Leadership Academy

Leadership – What’s in it for my members?

More than 100 new members chose the 2010 Leadership Academy as their first introduction to NSO. Mike McIlwe, Sheri Childress, Daniela Newville and Kim Meigs, representatives from Oklahoma, made the Winter Advocacy Retreat their first connection to NSO.

They came for a lot of different reasons:

“You can’t beat this opportunity to network with colleagues.”

“I want to be a stronger asset to my union.”

But when Mike McIlwe, a new leader from Oklahoma said, “I’m from a right to work state. I want to know how this all works. What can I get out of being a part of a union?--he touched on a key issue that all leaders have to deal with—meeting the needs of members.

Mike is in his second year of staff work. His Executive Committee asked him if he would attend the Leadership Academy and Retreat. He jumped at the chance.

“The Leadership Academy exceeded any expectations I had. This isn’t just another meeting where people just give you theoretical talk. Here they give you ideas and strategies that have already worked. They know what they’re talking about. They’ve lived it,” Mike said.

For Mike, everything his members do in a right to work state revolves around getting members. For him staff work and a staff union mean working with a different set of rules than he was used to.

“We work at generatingmembership all the time,” noted Mike. “Union is not necessarily the norm in our state. We have to make a point of showing our members the role a union plays in their everyday lives.”

A turning point in Mike’s views on unionism came when Emmitt Jimmar, Region 3 Director and Leadership Academy trainer, talked about what NSO stands for.

“Emmitt reminded us that we provide service to our members. We need to meet their needs. That’s what being a leader is all about,” said Mike.

Mike sees the challenge of putting his leadership training to use back home in Oklahoma where the concept of unionism is not a strong one.

“I’m going to have to put my toe in the water and show our members how to utilize unionism for our benefit. They need to see how it can be a positive force,” commented Mike.

Mike will get the chance to put his leadership training to use in March when he has regional meetings. And what he’ll bring with him is the knowledge that when you’re part of NSO, you’re never alone. We’ve got your back!