I attended a Rotary dinner last night and sat next to someone who once served as district governor. I asked her how governors are chosen. She explained the requirements and nominating process. The final step is to present yourself before a committee and answer questions. She said, "Some people are wonderful on paper, but they have no microphone presence. As district governor you have to be able to command the attention of an audience." When we think about leadership, we often think about this form: the leader as a dynamic personality that people look to. However, there are other kinds of leadership and a useful association acts as a leader to their members— despite not having all the answers.
On the surface, a request for proposal (RFP), seems like a methodical and rational method to find a vendor to work on your project. You create criteria, assemble a pool of possible solutions, and choose the best one.
But there are three serious problems that occur when you apply this approach that make its effectiveness mediocre at best.
“We totally appreciate you being our voice,” a member and laboratory leader told Michelle Hoad as she stood in the lobby of their hospital. She was on her way home after visiting the government and had found a couple of minutes to swing by and personally update the member while she was in the area. Three years into her tenure as CEO of MLPAO she had built a network of leaders like that one, increased membership by 35%, and delivered on her promise to “change everything.” It wasn’t easy though...