Leading at Any Level

August 2024

By Betty Williams, President of CLA

Quality leadership comes in all shapes and sizes based not only on the leader but also on the team being led and the mission of the group. It is relatively easy and stress-free to motivate and collaborate with a small group that has a shared vision. Add in 50,000 lawyers and you can expect every type of challenge and reward to surface!

Critical qualities in a successful leader, in my opinion, and according to countless books on the topic, are vision (seeing where you want to go), effectiveness (knowing how to get there), and integrity (doing so honestly and with dependability).  Decision-making and communication skills are key in leadership, and efficiency and follow-through are also quite necessary to meet goals. I mustn’t forget the ability to be open-minded, patient, and self-aware. Sounds easy, right?

Many of us volunteer our way into leadership by taking a small role that grows over time. Other people are born knowing they want to be in charge.  I don’t have to be in charge, I recently joked, so long as the person in charge drives the ship my way! 

Leadership in volunteer work is unique because the individuals want to be involved with the group, at least in theory. I was in my early 20s and a recent college graduate working as an insurance adjuster for State Compensation Insurance Fund.  My boss required that I be the Social Club representative for our group that year (there were eight groups in the office).  I fought, kicking and screaming, to the first meeting, angry at the assignment because I did not want time away from my desk!  I came back from that meeting as President of the Social Club for the year. I could see that if I wanted brief meetings with tight agendas, the way to do that was to be in charge. Ultimately, not only did we achieve our goals of conducting important events like a Halloween costume contest, and a year-end awards dinner and dance party (free to employees thanks to our successful fundraising), but I also enjoyed the role, truly, because of the great group of people on the committee.  Connection to others is invaluable as a leader, regardless of tenure.

Whether you are leading a team or leading your own life, identifying role models is helpful in leadership, as is determining who your best allies are, who will share the same vision with you, and who will be honest with you about shortcomings or bad ideas. It’s easy to find people who agree with you; finding someone who can let you know when you’re wrong is more useful, even if it stings.

Some people are natural leaders, others study leadership through seminars and books. Either way, leaders are usually easy to spot. CLA Board Chair, Tara Byrd, knew that it was time to think beyond the current year when she held our first Long Range Planning Board meeting earlier this year. Looking to build on the theme of Building the Future, Tara has already begun succession planning for the next Chair, Terrance Evans, who will bring his own extensive leadership experience to our Board. 

It didn’t take long for CLA CEO, Chris Nguyen, to recognize the need to provide outstanding service to our members and to improve membership and revenue generation. To achieve these goals, Chris has organized CLA Central into two divisions, the Member Experience Division and the Operations Division. Nicole Stragalas recently joined CLA as our Chief Member Experience Officer (CMEO). Nicole has significant leadership experience in member experience and organizational development, and with a proven track record in large-scale initiatives for member engagement, she will drive innovation and foster a dynamic community within CLA.

As our Annual Meeting approaches and we prepare the programming for our current leaders and those who are interested in leadership, I encourage you to consider exploring leadership as part of your involvement with CLA. All that is really required is a desire to help in some way, and a willingness to be accountable for the role you accept. There are countless leaders at CLA who will help. I hope to see you in September!