LEADERSHIP
AORN's many pathways to leadership
From the 2008-2009 Nominating Committee
Every AORN member has the chance to take advantage of the leadership and mentoring opportunities available within the association. Whether these aspiring and experienced leaders wish to take on leadership roles at the local or national level, they need only to possess a desire to lead, a commitment to give their best and a willingness to be mentored.
Believing that leaders are not necessarily born but are made, AORN is building strong leadership teams using different modalities based on individual needs. These opportunities exist for AORN members through local, regional and national membership affiliations. AORN leaders can be found everywhere within this organization, and they each possess a common goal-they are all driven by a desire to serve their perioperative colleagues and promote their profession through their involvement in AORN.
AORN leaders talk to members of the Nominating Committee about
their pathways to leadership and the qualities that make a good leader.
Starting small
Leadership development starts with participation in local chapters, specialty assemblies, state councils, and AORN's grassroots network. Members participate on committees, plan and participate in educational activities, influence public policy, and run for elected office. Most importantly, they serve as positive role models for others, and they promote AORN standards among their colleagues.
Each AORN member has unique skills and abilities to bring to the organization, while developing leadership skills. Individual's clinical and professional experiences, community involvement, scholarly activities, and participation in other professional organizations contribute to the diverse intellectual capital of AORN. Member-leaders further develop their professionalism and leadership skills as they participate in scholarly activities such as nursing research and education through presentations and publications.
National leadershipMembers who wish to serve AORN at the national level can be appointed or seek election. Each year AORN's president-elect appoints the members of national committees and task forces for a one-year period. Members submit their names for national appointments by turning in a "Willingness to Serve" form, which is posted on-line at aorn.org and can be found by typing "willingness to serve form" into the Web site search.
Some individuals may possess such a strong desire to serve that they aspire to become an elected leader-or maybe even president of AORN. There are different avenues that members can take to the presidency. Two avenues are present on the pathway, depending on the year one becomes a candidate for National office. In the even years, the offices that are available are President-Elect, Vice President, Secretary, three positions for Board of Directors, and three Nominating Committee positions. In the odd years, the offices that are available are President-Elect; Treasurer; four positions for Board of Directors, and two Nominating Committee positions. Nominations for potential candidates for national office should be submitted on-line immediately after Congress. The Nominating Committee will select the slate of candidates and present the slate to the membership after AORN's annual Leadership Conference each summer.
The experience of running for national office also provides an excellent opportunity for personal leadership development. Candidates for national office have the opportunity to polish their written communication skills when creating their election statement and responses to on-line questions from the membership. Candidates use their public speaking skills when presenting their election speech at the Candidate's Forum at Congress and experience opportunities to articulate their vision and goals for the organization as they interact with members. Although the election process may seem daunting, many AORN leaders have volunteered to mentor and coach aspiring leaders as they pursue elected positions. In addition, current AORN President Susan K. Banschbach, RN, MSN, CNOR, has created the Leadership Development Task Force to research and create new processes for developing future leaders.
Created by the 2008-2009 Nominating Committee, this chart shows the
different pathways to leadership within AORN.
AORN is committed to finding, training, and supporting our next generation of leaders.
Members of the AORN National Nominating Committee and other AORN leaders are available as resources to assist you on your leadership journey. You can e-mail the members of the Nominating Committee via the AORN Web site by typing "ask the Nominating Committee" in the search window at aorn.org.
The time is now to begin your journey on the pathway to AORN leadership!
From left: Callie Craig, Jane Alcock, Mary Jo Steiert (Advisor),
Karen White (Chair), Donna Ford, Kevin Metzing.
Read more news in AORN Connections.