Take the Lead

By Jeff E. Lamothe, NSBE National Parliamentarian

As a NSBE leader, you will gain time management, team management and strategic planning skills.

NSBE seeks to give its student members the competitive advantage of an engineering degree. But with its student-run structure, NSBE provides another leg up that is just as important: leadership skills that can be taken from the NSBE boardroom right into the corporate world. NSBE leaders manage teams, set goals and make critical decisions that have lasting impact. So where does NSBE find these individuals to serve in the ranks of leadership? They are found among you, the membership.

Every year at the Annual Convention, NSBE seeks members to step up and run for elected or appointed offices on the Regional Executive and National Executive Boards. Typically these members are active in their chapters, serve on committees or have otherwise shown interest in leadership when interfacing with the current leaders.

An elected office — such as chair, secretary, programs chair or treasurer — is filled by votes from the membership. Officers who fill these positions have the power to vote on the board. An appointed office is filled by the executive board and does not have voting power. Some examples of appointed positions are Conference Committee chair, assistant treasurer and International Committee chair. Based on our governing documents, elected officers on the Regional Executive and National Executive Boards must be undergraduate students studying for a degree in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) field or graduate students who have received an undergraduate degree in a STEM field. Alumni members who have completed a degree in a STEM field or are candidates for an advanced degree in STEM may hold elected or appointed positions on the Alumni Executive Board or appointed positions on the Alumni Extension’s Regional Executive or National Executive Boards. Even if you are a non-STEM major or completed your degree in a field other than STEM, you can serve in leadership positions on national and regional committees.

Why Run?

NSBE offers many opportunities to those who step up to leadership. As a NSBE leader, you will gain time management, team management and strategic planning skills, just to name a few. Another valuable attribute you will gain is wisdom from an executive’s perspective. NSBE leaders deal with challenges and obstacles that many corporate executives face, such as financial crises, business acquisitions and the need for institutional change. One example of NSBE leadership at work is the 2005–06 National Executive Board’s bold decision to hold NSBE’s Annual Convention outside of the U.S. for the first time, by selecting Toronto as the site of the 2010 event.

NSBE leadership makes you marketable to employers looking for talent to contribute to their organizations. NSBE member Desmond St. Rose, a United Technologies Corporation representative on NSBE’s Board of Corporate Affiliates, has met and worked with many NSBE leaders and has observed that they have good leadership and management skills. St. Rose also believes leadership experience has given NSBE members a better understanding of what companies are looking for in potential applicants and has made them more comfortable interacting with corporate representatives.

If you have an interest in NSBE leadership, feel free to contact your leaders on the chapter, regional and national levels and ask them how you can contribute. Also talk with current or past leaders about their roles and responsibilities.

But before you jump into leadership, evaluate yourself, determine what you are truly passionate about, then find the role that aligns with your passion. You can also visit the NSBE leadership website (http://leadership.nsbe.org) for more information.

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