For the last three years I had the honor to serve as a member of the National Council on Public History’s Board of Directors. Elected by my peers I took my seat a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, joining a board that had to make incredibly tough decisions in order to survive as an organization. I knew that it was not going to be an easy term, but after giving my time to the organization in various forms over fifteen years I was determined to be a positive addition to the team.
As much value that I hope I brought to the organization, I left the experience with a set of lessons and ideals around leadership. While the resulting ten principles are couched within the language of board service, they are useful tenants on how I like to approach my personal and professional lives.
Be Committed
While being on a board is a privilege, it is also a responsibility. It is something that you choose to do, and yet, like so many things in life, there is a difference between saying yes, and being truly dedicated to the decision that you make. I don’t have trouble agreeing to things, but have found—particularly during my year of service in 2023—that it is easy to overcommit, resulting in a lack of focus and follow through. As we juggle our different responsibilities, saying yes when we should say no, means eventually one of those balls will drop.
Be Present
I am the queen of multitasking. I clean and listen to audio books. I make lists while watching TV. When we work remotely that second screen makes it really easy to be on a Zoom call while checking email. However, being on a board is about focus and deep listening so that you can make the best decision you can for the benefit of the organization. After all those decisions could have major ramifications. It is equally important to be in the moment not just for your fellow board members and staff, but also for yourself. I will be the first to admit how difficult this is to achieve, but in this age of short attention spans it becomes all the more essential.
Be Aware
It is so very easy to join a board and add the monthly tasks to the checklist of things that you have to do (as I mentioned above, I do love a good list!). But so much of the work is also about paying attention to the world around you, having your eyes open to shifts that might impact the organizations work. Being a board member is about your expertise, and what you bring to the table, but it is also about anticipating needs so that the organization will be in a good place once you leave.
Be Humble
While I was elected for my public history experience, I knew that inevitably I would be asked to make decisions based on topics that are not a strength. In my case it was the financials. I know my way around a basic budget sheet, but an organizational budget is something else entirely. In some ways, approaching these tasks as a public historian was paramount, where responding “I don’t know, let me learn or get more information, and get back to you later” was sometimes the only way forward. Recognizing where you don’t have the answer, but are willing to learn often opens more doors and opportunities to grow.
Be Open
In a lot of ways being humble and being open feel like the same lesson. However, this is more about exposing yourself to viewpoints other than your own, rather than recognizing your own limitations. A board is often made of many other people, each with their own experiences and knowledge. Like in life, knowing that there is information you may not have access to, is the difference between making decisions blind and making an informed decision.
Be Kind
While this is not the first lesson on the list it is perhaps one of the most important. We live in times where our loss of humanity—as a community and as individuals—is being threatened almost every day. Board work is stressful, particularly when it has repercussions within our changing democracy, and where doing the work also means carrying and experiencing a level of empathy that sometimes can feel overwhelming. It is essential, and imperative, that kindness is at the forefront of the work.
Be Prepared
In a lot of ways preparation is about time. It is about recognizing the work of an agenda, of pre-reads, of the labor of an organizations staff to give you everything you need to do the work that you have committed to doing. In life, this means doing the research and thinking you need to ahead of time in order to make those informed choices, and to get you where you want to be in the future. Preparation is, relative to awareness, about taking the knowledge you have so that you can take that next step when needed.
Be Ready
In a lot of ways this is a partner to preparation. Being ready is about taking the calculated risk. Listening to advice, reading the materials, but then being ready to take action on behalf of the organization. As one of its representatives you need to be able to pull the lever, disperse the funds, or in your every day life, be available for the next stage when it comes along. This is particularly important if you don’t consider yourself a risk taker, making sure you have done the up front work so that you are ready when the time comes.
Be Flexible
In some ways this is about being ready—but being ready to pivot. Even if you are humble, open, aware, and prepared there is always a possibility that the unexpected is right around the corner. As a member of the board, and as a human being, this is a characteristic that I had to learn to cultivate. I am by nature someone who loves a good routine, always striving to hold onto one, but sometimes the only way forward is to take a step to the left.
Be Proud
Finally—board service, particularly service for a working board, is hard. As a result it is necessary to take the time to step away from the day-to-day decision making and acknowledge a win. Sometimes that success is only visible after years of preparation and decision making, and recognizing those moments how you see the impact of time and effort for the individuals that you serve. Taking pride in that work will buoy you when you are overwhelmed, frustrated, and worried, it will also elevate your mood, and remind you of the value you bring to others.
It has been a remarkable three years where I was lucky enough to serve with a group of individuals who are smart, talented, empathetic, and committed. I am forever grateful for the experience, but I am also filled with gratitude for the people—fellow board members, staff, committee volunteers, and membership—who made it so easy to be proud, ready, and committed for the future of public history.
...this is what comes next 