Driving Change Through Board Leadership
With the evolving complexities of our world, from grappling with the changes brought about by the global pandemic to the growing conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), personal and professional leadership has never been more important.
In a recent article, we discussed the importance of personal leadership both to your personal career as an APRN and to the profession as a whole. And now we are looking at the importance – and benefits of – Board leadership, and how it can help to forge change within you as a leader, within the organization and within the profession.
The Role of a Nonprofit Board
At the core, nonprofit board members are the fiduciaries who help to guide their organization towards a sustainable future while ensuring it continues to advance its mission. But, seemingly like everything else these days, how nonprofit boards operate appears to be shifting.
Purpose Driven Leadership
Due to the changing landscape of our society, many leadership experts believe that nonprofit boards must change the traditional ways they have worked and instead focus on “purpose-driven leadership” that
- Prioritizes an organization’s purpose
- Shows respect for the ecosystem in which they operate
- Commits to equity
- Recognizes that power must be authorized by the people they’re aiming to help
Purpose-driven board leadership is a shift in thinking and orientation toward the board’s role, less a structure or set of technical practices than a way of being and thinking. While a shift toward purpose-driven board leadership is transformational, the initial steps are incremental enough that every board can do.
On a Mission with Purpose
At OAAPN, we understand that improved healthcare options for all Ohioans are important to both the profession and the community as a whole. We seek to strengthen the profession and provide resources to our members that they can’t get elsewhere, under the guidance of our Board members who have embraced the importance of personal, professional, and purpose-driven leadership.
At its core, the mission of OAAPN is to promote advanced practice nursing through practice, education, advocacy, and leadership. Of course, accomplishing the mission of OAAPN requires tireless effort and leadership of numerous volunteers who serve as Executive Officers, as Director’s-at-Large, and Regional Directors. We encourage all members of OAAPN to get involved, become a leader, and of course, if you are not already a member of OAAPN, we invite you to join today.