Vice President of Leadership Resources

The vice president of leadership works to develop and maintain an environment in which members of the chapter can expand their true leadership potential. This position plans leadership development opportunities such as workshops that help those in the chapter work on skill sets that prepare them both for the role they are currently in, and or their future roles both in and out of the chapter. Another aspect of this role is connecting those in the chapter with outside opportunities, such as informing them of any upcoming events, either on campus or nationally – such as conferences, the National Convention, APO LEADS courses, webinars or campus education opportunities.

Those who serve in leadership positions can work on the skills needed to be successful, however for many members, serving in a leadership role can be time-consuming or there may not be enough positions in their chapter to formally hold office. Leadership, however, does not exist only with a title. Leaders emerge within committees through delegation for example. This allows for members to get involved, develop their leadership and continue to evolve as a member in the Fraternity, on campus and in the community.

When finding and providing methods for members to develop as servant leaders to improve their skills, reach out to one of the faculty/staff advisors! Their knowledge of opportunities, offices and organizations on campus means they can easily connect the vice president of leadership to opportunities that align with the interests of members.

Leadership development can take many forms. Serving in a leadership position has a ripple effect on skill-building in areas like delegation, membership onboarding, and more. A vice president of leadership can support this development through planning workshops or supporting on-campus development opportunities.

The Fraternity also provides different training resources such as APO LEADS, the Certified Nonprofit Professional credential program, webinars and training videos for chapters to utilize on their quest to prepare campus leaders through service. APO LEADS is a five-course leadership development program covering that spearheads the Fraternity’s effort to develop servant leaders. Each course – Launch, Explore, Achieve, Discover and Serve – covers a different topic stemming from an introduction to servant leadership and into topics such as conflict resolution and teambuilding. Launch is available in a webinar format for chapters to take advantage of initiating their start into the program from their current location. The remaining courses vary in length, time and location in which they are offered. Refer to the APO LEADS calendar, located within the Leadership area of the APO website (apo.org), for times and locations of upcoming courses.

Visit apo.org/leadership-development to learn more about national programming offered to help members expand their leadership skillset.

All national requirements of the Fraternity are reported through the Chapter Officer Portal, an online chapter reporting platform designed to allow chapter officers the ability to provide real-time, ongoing maintenance of the chapter membership, officer rosters and other national reporting requirements. The Officer Portal is available to all officers on record with Alpha Phi Omega.

In fall 2019, Alpha Phi Omega and the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance joined in a partnership that offers students leadership and professional development training in social sector volunteer and career fields. Existing and future APO members now have access to the Alliance’s exclusive Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) credential. The CNP is a unique leadership training program that prepares students for successful nonprofit careers through education, coaching, service and connections to the nonprofit workforce.

This partnership will bring APO students access to additional leadership and professional development training, coaching and career preparation that will set them on a path to success as either a nonprofit professional or volunteer.

The CNP program will develop members’ professional skills, harness and build their passion for Leadership, Friendship and Service, and connect them with organizations that want to hire students just like APO members!

The Alliance has been developing nonprofit leaders for more than 70 years through its Certified Nonprofit Professional program. Independent research shows that CNPs are seven times more likely to reach a leadership position as compared with non-CNPs who have similar career paths and educational experiences.

The Alliance was started more than 70 years ago by former Kansas City Mayor and APO Past National President H. Roe Bartle and a group of other visionaries who believed that the greatest determinant of nonprofit success was the quality of its workforce. Its CNP program operates on nearly 40 campuses across the country. Past President Bartle was instrumental in the expansion of APO during its early years, implementing strategies that supported chapter growth and organizational sustainability. The CNP program is a great way to take your APO chapter experience and tangibly show potential employers, regardless of industry, that your skillset as a future employee is far greater than your peers.

Those who complete the program will join the network of more than 11,000 CNPs around the world.

Students interested in learning more can visit Service Organization Track – Nonprofit Leadership Alliance (nla1.org)

Another source of leadership development comes out of sectional and regional conferences and the National Convention. Many workshops covering Fraternity programming and leadership development are offered here. Topics range from maintaining successful practices to personal growth and development. During the National Convention, members represent the chapter at large on the legislative floor lending their voice to moving the Fraternity forward while simultaneously participating in the Leadership, Friendship and Service. At conferences and the National Convention, members can see the direct impact of their voice on the national level, electing leaders to best represent the area through initiatives, support and programming.

Vice presidents of leadership are ones to find new information to bring back to the chapter to help them develop their leadership qualities. An opportunity they can tap into is bringing APO LEADS courses to the chapter. They can request a course via the apo website under the leadership tab. Use this as an opportunity to connect with nearby chapters. Coordinate a time and date that works best for everyone and host an inter-chapter APO LEADS course. This would allow for the chapter to be able to experience a course in person outside of conferences and Convention and allow for chapters to mingle and partake in more in-depth discussions.

There are many resources – both people and material items – within reach to help guide service programming towards success. Below are a few of these resources. For more information on resources relevant to the chapter officer experience, visit the Chapter Officer Resource Area or the Library tab in the Chapter Officer Portal.