From Five to Flourishing: Board Membership Lessons from a Chapter's Evolution
Posted on Jan. 27, 2026 / Chapter News / Subscribe 0
Before the new year, I sat down with Rosalind Franklin, former President of the ICF San Francisco Bay Area chapter, and found myself captivated by her story. It wasn't just the journey of one leader. It was the evolution of an entire chapter built on something we coaches understand deeply: service.
"We stepped in for each other in big ways," she told me, leaning forward with intensity.
That simple statement struck me as the perfect encapsulation of what makes volunteer board membership both challenging and profoundly rewarding. It reminded me of my own experience joining a startup, where the line between "this might fail" and "this could be amazing" was paper-thin.
Have you ever been part of something in its early, messy stages? There's a special kind of magic there and a special kind of chaos.
Scrappy Beginnings
When Rosalind joined the SF Bay Area Board as Secretary and then Programs Director in 2018,the chapter was barely a year into its official ICF status. The infrastructure was minimal, processes were developing on the fly, and the entire board consisted of just five people.
"That structure was out of necessity," she explained. "Only five people were willing to do the work."
Think about that for a moment. Five volunteers carrying an entire professional organization. The board was so small that only executive committee members had voting rights. This approach didn't sit well with Rosalind's sense of equity.
One of Rosalind’s proudest contributions was championing the change that gave all board members a vote. It wasn't just a procedural shift. It was a fundamental realignment with coaching values: everyone doing the work deserves a voice.
Board Journey: From Order to Impact
What struck me most about Rosalind's path was how she moved through nearly every executive role — Director of Programs, Secretary, Vice President, President, and Past President — not as career steps, but as service opportunities.
Her approach to each role reveals three key leadership principles that apply whether you're leading a coaching organization or a Fortune 500 company:
1. Create order before attempting transformation -- As Secretary, she tackled the chaos of "15-color Word docs that ran pages long" where "no one could tell what had been done or who was responsible." By streamlining these basic systems, she created the foundation for everything that followed.
2. Support before you lead -- In her Vice President role, she focused entirely on being "a great teammate" to the President. "I saw my role as supporting the President. Giving honest feedback, showing up, being steady."
3. Maintain stability through transition -- During her presidency, which coincided with the pandemic and significant board turnover, her focus shifted to sustainability. "We kept the boat afloat long enough for others to see it was worth stepping into."
Reality Check: Leadership Isn't Always Pretty
I appreciate Rosalind's candor about the challenges. Not everyone joined the board with a service mindset. "Some came in for self-promotion," she noted. "That doesn't work on a board where everyone is a volunteer."
This resonates deeply with me. I've seen organizations where ego overshadows mission, and the results are always the same: dysfunction, disengagement, and eventually, departure of the most committed members.
But even through difficult dynamics, Rosalind found profound connection with fellow past presidents including Mary Catherine Marcom. "We went through personal challenges, health issues, family shifts… but we had each other. That connection made the hard moments worthwhile."
Isn't that the truth about any challenging endeavor? It's rarely the work itself that sustains us. It's the relationships we build along the way.
A Gardener's Approach to Board Membership
My favorite moment in our conversation was when Rosalind shared her leadership metaphor: flowers.
"You can't expect growth if the pot is too small or the soil is wrong," she said. "Sometimes you need to repot and change the conditions so something (or someone) can flourish."
This gardener's mindset applies beautifully to how we develop people, organizations, and ourselves:
- Are you giving yourself and others enough space to grow?
- Have you created the right conditions for success?
- Do you recognize when it's time to "repot" and change structures, systems, or approaches?
Four Essential Guidelines for Volunteer Board Members
If you're considering stepping into a board role with a professional organization (or already serve in one), Rosalind offers these clear guidelines:
- Check your agenda: "If your personal agenda is bigger than the organization's, it's not going to work."
- Lead like it's a business: "Just because it's volunteer-led doesn't mean we don't need rigor. Respect the work."
- Bring your full value: "You were invited for a reason, so bring it. Don't leave your business sense at the door."
- Center the members: "Every decision should ask: 'Is this good for our members? Does it help our community thrive?'"
The True Measure of Board Membership
What struck me most about Rosalind's reflection was her perspective on success. There was no talk of awards, recognition, or personal achievement. Instead, she measured her impact by what came after her tenure:
"We didn't do it for applause. We did it so the torch could be passed. And now, it's shining brighter. That's the greatest gift."
Isn't that the essence of true leadership? Not building monuments to ourselves, but creating foundations others can build upon.
Today, Rosalind sees a board that embodies the vision she and her peers worked toward: "more tech-savvy, more cohesive." Her pride isn't in what she built, but in what others are building now.
Your Leadership Journey
As I reflect on Rosalind's story, I'm curious:
- Where are you currently serving, and what torch might you be preparing to pass?
- What systems or structures are you creating that will outlast your tenure?
- How are you balancing immediate needs with long-term vision?
Whether you're leading a coaching organization, a client team, or simply your own practice, remember Rosalind's flower metaphor. Sometimes the most important leadership work happens below the surface by creating the conditions where others can flourish long after you've moved on.
That's not just good leadership. That's a legacy.
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