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Many of the student leaders who get the most attention are the ones who are indispensable to the daily operations of their organizations. This young man or woman is integral to every decision, every process, every event. No one can imagine how the organization would succeed if that student disappeared.
Then, that young man or woman gets sick. Everyone looks around wondering what the hell to do. Who's going to run the meeting? How do we get hold of our advisor? Who's going to fill in? Who's going to run the fundraising or service event four days from now?
Dynamic, charismatic leaders are a blessing and a curse. When they are motivating everyone, getting things done, and providing a steady guiding hand, we happily hand over the fate of our organizations. They are a curse because they don't often share their knowledge or control, so when they have a crisis of some sort, the well-being of the group is put in jeopardy.
Does your organization know how to run without its leader? Could it do it very suddenly if your key leader got sick?
There is a strong possibility that the flu (swine and other) is going to be the big health story in the next six months. Many campuses will be hit hard. With the possibility of such a significant health issue sidelining many people on your campus, now is a good time to make sure you have contingency plans. This is not a good year to have a lone individual running your organization, important events or bank accounts.
Use this as an excuse to make sure that people are sharing responsibilities and working together. Have a Plan B for every event. Make sure your committees are sharing the work and not depending on one person to get the job done.
