Leadership, the board and what it all means to you?

Discussion in 'Sun City General Discussions' started by BPearson, Nov 2, 2018.

  1. BPearson

    BPearson Well-Known Member

    It was fascinating to sit and listen to the potential board candidates as they answered questions yesterday. Having escaped from work 15 years ago, i had removed myself from that whole equation of leadership and the various styles. That's odd, because since retirement i have served on 5 boards in various capacities and almost always viewed my role on them as one of leadership.

    As i heard the candidates answer, it made me wonder, do they see themselves as leaders of the community? Is their role to set agenda or simply be a rubber stamp for the management staff of the RCSC. I think back to my days on the RCSC board and as i have said in the past, feel i failed miserably.

    Mind you, i set myself up to fail. I knew going in i couldn't/wouldn't survive under the existing culture of the system. My purpose was to try and change that culture and you can't do that by being compliant or complacent to the status quo. My intent was to try and rock the boat and hope those on the board would take a more aggressive role as leaders within the community.

    Non-profits are notorious for their inability to act aggressively. By their very nature, they often become subservient to the hired personnel, and the boards typically act to insure they are cohesive and steady. Board members buy into the logic their role is one of getting along and simply follow the leader. Too often the leader is the hired help, and the board becomes more followers, than leaders.

    Just my thoughts, what i am interested in is yours...do you see the coming elections as your chance to elect"leaders" or are you more interested in voting for people who fill the chairs and help keep the peace?
     
    Last edited: Nov 2, 2018
  2. BPearson

    BPearson Well-Known Member

    Perhaps leadership is a topic many don't care about, or understand the nuances of it. Too bad, because with a field of 8 pretty good candidates, drilling down beyond the usual "i'm running because i love Sun City" is almost essential to figure out who to vote for. But before we go there, let's take a quick look back.

    The history of Sun City is Amazing (yes, capitalized for a reason). In that this was the first of its kind, there was no playbook on how to build it. There was constant shifting and shuffling of ideas and efforts to find the right mix. The Del E Webb Development Corporation (DEVCO), was tireless in pushing and pulling people along. They knew for the community to succeed, the residents would have to take ownership of the process of self-governance. And the good news was, those living here stepped up from the very beginning.

    If you ever have the good fortune of taking my friend Ben Roloff's classes through the Life Long Learning Club, you will hear names of individuals who were involved year after year. They saw the need and did whatever it took to insure we evolved to where we are today. They weren't paid staff, they were visionaries who understood Sun City was special and for it to succeed, it would need to nurtured and prodded along with a never ending eye to the future. It wasn't an accident, it was hard work, dedication and yes love of the community.

    If you listen to Ben, you will know there were intense internal struggles over direction. The fights over merging the rec centers, school taxes and incorporation were epic. Outcomes were never a foregone conclusion. They always were solved because a majority of residents spoke up and got involved. It should be mandatory text book reading for any potential board member; unfortunately it's not. The only criteria today is you are paying your lot assessment on time and have lived here a year.

    Hence, the reason i am poking and prodding you to look at this election as more than just a popularity contest. I've told any number of potential candidates over the years, the biggest key to winning an election has been how well a candidate has networked over the years. The number of clubs is often the biggest contributing factor, at least if they haven't angered fellow club members. Name recognition, especially for former board members helps and because there usually are more male candidates than female, women have benefited from that in the past.

    This year is different; there are 5 women and 3 men running. That alone should make this race more interesting. I know i have drifted from the topic of leadership, and i will come back to it in later posts. What i am strongly suggesting is that voters take the time to either attend the candidate forum next Thursday evening at Marinette or at least watch them on the Sun City Youtube channel. What we have learned from our history is that it does matter who is elected. In fact, if some of the names of elected board members over the years had been different, Sun City would have an entirely different look and feel from what it is today.
     
  3. CMartinez

    CMartinez Well-Known Member

    Bill, after watching the video of the the candidate forum, I truly believe there is a need to identify those who will be leaders, understand the nuance of being a great leader, and what it entails to want to lead in an environment such as that as the RCSC. Whew! The video definitely provided me a clear picture of whom it is that should be considered to be leaders among the field of candidates. IMHO, it was clear who has done their homework, and which candidates have an understanding of providing governance in the coming years. I looked at the new candidates first, as I feel new blood with new ideas of moving and shaping the future of the RCSC and what it looks like is severely needed for some core changes which need to take place. Then I looked at the former board members running for a second term. There is one with the business experience needed to head the budget and finance committee, as well as the insurance committee, which will now have a great need for guidance.

    I now work, and getting to an evening meeting at 6 pm would be a feat, at best. I am currently downtown at Osborne and Central, and the commute to and from this location at 5 pm is brutal, to say the least. I would love to be able to attend one of these meetings to get the feeling for supporting an open meeting format. If there truly is a desire to be of service to the residents and your peers, and you really want them to attend meetings, make the meetings open, let the architecture of governance really be seen and not done from behind closed doors and cloaked in secrecy. Let the actions, decisions, and the discussions be seen by all. Eliminate the "back room" antics and deals, and make it a true self governing corporation, for the people of Sun City.

    This sheer number of candidates places great hope of an election of the people for the people. Then, let us get to the business of making Sun City a community of transparency for our new leaders. Let there be a new era of leaders and leadership for this great community we love called Sun City.
     
    Last edited: Nov 5, 2018
  4. BPearson

    BPearson Well-Known Member

    Thanks for jumping in here Carole. Not an easy topic, but one i feel is immeasurably important. For too long board elections have been little more than popularity contests or worse yet, the same number of candidates as open seats. That is why this election is truly an exception to the rule. There's 8 candidates for 3 open seats. Dave's seat apparently won't be filled by the 4th place finisher, as the board is already reviewing previous board members to ask to fill the one year vacancy once David leaves at the turn of the year.

    I want you to consider this when you vote; over the years, true leaders, people with a vision to the future were the ones that made a difference in this community. It wasn't people who simply bought into what the powers that be wanted. The best example of this was the 25 year battle for incorporation. During that span, guys like John Meeker (who i thought the world of) were quietly working with organizations to get incorporation passed. On the other side of the equation was the community at large who fought it every step of the way.

    Had it passed, it would have changed Sun City in ways most of us could not have imagined. Along with the idea of incorporation would have come a tax base, city government and city services that would have made us virtually the same as every city around us. Volunteerism would have been replaced by paid people doing many if not all of the things we do now with volunteers.

    It's why i often lament the idea of reducing committees and resident involvement. It's why i have chastised the changes in corporate documents that have reduced members rights. Letting the board of 9 at the behest of the staff direct and design our future is counter to how Sun City was built. No question, it is faster and easier, but in my humble opinion, not better. Ask yourself this: Had residents had any real input over the 40 million dollars assigned to golf, would that have been their first choice? Way easier to get there when you stack the board with golfers and then pass it using them as the guidepost.

    Listen closely to answers from the 8 candidates this year. Do they have an eye to the future? Are they willingly open to question/challenge the GM's direction? Or are they simply going to be a rubber stamp to staying the course? Do they have ideas that are beyond just improving communication and loving Sun City as the reason they are running? How well do they understand Sun City, its history and the vital role they can play in shaping our future?

    It's great to have this many choices, but the real test is if we elect those who can and will truly make a difference.
     
  5. Cynthia

    Cynthia Well-Known Member

    I don’t expect a new crop of leaders every year. I doubt there are that many real leaders within the community. I expect some leaders and hope for some thoughtful others.

    I was happy to see that not all were golfers this time. Now if one of those few non-golfers is also a leader who is backed up by a few thoughtfuls, SC could move into the future.
     
  6. BPearson

    BPearson Well-Known Member

    Fair point C, not everyone elected to the board should, could or will be leaders...not in the sense i would look for. It would be unrealistic to expect it. That said, there need be at least one visionary; someone who is able to look beyond the same old same old. We need those who understand Sun City has been and will be a never ending evolution looking for the right direction and balance.

    Let me give you an example, and while i know Carole disagrees with me, Rich Hoffer was able to do that in his last term. The GM did not want the meetings recorded nor did she the long range planning committee reinstated. It took Rich three years to get it done, but now both are in place. He understood both would play a role in the direction Sun City took moving forward. It was utter nonsense to do away with the long range planning committee and there was never a valid reason not to video the meetings. Rich was a bit abrasive in his first year in office but after that he obviously learned from his mistakes and was far more patient.

    Of the 8 candidates, i'm looking for those who can identify and articulate our needs as we look to the future. I had hoped the long range planning committee would help fill that role, but to date, those 15 to 20 minute meetings haven't begun to scratch the surface. As i have written so many times, understanding our past while looking to the future is the perfect compliment to fit a potential board members profile.
     
  7. Cynthia

    Cynthia Well-Known Member

    Are you in favor of previous board members continuing to run again? Are you advocating for Rich Hoffer because I feel conflicted about that issue. I'm of course a newbie of SC so I don't have the benefit of much hindsight.

    What is the process when the GM doesn't want something but the board does? I'm a bit disheartened to know it was the GM who opposed these forward thinking ideas. Board members come on go but she is semi permanent.
     
  8. BPearson

    BPearson Well-Known Member

    I am torn by the idea of board members coming back. Obviously i have a conflict of interest; as a former board member i am eligible for another term. I've written often that i would only come back under certain conditions and one of them is i would have no interest in doing it and becoming another bobble-head in the back window of the car. I would form a slate (with 3 members in place for each of two years) with a platform drafted defining our goals. If residents liked them, great, if not, that would be fine too.

    Yes, i am advocating for Rich, he is one of a very few who was willing to take on the challenges of pushing an agenda the GM didn't want.

    In my previous life, we taught Situational Leadership, used Myers Briggs, personality profiling, and group think was how we moved the mountain. Not arguing for or against any of it, but i know it when i see it. It was almost surreal to see intelligent people be moved in directions with hardly a whimper. I get it, we pay the GM good money (not great money) and we want her to take on a leadership role. The trouble is, it can't/shouldn't be the driving force behind the decisions made. The history of Sun City was a community led by more than a handful.

    More later, off to the US Lawn Bowls Tournament.
     
  9. J_and_V

    J_and_V Member

    Hi All...Long time, no post. But this is important. Full disclosure, my spouse is one of the candidates. Also full disclosure, I didn't read all of Bill's post(s).

    The questions asked at the last forum were softballs and did not allow the candidates to give answers that could prove leadership. I know, I tossed one of the softballs and regret I didn't use the time more purposefully.

    It is MY OPINION that we have candidates that can be leaders. It is also my opinion that a leader does more than just saber rattle and expect others to follow. A leader needs to have the ability to listen to and work with others, consider all available information, and be able to communicate their stance/opinion in a confident manner.

    A leader also needs to understand their role and responsibility. The RCSC management answers to the board, at least that is how it's supposed to be. I have heard we currently have it backwards where the board, at times, is taking direction from management.

    Do we have candidates that can get this turned around? Do we have candidates that can handle the pressure if they do get it turned around? Would any of them be willing to commit to "the buck stops here"?

    With a 9 member board where all decisions are made behind closed doors, it's hard to tell the good guys from the bad. All we can do is make our best decision based on the information we have. Does someone who has been there automatically get a return trip? Make sure someone wants to move forward instead of operate "like we always have".

    Are you able to tell if any of these candidates have an agenda, or special cause they are trying to champion? Can you tell which candidates have the good of all Sun City as a priority? I believe you can, if you listen.

    If you are/were unable to attend the candidate forums you can watch them on "You Tube". If you have questions you would like to ask of a candidate, they will be at the "Craft Fair" on Nov 23rd and Nov 24th, at Sundial.
     
  10. BPearson

    BPearson Well-Known Member

    Couldn't agree more V, it is imperative for those who will be voting in the RCSC board elections to watch the video of the two sessions. Seriously good stuff. As i chatted with several of those in attendance, there was clearly some questions still lingering about which ones to support. There are choices and for those unsure, watch, learn and listen again. You want to consider those who have an eye to the future while still appreciating our past. Those who understand we are always evolving. That understand their role is far more than a caretaker, but a leader for those on the way here.

    It's great to have choices and hopefully this year it will be more than a popularity contest. Thanks to all of you who have stepped up and entered the fray; just too bad you had to contend with the crap on the cars when you were leaving. It will be interesting to see how our current "leaders" deal with this crisis (and by God, i do mean crisis).
     
    Last edited: Nov 9, 2018

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