SHHHH! Nobody Knows!
Leadership — It’s a Good Thing

By Pam Royle, River Blenders Chorus, Region 5

We sing. We dance. We practice. We teach. It’s not surprising that Sweet Adelines International turns ordinary women, with ordinary voices into high quality performers. Yes, we’re a musical organization and that’s why our members join and make commitments that extend above and beyond the word “hobby.” Our focus, for the most part, is musical ... and we spend multiple dollars, enormous amounts of time, and unbelievable energy educating our members in the musical product.

But there’s another side to Sweet Adelines –one that doesn’t get much press– it’s that horrible stepchild — ADMINISTRATION. Members who participate at this level are privy to a great secret. They’ve discovered that the educational opportunities for leadership and professional development are just as great on the administrative side as they are on the musical scale. The sad truth is that many of us haven’t yet connected the dots.

The paradigm seems to be that administrative workshops are targeted to those few people who are willing to undertake administrative roles in our chorus or region — that it’s all Sweet Adeline directed. What if we rethink that paradigm? What if we took advantage of this training and used the resources of Sweet Adelines as an opportunity to learn from the best and to translate that into successes in our jobs outside the organization?

Think about it. A Sweet Adeline leadership workshop can have enormous carryover into the workplace on Monday morning. And the training is probably better and more personalized than we can get from other outside sources. In fact much of my success in the business world has been a direct result of the training and education I’ve received through Sweet Adelines. It’s true that the skills taught at this level help us do our Sweet Adeline jobs better, but the truth is they also help us in our day-to-day lives. More of us need to tap into these leadership programs. And more of us can practice what we learn by stepping up to leadership positions. It’s a safe place to try out new skills, to become more effective communicators to implement what we’ve learned in a no-fail environment and then to take these skills into the work place where they translate into credibility, effective communication, and bigger paychecks.

We’re sometimes so focused on the musical product that we don’t value the administrative education we can achieve through Sweet Adelines. A large percentage of our membership are working women and the opportunities for enhancing that professional life through Sweet Adelines is something we only have to reach out and grab. We have International Faculty skilled in team leadership; goal setting, management development, financial training, and their willingness to share these skills can help each and every one of us become better performers 9-5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Opportunities for leadership classes abound and the classes are extraordinary: Planning, Creative Thinking, Team Growth and Development, Dealing with Difficult People, Consensus, and so much more. And everything can have a direct application to your business life.

The quality of our administrative leadership is incredible, and our organization is the better for it. But the education it provides can have a tremendous impact on personal and professional development far beyond Sweet Adelines. In the real world I need and want all the help I can get to be more effective, to increase my paycheck, and to achieve that promotion. For 25 years I’ve looked to Sweet Adelines for those answers and they haven’t let me down.

The next time you’re offered an opportunity to step up to leadership or to attend an administrative workshop, don’t pass it up. Don’t save your Sweet Adeline commitment for the musical product only. Tap into the leadership development side and take what you’ve learned to work with you on Monday morning. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

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