illinois Vo l u m e 4 6 , N u m b e r 5 S e p t e m b e r / O c t o b e r 2 0 1 5 PR PARKS AND RECREATION The magazine of the Illinois Association of Park Districts and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association leadership & board development PLUS: Soaring to New Heights Conference Preliminary Program IN THIS ISSUE From the Editor 4 Leadership and board development from a personal experience Get on Board 6 Attributes of Great Leadership Eye on the Profession 8 Board Development From a Nonprofit Perspective Statehouse Insider 10 Advocacy is an Important Aspect of Leadership and Board Development To Be a Great Leader of Others, You Must 12 First Be a Great Leader of Yourself John Spence, one of the top leadership minds of our time, gives insight on great leadership Leading Well Through Adversity 16 Buffalo Grove Park District's board president and executive director share their thoughts on how to lead in difficult situations Playing Nice in the Sandbox 18 Tips to Reduce Board Conflict and Improve Board Outcomes Steve Adams, a partner with Tressler, LLP writes on board leadership WebXtra 20 Read articles online about leadership and board 12 development Soaring To New Heights Conference 21 Preliminary Program How We Lead Matters, Begin with 54 Yourself McHenry County Conservation District discusses excellence in leadership Leading RLAPD for 40 Years of Success 56 The Round Lake Area Park District Board gives examples of how they implement successful leadership 18 21 59 Editorial Calendar People and Places 60 Faces and Places making news around the state I L L I N O I S P A R K S A N D R E C R E A T I O N illinois FROM THE EDITOR PARKS AND RECREATION The focus of this issue is PR leadership and board 211 East Monroe Street, Springfield, Illinois 62701-1186 217.523.4554 FAX 217.523.4273 [email protected] www.ILparks.org www.ILipra.org development. The ability to lead is not a quality Managing Editor Graphic Design PETER M. MURPHY, President and Chief Executive Officer, IAPD GOSS ADVERTISING, 217.423.4739, www.gossadvertising.com found in everyone initially Editor Advertising Sales Representative but those who do not lead RACHEL LAIER, Publications Director, IAPD TODD PERNSTEINER, 952.841.1111, [email protected] can learn from others. True leaders can show JOINT EDITORIAL COMMITTEE others the way, lead by example and bring out the IAPD Representatives IPRA Representatives best in each individual they lead. ANN AUSTIN, Rock Island Park & Recreation Department LAURA BARRON, Village of the Lake in the Hills ADRIANE JOHNSON, Buffalo Grove Park District KARI MILLER, Batavia Park District LORI FLORES-WEISSKOPF, Park District of Highland Park ANN ZIOLKOWSKI, Northbrook Park District Being placed in a leadership position doesn't guarantee good leadership. I was once elected to the ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF PARK DISTRICTS board of directors of a not-for-profit organization in DIANE MAIN, Chairman, Westmont Park District KELLY CUMMINGS, Peoria Park District central Illinois. I didn't know the first thing about being KEN COLLIN, Chairman-Elect, Freeport Park District SHARON DIMARIA, Schaumburg Park District JOE PETRY, Immediate Past Chairman, Champaign Park District KEVIN DOLAN, Mundelein Park & Recreation District an effective board member and I had no choice but to TOM BARZ, Vice-Chairman, Frankfort Park District ERIC ENTLER, Park District of Forest Park JOHN HOSCHEIT, Vice-Chairman, Forest Preserve District of Kane County ASHLEY GOTT, Marion Park District learn fast. I soaked up all the information I could from RON LEHMAN, Vice-Chairman, Channahon Park District ADRIANE JOHNSON, Buffalo Grove Park District GRAY NOLL, Treasurer, Springfield Park District IAN LARKIN, Winnetka Park District SUE MURPHY, Sergeant-at-Arms, Oak Lawn Park District DALE LARSON, New Lenox Community Park District my fellow board members, the executive director of DOUG BROOKS, Rockford Park District MIKE VOGL, Bloomingdale Park District the organization and attended board retreats, prepared for meetings ahead of time and before I knew it, I felt IAPD HEADQUARTERS like a legitimate board member. I even began to lead 211 East Monroe Street, Springfield, IL 62701-1186 217.523.4554 www.ILparks.org PETER M. MURPHY, President and Chief Executive Officer RACHEL LAIER, Publications Director discussions and spearhead projects! I learned quite a JASON ANSELMENT, Legal/Legislative Counsel SHANNON SARTAIN, Legal Secretary BOBBIE JO HILL, Public Relations Director CINDY TIMMERMANN, Marketing Director bit my first year as a board member about how to be a ALAN HOWARD, Finance Director SUE TRIPHAHN, Educational Services Director SHERRI KHILE, Executive Secretary leader. ILLINOIS PARK AND RECREATION ASSOCIATION In this issue, we have some exciting articles on both RICK HANETHO, Chairman, Northbrook Park District NORTHERN REGION leadership and board development. Hopefully you will MARY JEANNE HUTCHINSON, Chairman-Elect, O’Fallon Parks and Recreation MOLLY HAMER, Geneseo Park District JAN HINCAPIE, Immediate Past Chairman, Lincolnwood Parks and Recreation be able to draw insights from them that you can use Department SOUTHERN REGION GEORGE BRYANT, City of Mt. Vernon in your agency. CHICAGO METRO REGION RITA FLETCHER, Secretary, Bartlett Park District MEMBERSHIP COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE MATT CORSO, South East Association for Special Parks and CENTRAL REGION Recreation (SEASPAR) DAWN SCHAEFER, Lincoln Park District You will also find the 2016 Soaring to New Heights MEMBER-AT-LARGE JEFF FOUGEROUSSE, Vernon Hills Park District Preliminary Program which has all the details you will need to know to get ready for the conference. IPRA HEADQUARTERS 536 East Avenue, LaGrange, IL 60525-6815 708.588.2280 Fax 708.354.0535 www.ILipra.org DEBBIE TRUEBLOOD, Executive Director LEESA JOHNSON, Conference and Meeting Director MATT FAIRBANKS, Membership and Education Director JESSICA KOLLMAN, Administrative Assistant/Marketing Coordinator BARRY FRANKS, Finance Director SHEILA MULVEY, Education and Member Services Manager HEATHER WEISHAAR, Outreach Director — Rachel Laier, Editor Illinois Parks and Recreation (ISSN 0019-2155) is published bimonthly at 211 E. Monroe Street, Springfield, Illinois, by the Illinois Association of Park Districts and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association. Annual subscription rates: $12 for IAPD/IPRA members; $50 for non-members; $60 foreign; $20 educational institutions. Single copies: $2 members; $10 nonmembers. Periodicals postage paid at Springfield, Illinois and additional post offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Illinois Parks & Recreation, 211 E. Monroe Street, Springfield, IL 62701-1186. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily express the official views of the IAPD/IPRA. Likewise, the publication of any advertisement is not to be construed as an endorsement of the product or services offered. Members of the IAPD and the IPRA and other interested persons are encouraged to submit articles and illustrative photos for possible publication in the magazine. Send for manuscript guidelines and deadline dates: Editor, Illinois Parks & Recreation, 211 E. Monroe Street, Springfield, IL 62701-1186, 217.523.4554, [email protected], www.ILparks.org. By submitting articles for publication, authors are assigning the copyright to the Illinois Association of Park Districts. Copyright© by the Illinois Association of Park Districts and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association. All rights reserved. Reprints of articles in whole or in part without prior written permission are prohibited. 4 I l l i n o i s P a r k s & R e c r e a t i o n w w w . i p r a o n l i n e . c o m GET ON BOARD Attributes of Great Leadership Peter M. Murphy, J.D., CAE IAPD President and CEO Leadership comes in many forms and is as individual as the personalities of John Wooden's 12 Lessons in Leadership also translate well to all the people that head organizations, whether they are governmental, organizations that have a commitment to team building. nonprofit or private sector. Working in the field of parks and recreation has given me the opportunity to meet and work with many bright and amazing 1. Good values attract good people leaders. These leaders are directors of park districts, forest preserves, 2. Love is the most powerful four letter word recreation and conservation agencies, but are also park board presidents 3. Call yourself a teacher and, in fact, usually park boards collectively. When boards are seen and act 4. Emotion is your enemy as a group of leaders, in what is often referred to as “a leader in every 5. It takes 10 hands to make a basket chair,” it seems like magic, which it is not. It is actually the result of hard 6. Little things make big things happen gwork, commitment to excellence and continuing education by people that 7. Make each day your masterpiece are coming together from different walks of life with a desire to make their 8. The carrot is mightier than a stick community more livable and vibrant. This widespread commitment to parks 9. Make greatness attainable by all and recreational opportunities does not exist throughout the country - it is a 10. Seek significant change function found primarily where locally elected citizen boards exist. 11. Don't look at the scoreboard 12. Adversity is your asset In this issue of Illinois Parks and Recreation is a feature by John Spence, one of today's leading speakers and authors on the topic of leadership. His enthusiasm for the subject is supported by his voracious appetite for learning. If you want a reading list on leadership, I would recommend that his top 50 would be a great place to start. “A leader’s role is not to control people or stay on IAPD's commitment to board leadership continues this year with MJ top of things, but rather Coulson from the Ken Blanchard Group following up on last year's leadership series with a program on legendary service.