by Jennifer Bazer
Every organization has an empty chair.
Not because someone left.
Because someone new is waiting to grow into it.
Sometimes it's literally empty.
More often, it's the chair waiting for the next chapter or affiliate president, committee chair, board member, mentor, volunteer, or convention coordinator.
Eventually, someone will sit in that chair.
The real question isn't who.
The real question is whether we've been helping someone prepare for it.
Too often, we think leadership development begins when there's a vacancy.
A resignation.
A retirement.
An election.
A crisis.
Suddenly we look around the room and ask, "Who can do this?"
By then, we're already late.
Leadership isn't something we build overnight.
It's something we cultivate over time.
Looking back over my own life, I can trace my leadership journey to people who saw something in me before I saw it in myself.
They invited me to serve.
Trusted me with responsibility.
Encouraged me to speak up.
Gave me opportunities to learn -- and sometimes permission to fail.
None of them simply handed me a title.
They helped me grow into one.
That lesson has stayed with me.
Whether leading workforce development programs, serving in affiliate leadership, or working alongside members throughout ACB, I've realized leadership isn't about standing in front of people.
It's about walking beside them.
It's noticing the person quietly volunteering after every meeting.
The member with thoughtful ideas who has never spoken at the microphone.
The first-time convention attendee who keeps coming back, hoping someone will ask them to get involved.
Potential rarely announces itself.
It waits to be noticed.
I've learned that many people don't step forward because they don't care.
They hold back because they're unsure whether they have anything to offer.
Sometimes the greatest act of leadership isn't convincing someone to serve.
It's helping them see gifts they've overlooked in themselves.
Sometimes all it takes is a simple invitation.
"Would you be willing to help?"
"I think you'd be great at this."
"Would you consider serving on this committee?"
Those few words can change the direction of someone's life.
I know because they changed mine.
Leadership isn't measured by how many people follow us.
It's measured by how many people are ready to lead because we took the time to invest in them.
That's also how communities grow.
Strong leaders inspire strong communities.
And strong communities help develop future leaders.
Every invitation to serve is also an invitation to connect.
Every opportunity to lead strengthens not just one person, but the entire community.
When people feel seen, valued, and encouraged, they don't just become volunteers.
They become invested.
They become mentors.
They become leaders who will one day invite someone else to take a seat beside them.
Every organization has an empty chair waiting for its next leader.
Our responsibility isn't simply to fill it.
It's to notice potential, extend an invitation, and help someone become ready to sit in it tomorrow.
Because one day, they'll be the ones inviting the person who comes next.