View Point, Fall 2002

10 Things I Wish I had Been Told Before I Became President:

by David R. Phillips, CEO, Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS

1. That “per diem” doesn’t mean “seize the day!”

2. That the ladder to leadership was made of larger and larger piles of papers I had to read.

3. That it’s okay to pass on the fancy and fattening restaurant food and get a salad from Wendy’s.

4. That it’s okay not to be the last one to leave the party even if it was in my honor.

5. That I should have checked the site of the NAR Convention BEFORE I decided which year to run for president.

6. That people would actually listen to what I say and watch what I do when I was President.

7. That being the life of the party is not part of the President’s job description.

8. That I should take more pictures, take the time to document all my experiences and keep the business cards of everyone I meet.

9. That no matter how good my ideas are, someone will think they stink.

10. That the year would go by so fast and be so rewarding.


10 Things AEs Should Tell Their President-elects Before They Become President:

1. Have a few clear Goals to accomplish and make sure everyone knows them. If you don’t have any goals, you’ll never know if you accomplished anything. If you have too many, no one will be able to remember them all.

2. No good deed goes unpunished. No matter how good a new program is for the general membership, someone will criticize you for it. Don’t let that stop you from doing the right thing.

3. It is NOT about you! Being President is an honor, but to be an effective leader you need to check your company hat and ego at the door. If you are successful at doing this, you will be honored by your peers beyond your dreams.

4. You are in the real estate business and your AE is in the REALTOR® business. Presidents should “lead” the association, but should not try to “run” the association. If you keep that distinction in mind, we will have great success and at the end of the year, you will still be in the real estate business and I’ll still be in the REALTOR® business.

5. Be a cheerleader – positive, upbeat and enthusiastic. The president sets the mood for the entire association. If you are not having a good time, it is doubtful anyone else is either.

6. Have a 10 minute “stump” speech. You will be asked to speak often, sometimes with short notice. Have a campaign-style stump speech that you can deliver at a moments notice.

7. Delegate, Delegate, Delegate! Identify future leaders and delegate as much as possible. This will help grow new leaders and will generate a great deal of “buy-in” for your agenda.

8. Pay attention. It is the AE’s job to keep you informed of everything you need to know. I will try not to waste your time on trivial matters, so if you read what I send, you will be ready to lead. Trust your AE to prepare you and make you look GRRRREAT!

9. Know what you don’t know. You can’t know everything about every program in the association, but you can learn who does. It is okay for a leader to not know something as long as they know where to find out.

10. Be honest and forthright with the membership. If something goes wrong, tell the membership and take responsibility (even if it was someone else’s fault). You must have the members trust to be an effective leader