FROM THE BRIDGE

BY SHIRLEY HEALD

National Treasurer

►As I often say, the biggest challenge in ensuring the sustainability of America’s Boating Club | United States Power Squadrons is attracting good leadership. At all levels of the organization, we must identify member leaders with the best combination of aptitude, attitude and purpose. As a volunteer organization, our human capital is our greatest asset.

At the helm of the organization, the Board of Directors plays a crucial role in steering the organization through turbulent times by setting strategic goals, overseeing financial management and implementing membership growth initiatives. However, it’s also the role of leadership to evaluate and adjust our business model to align with current market demands while fostering innovation and member engagement. By leveraging our collective expertise and providing guidance for local clubs, the board seeks to ensure that the organization remains resilient and adaptable in pursuit of renewed profitability and sustainability. Our clubs must do this as well.

Leadership at all levels must anticipate and adapt to environmental shifts. It’s critical that we define the meaningful influences outside our operating environment so that we can overcome challenges, seize opportunities and achieve our goals.

To succeed, we need to adjust to external factors, including shifting market demands for boating education and fellowship.

To that end, we must:

Decide what business we are in and not in. As leaders we must define our core business, evaluate our product portfolio, and prioritize investments to drive growth and strategic alignment.

Balance the need for fast results with the need for future investments. Delivering short-term performance while making strategic investments for long-term success ensures both immediate impact and sustained progress. For example, our Educational Department is developing new products to deliver to the underserved market of recreational boaters with 20-foot center-console boats who navigate inland waters. Additionally, the board has invested in a strategic marketing firm, Marine SEO, to help attract this market. And finally, the board has invested in new software that will bring our IT infrastructure into the 21st century, which will serve us well in the long run as we phase out 40-year-old software.

Delegate. When you do something that isn’t on your officer task list, you’re doing someone else’s work. Delegating tasks to the appropriate team members not only allows them to grow and contribute more to the organization’s success but also moves decision-making closer to the action, making the organization more responsive and agile.

Cultivate the culture of our organization. Creating experiences that shape beliefs about our mission empowers leaders to act. Remember:

• Everyone is important.

• Make your people your brand.

• Burn the free fuel, appreciation, recognition and encouragement.

• Give people a purpose, not just a job.

Volunteer today to be a leader who can make a difference! ■

About the Author

Vice Commander Shirley Heald began boating after completing a sailing voyage on the Texas Gulf Coast. She joined Dallas Sail & Power Squadron/21 in 1990 and attained the grade of Advanced Pilot. She became squadron commander in 1996 and district commander in 2009. During her tenure in Dallas, she also taught the basic boating and Sail classes. Next, Shirley began taking extended charter cruises in Greece, Maine, and the Texas Gulf Coast. Much to the dismay of her sailing friends, she purchased a Bombardier Sea-Doo 4-Tec Sportster jet boat, The Well Heald, and trailered it to many squadron events. After the Dallas Squadron dissolved, Shirley became a member of Houston Sail & Power Squadron/21, where she is learning to kayak and is looking forward to helping teach the basic boating class with Texas Parks and Wildlife.