These were the words spoken a few weeks ago – with pride – by former Ambassador Geri Joseph, as she helped celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Policy Fellows program at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.

Ambassador Joseph had every right to be proud; she co-founded the program with with Vice President Walter Mondale in 1990. As she spoke to a packed house of Policy Fellows alumni, there was a collective sense of appreciation for a program that has earned a reputation as one of the best civic leadership programs in the country.

In an increasingly fast paced world, where bookshelves and websites are overflowing with quick-fix leadership tips, the Fellows program has continued to thrive, connecting nearly 600 Minnesotans in a rich cross-sector network of public affairs leaders. What’s the key here? What has made this program last?

Having worked with the Fellows for three years, I’m willing to venture a guess. It’s the honest, genuine and trusting relationships fostered over two decades that have made this program successful. Relationships between classmates, communities, businesses, nonprofits, and political leaders have taken root in the Fellows program. These types of relationships take time. They cannot be created in any other way, no matter how hard we try to condense the process.

A similar theme emerged in a recent Fellows’ workshop with Bill George. Mr. George suggested that the cause of our culture’s “trust problem” is not that we are living in a short-term world, but that our leaders are practicing short-termism. Meanwhile, our shared challenges are getting more complex with each quick fix we toss their way.

Trust. Integrity. These can only be built over time, with genuine patience and dedication.

An attendee at the Policy Fellows 20th anniversary commented: “learning that someone was a Policy Fellow gives them instant credibility.” The other attendees had a laugh at this, knowing there was quite a bit of truth to it. But where does this credibility come from? Probably not from the individual, if they are a relative stranger. Rather, it stems from 20 years of individual and collective investment in the civic culture of our state through this particular leadership program.

I wonder how many of our leaders are practicing short-termism, bypassing the investment of time and the establishment of trust for more immediate and temporary solutions. Can we address our state’s and nation’s challenges without rich and healthy public relationships? Are we personally devoting time and energy to build these relationships? Are we protecting the venues, the opportunities, and the spaces that allow these relationships to thrive?

~ Kate Cimino is a guest contributor.

There is no doubt that volunteers are the straw that stirs the drink for many organizations, associations, clubs, committees/boards, fundraisers and initiatives.  We are very blessed to live in a community, and a country, where so many people volunteer their time.  When you really think about the impact volunteerism has on our lives, it is truly everywhere.

I currently volunteer with a number of different groups.  I also feel very fortunate to be part of very strong volunteer groups right now.  To me, being a volunteer and leading volunteers provide unique sets of challenges.  First, to be honest, I know there have been times when I haven’t been the best volunteer.  Sometimes I exited gracefully like Wendy did with her situation.  Other times, I didn’t, but I should have – or simply, I should have worked (/be working) harder to be a better volunteer.

However, for this post I don’t want to focus on the key attributes of a successful volunteer.  Instead I want to focus on leading volunteers.  I have seen volunteer leaders face many challenges:

• Not enough volunteers for the task at hand
• The volunteers do not have the right skill set needed to accomplish the goal
• Varying levels of commitment amongst the volunteers
• Different work styles and personalities
• Volunteers have different agendas

One of the biggest challenges I have found in leading volunteers is holding people accountable.   As a leader there is a goal that needs to be completed and volunteers need to do what they say they are going to do.  However, these people have volunteered.  I want them to have a positive experience and want them to volunteer in the future.  Some volunteers are very influential, but may not be meeting expectations.  For me, holding volunteers accountable can be a very delicate task.

So, help me and other readers.   Share your stories about leading volunteers.  Give me your best tips and suggestions for leading volunteers.  Our community relies on effective volunteer leaders.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Leaders are transformative and following is always a voluntary act. Managers are paid to get things done, they like to site orders from their own boss as a motivational technique. Leaders do not have subordinates – at least not when they are leading. Many organizational leaders do have direct reports, but only because they are also managers. But when they lead, they have to give up formal authoritarian control, because to lead is to have followers.

Who do you work for? A leader or a manager and who would your subordinates prefer to work for? Even better who do you work with?