think about OpraliWinfrey and some of the messages and causes shesupports. When she supports an issue or cause, herleadership credibility influences people to follow herlead. Leaders must be credible messengers so thatthe message in the organization's vision can bedelivered to its membership.

Maxwell (2007) closes his discussion ofthe law of buy-in by explaining that aleader's success is measured by his/herability to take followers where they needto gi>—which is only possible when theybuy in {p. 176). Volunteer leaders mustfirst sell themselves to volunteers beforepresenting the message.

Rarely1

Occasionally Sometimes3

Fairly often4

Very often5

2} How well does ASSE/leader/volunteer understand your task problems and needs?

Not a bit A little2

A fair amount3

Quite a bit4

A greal deal5

3) How well does ASSE/leaderA-olunteer recognize your potential?

Not at all A littie Moderately3

Mostly4

Fully5

4) Regardless of how niucii formal authority you have built into your piisition. what are the chatices thaiASSE/lcader/voluntcer would use their power to he!p you .suive problems or issues with your tasks and/orroles in the Society?

None1

Small Moderale3

High4

Very high5

5) Regardless of how much formal authority you have built inio your position, whal are the chances thaiASSE/ieader/volunteer would bail you out at their o\vn e.tpense?

None Small Moderate3

High4

Very high5

I have enough eonfidenee in ASSE/leader/volunteer that I would defend and justify their decision if theywere not present to do so.

Stronglydisagree

Disagree Neutral Agree Stronglyagree

5

How would you characterize your working relationship with ASSF71eader/volunteer?

AverageExtremelyineiTective

1

Worse thanaverage

2

Better thanaverage

4

Extremelyeffective

Scoring: 30-35 very high, 25-29 high, 20-24 modérale. 15-19 low, 7-14 very low. Upper scores indicate a stronger,high-quality leader-me m her exchange (e.g., ui-group members) whereas lower scores indicate exchanges of lesserquality (e.g.. out-group members).

Note. Adapted from Leadership: Theory and Practice, 4th eti. (p. 138), by P. Northouse, 2007,Nashville. TN: Thomas Nelson.

40 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY MAY 2ÍXÑ wvvw.asse.org

RecommendationsIn the author's opinion, ASSE's volun-

teer leaders should embrace the modifiedversion of the LMX theory that identifiesthe in-group and out-group as well astheinactive group of members. All threegroups form a stepladder to help moveinactive and passive members into an in-group of active members and emergingleaders. The stepladder approach will alsodevelop leaders by incorporating key skillsinto volunteer opportunities that reinforcemutual respect, trust and sense of obliga-fion. Furthermore, supporting skills suchas communication and salesmanship willsolidify the effectiveness of leadership cre-ation within the organization. Followingare several recommendations that shouldbe considered for achieving success.

Leader Making Throughthe LMX Theory

The LN4X theory is also referred to as theleader making process (Northouse, 2007). Asnoted, it provides a ladder for memberdevelopment—from the inactive group toout-group to in-group to higher leadershiproles in tlie organization. This theory servestwo needs. First, it increases the effecfive-ness of currently emerging leaders (the in-group) and helps an organization and itsconstituent groups provide opportunitiesto identify and encourage future leadersfrom its basic volunteers (the out-group).Currently, there is great reliance on a smallsubset of dedicated, active members to vol-unteer and pursue goals.

Second, the theory supportsvolunteer leaders and defines aclear path for their continuedgrowth as leaders. Leaders at alllevels must maximize the devel-opment of active volunteers byrecognizing the in-group andout-group. The in-group is tliecurrent source of emergingfuture leaders. Current leadersmust encourage the out-groupto take on more active roles andresponsibilities and move intothe in-group. This group is agreat source for potential futureleaders who have not yetemerged. Those in the ou t-group should be treated as ifthey are in the in-group andmust be encouraged to becomemore active.

Finally, the LMX theoryshould be modified and ex-tended to a third set of mem-bers—the so-called inactivegroup. In the case of ASSE, thisgroup encompasses those whopay dues, read ProfessionalSafety and other publications,and perhaps attend a chaptermeeting, professional develop-

Finding Time toLearn LeadersiiipI indinj; time to iiiipRUf your lt'.idt'i^hip skills can be difficult. 1 low-v\vt; ni.iny poi^pk' h.nc limj; commutes to .ind tVom work <ind job-sites. Audio .md \ iduo rocurdings cm pro\-idt' .in t'xct'llont nu'lhodfor impros ing le.idership knowledge and gaining competencies.Niiny books and presentations on leadership are now found in \ari-ous mt'din form.its. Thosu books .ind présentations cm bt̂ listened towhik' trti\ fling. (itluTwisf, m.ikt* tiint' in tiu' morning, at lundi or tht-end oí the d.iy to rcid or listen to books.

Co\ t'\' (2004) found thai indi\-iduals v\'ho dedicate 1 hour a d.iy toiwiding iir listening to books, and/or watching ttx:hnical presentationswill gain enormous knowledge and competency in a short time. Hocl.iims ii person can k'.irn up to '•)0"i. of vvh.it is known by thow con-•̂ idoR'd t(i bo exports in th.it field of study in nnlv .1 year. Imagine 3(1̂hours of concóntr.itod training on Ô gi\'en topic Would \'ou h.n e .lcommanding knowledge of the subject matter?

Topics to g¿iin loiidorship knowledge and competcncios on includo:•lo.idorship;•man.igomont;•public spo.iking;• communications;•solf-estoom;• public relations;•writing skills;•miirketing;• nioti\'iition;• s.ilosm.insliip.

ment conference or seminar onoccasion. These members are important and shouldbe given additional encouragement and op-portunities. For ASSE, this third group is ground zerofor future leadership development. Its members mustbe inspired and motivated to take on small tasks andmove up the ladder of leadership by engaging in vol-unteer activities of at least the out-group.

Leam Motivation SkillsChandler (2008) lists many methods for motivat-

ing others into action. His first suggestion is tounderstand the source of motivation. Motivation tovolunteer is internal. Therefore, leaders must leamhow to get members to motivate themselves or eachother. Inactive members need to be motivated by aleader and wÜl not motivate themselves—at leastnot the first time—into volunteer roles. This is calledthe influence of leadership. Leaders often fail to usethe ability to praise and inspire volunteers with therealization of their latent potentials and possibilities(C.imegie, 1936/1981).

However, Chandler (2008) also recognizes thevalue of going after low-hanging fruit by suggestingfinding self-motivated volunteers—"The best wayto create a highly motivated team is to hire peoplewho are already motivated people." The LMX theo-ry requires that leaders focus on identifying the in-group. The theory helps identify self-motivatedvolunteers, but also encourages leaders to inspireout-group volunteers to become self-motivated.

Leadership at all levels of the volunteer organizationmust recognize the need to both select self-motivat-ed volunteers (emerging leaders in the in-group)and inspire those who are weakly motivated (poten-tial leaders in the out-group) or unmotivated (un-known potential of inactive volunteer members).

Morphing VolunteersInto Unpaid Employees

Competency is a critical skill for self-motivatedleaders and emerging leaders. Drucker (1990/2005)interviewed Father Leo Bartel of the Rockford, IL,archdiocese on leading volunteers and volunteerleaders. Bartel discussed a problem with some of hisextremely motivated and very dedicated volunteers:

The fact is, though, that if people are properlymotivated—and those people are deeply moti-vated—developing competence becomes partof their very need. My biggest difficulty in ask-ing people to serve is that they are painfullyaware of their lack of experience and lack ofpreparation. If we can provide them with that,they are eager to learn.

Cultivate Leadership SkillsAs discussed, the LMX tliet>ry stresses high-level

volunteer member interaction embracing mutualrespect, trust and sense of obligation, and it highlightsthe importance of supporting skills such as communi-cation .ind salesmanship. Training provided to volun-teer leaders should teach these leadership skills. These

www.asse.org MAY 2009 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY 41

Strong rolemodel leaders

will developbuy-in for

achieving theorganization's

vision andgoals and, in

the process,will nurture

leaders.

skills can be introduced to members (inactive group),volunteers (out-group) and emerging leaders (in-group) in several ways, including role models, leader-ship training and budding leadership roles.

The LMX theory relies heavily on high-levelexchanges between the leader and follower. Nort-house (2007) provides a questionnaire designed tomeasure the quality of interaction and exchangesbetween the leaders and followers. A modified ver-sion of that questionnaire (Figure 2, p. 40) can be usedto evaluate the quality of leader-volunteer workingrelationships. A^E and its constituent groups shouldcontinue to identify opportunities and new venuesfor providing ti-aining and guidance to all current andpast leaders (still active in ASSE) on developingmutual respect, trust and sense of obligation.

Leaders are good role models and provide strongmentoring to all members. Maxwell (2007) stressesthe importance of leaders as role models and men-tors to emerging and futijre leaders. He found thatpeople do what people see. By modeling key leader-ship qualities, volunteers and emerging leaders willshare a vision of what an ASSE leader looks like.

Maxwell (2007) also discusses how people buy intothe leader first, then his/her vision. Strong role modelleaders will develop buy-in for achieving the organi-zation's vision and goals and, in the process, will nur-ture leaders. Maxwell addresses the legacy factor aswell, which acknowledges the need for leaders todevelop successors. There is a sti-ong need to bundsuccessors to continue the legacy of many successfulprojects and leadership positions. Finally, Maxwelladdresses the growth of new leaders by stressing thatthe more experienced leaders must support emergingleaders. Mentoring will accomplish this. Using currentleaders as role models and mentors provides an exam-ple for emerging leaders while also satisfying the needto develop leadership successors.

Other venues for molding mutual respect, trustand sense of obligation include the annual 2-dayASSE leadership conference, professional develop-ment activities and Professional Safety. Supportiveleadership skills such as communication and sales-manship can also be addressed in these venues.

Other leadership training and networkiiig ven-ues are available through the various councils,regions and chapters. Emphasizing key leadershiptraits and skills to emerging leaders through theseeducational and networking settings will supportthe role modeling and mentoring efforts and thedevelopment of a succession plan. In these venues,questionnaires similar to that in Figure 2 can be usedas a tool to benchmark leadership growth and effec-tiveness. Finally, these key skills and traits can beexemplified through keynote speakers at chaptermeetings, local conferences, leadership events,annual professional development conference ses-sions, newsletters, e-mails, websites and articles inProfessional Safety.

Mentoring Ls another strong way to build leaders.One approach is to tap into a key source—retired pastleaders. In ASSE's case, these would include chapterpresidents, region vice presidents, council vice presi-

dents, practice specialty administrators, board ofdirector members, committee chairs and task forceleaders. However, as Drucker (1990/2005) points out,far too many organizations do not provide a venuefor past leadership alumni to continue to leadthrough mentoring. ASSE must continue its effortsreengage its previous leaders and provide a means tomentor new and emerging leaders. Maxwell (2007)discusses how leaders like to leave a legacy in theirpositions. This is a leadership law that must not bebroken. An expanded platform for volunteer leadermentoring will help develop emerging leaders whilealso providing a legacy and succession plan.

Finally, it is also important to identify and pro-mote entry-level leadership opportunities—such asvolunteering with a local chapter, or joining a taskforce or corrunittee—in which members can honetheir skills for larger future leadership roles.

ConclusionIt is time to embrace this modified version of tlie

LMX theory, which creates in- and out-groups andhelps to identify inactive groups. All three groups forma stepladder for moving volunteer members towardthe in-group of emerging leaders. Such an approachwill also help develop leaders by incorporating keyskills that reinforce the need for mutual respect, trustand sense of obligation into volunteer opportunities.Providing opportunities in which members can devel-op supporting skills such as communication and sales-manship will also solidify the effectiveness ofleadership creation. Finally, good role modeling andmentoring by current leaders will inspire ail membersto become more active, eventually leading to the emer-gence of new volunteers and leaders. •

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