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When Steve Francks, RCE, CAE, retired last year as CEO from Washington REALTORS® after 26 years serving the REALTOR® family, AExperience wondered what words of wisdom he’d like to pass along to his fellow AEs. “There are a lot of ideas I could share, most of which I’ve picked up from others along the way,” he says. “Here are five.”
- Treat your staff like grownups. Be intentional about building a supportive, respectful and collaborative staff culture. Be willing to put your job on the line to protect them if necessary.
- Understand and honor the distinctive role of volunteers. Serving as president may be the highlight of a member’s professional life, so help your presidents have a great year—within the bounds of the strategic plan. When the volunteer-staff partnership is clicking, we can achieve great things for our members and communities, and that’s when the fun really starts.
- Make sure your strategic plan reflects the association’s direction and goals. The president’s primary job is to help advance the association’s strategic plan, not pursue personal initiatives. Continually monitor the plan’s progress; this holds the association and the AE accountable and helps you demonstrate your value.
- Never get complacent. Strive for a culture of continuous improvement that encourages responsible risk-taking and openness to change. Change requires courage, and remember that “the time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining” (John F. Kennedy).
- Be flexible but true to your principles. As AEs, we are constantly making choices and decisions. Do we stand on principle or encourage pragmatic compromise? We must be flexible and willing to change our minds (pro tip: listen to your staff), but we can’t be perceived as feckless or wishy-washy. When making decisions, stay true to your core beliefs. This requires constant introspection, but it’s indispensable to everything you do.
