As a membership-based organization, you exist to help your members develop into the people they’ve dreamed of becoming, both personally and professionally. And, with an estimated 10% of the population being natural leaders and 20% possessing leadership skills, there’s a good chance your members want to develop their prowess in this area.

Not only does leadership training better engage your members, but it also strengthens your organization’s identity and longevity as a whole. After all, who understands your organization and its needs better than your members? Members can apply their leadership skills to your organization, fortifying your operations as they learn.

In this guide, we’ll review how to cultivate a strong crop of leaders within your membership community, allowing them to thrive and you to achieve your purpose.

1. Identify potential leaders early.

Nobody can become a great leader overnight; it requires extensive training and experience to gain the necessary confidence. However, some of your members may have more leadership potential than others based on their personality traits and aspirations. 

Identifying these members early allows you to start training them sooner and help them tap into their potential as quickly as possible. Here are some questions to answer that can point you in the right direction:

  • Who has habits that would translate well into a leadership role? 
  • Who has expressed interest in being a leader?
  • Who takes the initiative to do extra work?
  • Who can handle pressure well?
  • Who embodies our organization’s values?
  • Who can communicate well?
  • Who is receptive to feedback?
  • Who has indicated long-term loyalty to your organization?

To easily gauge potential leaders, survey members with targeted questions based on the above parameters. Then, assemble a member leadership committee to choose the most promising members to elevate to a leadership position.

Also, you can more passively determine who has excellent leadership potential by looking at your data. For instance, let’s say you represent a union, and one of your key metrics for determining a member leader is their tenure at your organization. UnionWare suggests generating a report using your union management software to evaluate how long potential leaders have been members of your organization. 

2. Provide leadership training programs and resources.

While identifying members is an important first step, your organization must go above and beyond to shape them into effective leaders. After all, members might have a strong foundation in leadership, but they’ll need additional support to cultivate their skills and become truly successful. 

That’s where leadership training from your organization comes in. Here are some potential focus areas for your training materials:

  • Identifying leadership styles
  • Strengthening communication skills
  • Resolving conflicts effectively
  • Embracing diversity and inclusion
  • Leading through change and uncertainty
  • Making strategic decisions
  • Managing organization-specific responsibilities

Even if your organization is in the busiest part of your year, you can provide leadership training passively. For instance, you might provide members with discounted passes to a conference, online courses, workbooks, and physical space to host their own workshops with other aspiring leaders. Starting out small allows you to experiment with low stakes and discover what works for future program development.

3. Offer different tiers of leadership opportunities.

Chances are, your members have unique affinities that dictate what type of leader they’ll be. Plus, everyone has different obligations outside of your organization, which can limit their bandwidth and availability. 

That’s why offering tiered leadership opportunities can maximize participation without burning your members out. Let’s look at a hypothetical list of tiered leadership opportunities that could help boost union member engagement:

  • Activity leader (1 hour every other month): Members host workshops relevant to your organization and their interests.
  • Mentorship role (2 hours every month): A seasoned member meets with new members to make them feel welcome and answer any questions they might have.
  • Leadership committee member (4 hours per month): Members discuss issues or ideas relating to the member experience.
  • Committee head (8 hours per month): The committee head meets weekly with union staff to relay the committee’s concerns and solve problems. 
  • Executive board member (16 hours per month): Highly skilled and dedicated members sit on a board separate from the leadership committee that handles various operations, such as event planning, marketing, and financial planning. 

As you evolve your leadership offerings, ensure you discuss reasonable expectations for each role with members to encourage participation and prevent turnover. You might do this by sending out a survey or having the existing membership committee vote on the requirements for each tier.

4. Cultivate a supportive environment.

No matter the details of your specific leadership initiatives, one element must remain constant: your support for member leaders. After all, they’re taking on extra responsibilities so your organization can thrive—the least you can do is be there for them every step of the way. You can make your leadership program more supportive by:

  • Implementing regular check-ins
  • Listening to their concerns
  • Offering flexible hours
  • Showing thanks for their time

Ultimately, if your members feel happy, healthy, and hopeful for the future of your organization, they can continue growing as leaders and give back to your community for years to come.  

Understand that it’ll take time for your leadership program to take shape. Even once it’s established, it’ll likely change with your membership community, goals, and your organization’s sphere of influence. As long as you help members best leverage their leadership roles, your community will be better equipped to handle any challenge in your path.