Leadership Library
Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others. —Jack Welch
Leader Resources and Toolkits:
This is an outstanding resource — it contains calendar ideas, a leadership tip sheet, local association self evaluation form, re-thinking bylaws, a best practice library with all kinds of topics from membership to tips & tools; it contains form letters to contact employers/supporters/contributors, association leadership webinars and a ‘resource series’ that includes things like free online survey/ conference call resources, newsletter tips, and something called ‘Polished Professional’—tips to be polished and professional—that to me sounds like a meeting topic.
The best practice library is composed of ideas from members - ideas that worked or is working for them; ideas on membership, marketing, education, meetings & events, leadership, finance & sponsorship and general ideas. Not only is it loaded with great ideas, its an opportunity for members to contribute ideas that is working for them—share the wealth with your fellow members.
Roles & Responsibilities
Officers, Directors & Committees
President:
1. Preside at all meetings of the association and the Board of Directors.
2. Appoint all standing committee chairmen and other committees as authorized by the association or Board of Directors.
3. Be an ex officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.
4. Attend Regional Conference & International Convention, and serve as Delegate at the Regional Conference
5. Works with appropriate local officers in preparing a fiscal year budget.
6. Submits associations candidates for International Awards
7. Perform other duties as pertain to the office of the President.
President-Elect:
1. Be an active aide to the President.
2. Become acquainted with the affairs of the association and prepare for the coming term as President.
3. In the event of the absence of inability of the President to perform the duties, shall perform the duties of the President.
4. Attend monthly meetings, and meetings of the board of directors.
5. Attend Regional Conference & International Convention, and serve as Delegate at the International Convention
6. Automatically accede to the office of President at the end of the term.
7. Perform other duties as pertain to this office.
Vice-President:
1. Perform the duties of the President and President-Elect in the event of their absence or disability.
2. Attend monthly meetings, and meetings of the board of directors.
3. Chairs committees as appointed by the President, or as required by local bylaws.
4. May attend Regional Conference and International Convention
5. Perform other duties as pertain to this office.
Secretary:
1. Take minutes of the meetings of the association and Board of Directors.
2. Maintain an accurate list of the membership.
3. Attend monthly meetings, and meetings of the board of directors.
4. Conduct the general correspondence of the association at the direction of the President.
Treasurer:
1. Be Custodian of all association funds.
2. Receive all monies and disburse funds only upon the sanction of the Board of Directors or the Membership.
3. Submit written reports at each regular meeting.
4. Submit books and records for audit when required.
5. File any and all tax forms required.
6. Attend monthly meetings and meetings of the board of directors.
7. Perform other such duties as pertain to this office.
Board of Directors:
1. Supervise the affairs and conduct the business of the association between business meetings.
2. Make recommendations to the membership.
3. Be subject to the orders of the membership.
4. Not act in conflict with actions taken by the association.
5. Meet at a time and place determined by the Board of Directors.
6. Perform the duties prescribed in these bylaws, the standing rules, and the parliamentary authority adopted by the association
Committees:
· Ways and Means – Fundraising
· Fellowship – Handles sending cards and otherwise reaching out to members
· Concierge – Manages job postings and job searches
· Awards – Manages the solicitation and submission of Regional & International awards
· Public Relations/Technology – Manages the website and social media.
· Budget and Audit (3 members) – Oversees the association’s budget and conducts financial audits
· Legislative – Keeps membership advised of local, state, & national legislation affecting the insurance industry.
· Conference – when the local hosts a council meeting or regional conference
· Bylaws – Keeps local bylaws and standing rules up to date and consistent with International
· Education – Promotes an educational program through CE/designations through IAIP and other industry education providers
· Programs – Manages/coordinates general membership meetings, including arranging the meeting venue and speakers.
· Scholarship – Manages the scholarship program for members, college students or any other group of potential recipients
· Community Action – Arranges/recommends organizations in the local community that we can support
· Safety – Fosters safety programs
· Young/New Professionals – Promote membership in IAIP among young professionals (under 40) and/or those new to the industry (fewer than 5 years), and assists in the areas of leadership and career development.
LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
IAIP executes its mission through the activities of several volunteer task forces and committees. As members of IAIP, your perspective and knowledge is invaluable to our organization. If you are a strategic thinker with a passion for IAIP and our industry, consider taking the next step with a volunteer position. With your knowledge and experience, you can contribute to shaping the future of IAIP.
As a volunteer, you will develop leadership skills and enhance your network, benefiting you both professionally and personally.
Task Force
Belonging to a Task Force is the best opportunity to:
meet other members
test out different skills
shape the future of the organization
build your resume with volunteer leadership roles
Members are welcome to join a Task Force at any time throughout the year. The main volunteer recruitment period for IAIP Task Forces is April-June when we build teams to advance the initiatives within IAIP for the upcoming membership year. View the list of task forces and submit your volunteer interest form!
Regional
Regional Nominating Committee: The Nominating Committee Application is due to the Regional Vice President of your Region by December 1.
Regional Vice President: The Regional Vice President positions that are available for election at the Regional Conferences with a two-year term. RVPs for odd numbered regions are elected in odd years; and even numbered regions elected in even years. The Candidate Interest Form is due to the Regional Vice President of your Region by January 15.
International
International Nominating Committee: The International Nominating Committee presents the candidate(s) for International Secretary. The Nominating Committee Application is due to the IAIP President at president@iaip-ins.org by November 15.
International Secretary: The International Secretary will be elected via an electronic vote prior to the annual Convention and serve during the next membership year. The position automatically progresses through the officer positions culminating as President after a total commitment of four years. The Candidate Interest Form is due to the IAIP President at president@iaip-ins.org by December 1.
Foundation
Foundation Nominating Committee: The NAIW Legacy Foundation Nominating Committee presents candidates for the Foundation Chair, Directors-at-Large and RVP Director. The Nominating Committee Application is due to the Executive Director at exec.dir@iaip-ins.org by November 15.
Foundation Board of Directors Position: The Foundation board is charged with setting the strategic direction of the Foundation, awarding scholarships and grants, supporting the educational program development for advancement of the insurance industry. Positions available include the Foundation Board Chair, two Directors-At-Large and the Director position filled by a sitting IAIP Regional Vice President. Foundation Candidate Interest Form is due to the Executive Director at exec.dir@iaip-ins.org by December 1.
10 Key Qualities and Habits of a Highly Effective Mentor
This is the introduction to our 10-part series covering the key qualities and habits of highly effective mentors.
To start 2020 off right, we’ve created a list of qualities and habits we’ve found make the most effective mentors according to research. After all, effective mentors and mentees make effective mentorship programs!
In this series, we’ll cover the following characteristics quality mentors possess:
But wait, there’s more! Before we dive into the series, we should lay down the most basic characteristic of all mentors: they’re human. When we start working with someone full of wisdom and ready to guide us, we might forget that at the end of the day they’re just like us—human! They too have time commitments, weaknesses, and blind spots, so be kind and don’t expect your mentor to get you where you want to be all on their own—you will have to put in the work!
BONUS #0: They’re human
Don’t be afraid to get personal: Build rapport and be friends!
First and foremost, getting to know a mentee or mentor beyond the business aspect of the relationship is a good way to generate trust, a vital part of any mentoring partnership. However, getting a fuller picture of a person’s world also strengthens that relationship.
What are your mentee’s passions apart from work? Their values? What are their most cherished relationships and who are they with? Understanding what drives your mentee and who will help support them throughout the mentoring partnership (apart from you) will help your time together be more meaningful and the work you do last longer and be more fulfilling.
Demonstrate compassion and be genuine.
Just because you must maintain your objectivity and fairness doesn’t mean you can’t show your compassion. In fact, your mentoring relationship probably won’t work if you don’t show your interest and desire to provide one-on-one help and guidance.
You must also be selfless about sharing what you know. Keeping your goal in mind—to remain worthy of someone’s trust, model positive behaviour and successful performance, and offer guidance and advice toward reaching a specific goal—should be the compass that guides all your actions as a mentor.
Always keep the 3 R’s in mind: Responsible, Respectful, & Ready.
People who are responsible, respectful, and ready to get started with new projects help make the day-to-day work experience a better one, not only for themselves but also for everyone around them.
By going into your mentoring partnership with these three R’s in mind, you’ll get the relationship with your mentee off on the right foot. Being Responsible for the work you’ll need to put in, Respectful of your partner’s time, and Ready to do what’s needed to make the partnership a success will keep everyone on the same page and moving forward together!
Let’s Get Started!
Unless they’re superhuman, it’s unlikely your mentor will inhabit all of the qualities of an effective mentor that we’ll cover in this upcoming series. But that simply reminds us to keep #0 on our list top of mind as we dive in: we’re all only human! We must accept both each other’s shortcomings and skills in order to really create an effective team.
Hopefully, you’ll find that your own weaknesses are buttressed by your mentor’s strengths, and vice versa.
If you’re ready to create a culture of intentional mentoring at your organisation, Mentorloop can help. We’ll get you started by building a custom mentoring program for your business, with guidance on how to get the most out of it, step-by-step.
Now’s the time to harness this incredible tool called mentoring and put it to work for your own organisation!
Growing for gold
by Mallory Hendry 16 Aug 2021
If a slew of World Championship wins and three Olympic medals have taught Elana Meyers Taylor (pictured) anything, it’s that it truly takes a team to achieve any major accomplishment — and in order to be an effective leader, you have to show each member that they play a vital part in the group’s success.
“The greatest way to continually achieve is to make sure those you value the most know it and understand their contributions,” said Meyers Taylor, Olympic medalist for US Bobsled and 2019 Women’s Sports Foundation president. “All roles are significant in order to achieve a goal.”
An accomplished bobsled pilot, in September 2014 the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) made the move to allow mix-gender crews to compete in four-men bobsleigh, removing the restriction that kept women in their own separate two-person event. Two months later, despite having only four days experience piloting a larger crew, Meyers Taylor led her team to third place in the US trials, securing their spot to compete for the nationals team. A few weeks later in the season-opening North American Cup, Meyers — along with Canadian Kaillie Humphries — became the first women to compete with and against men in an international four-man bobsleigh competition.
Meyers Taylor relished the ability “to be in a position to completely challenge some people’s assumptions about female athletes,” calling it an honor and a privilege that made her excited for what the future holds for her sport. She said competing in the men’s field was one of the greatest highlights of her career, but it “definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone.”
“Personally, it allowed me to grow as an athlete and as a person as I was in a leadership position of a very different group of people than I was used to working with,” she said. “It helped me grow as a leader to learn how to relate to my male teammates, and they taught me some very valuable lessons as well, such as unashamed confidence.”
The experience also taught Meyers Taylor that in any good team, leaders should continuously learn from those they lead and, on August 31, she will share her insights on collaborative leadership at the Women in Insurance Chicago event. In the opening keynote, Growing for gold, Taylor will dive into the years she’s spent competing in her sport at the highest level and the lessons she learned along the way, including the importance of the hard work she invested to reach her goals and why none of it would have been possible without her teammates.
Piloting your crew — whether it’s leading them down a bobsled run or into a meeting, whether it’s a large team or a small one, and whatever the gender of its members — comes down to the fact that leadership is an act of service, Meyers Taylor said.
“The service comes from the time you take to ensure that the members of your team are also accomplishing their individual goals within the greater goal, but also to ensure that they know how valuable they are to the mission.”
To hear more from Elana on what her success has taught her as a woman and as a leader, join her and other accomplished speakers for the Women in Insurance Chicago event on August 31.
article courtesy of Insurance Business America
Robert’s Rules of Order: 2021_July_03_Robert’sRules.pdf
CWC Application: 2021_July_03_CWC _Application_.pdf