Leaders may not realize it — they’re not just being watched, they’re being interpreted, filtered, and judged, frame by frame.

We are entering a predominantly post-literate era, where communication is less about deep reading and more about immediate visual recognition, visual credibility, and emotional resonance with what and who we see. More leaders find they are now operating in a mediascape where memes, emojis, and short-form videos often carry more weight than traditional written reports. 

We are entering a predominantly post-literate era, where communication is less about deep reading and more about immediate visual recognition, visual credibility, and emotional resonance with what and who we see. More leaders find they are now operating in a mediascape where memes, emojis, and short-form videos often carry more weight than traditional written reports. 

This shift toward the visual favors intuitive, right-brain communication, making it harder to rely on rational argument and easier to connect through shared symbols and emotional cues. This is an evolution that calls for contemporary leadership to master an essential new skillset — visual literacy. 

Visual literacy calls on one’s ability to critically interpret the images used in communication, especially relevant with the rise of AI imagery (some estimates suggest that by 2050, 75% of what we will see will be AI-generated). While the concept of visual literacy has been with us for fifty years, we are far behind in developing it, and it’s time to catch up. 

Visuals in the business arena are all-pervasive, from our slide and video presentations to communications and multimedia branding initiatives. Short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram have become the primary stage for executive visibility — with business-oriented LinkedIn catching up fast. Not only did video creation on LinkedIn increase 100% in 2024, but CEOs are also more active than ever on the site: 85% of CEOs from the FTSE100 are now posting on LinkedIn, up from just 12% two years ago.

Casual-looking, home-recorded business videos are more frequent than ever in these post-pandemic years and show executives speaking to us about the state of the market and corporate earnings as they walk their dog, run on the treadmill, or show off their homes. Leaders may not, however, be conveying the right message to the people who matter most. They might not even realize that they aren’t fully in control of the effects they are creating.

So, how can leaders develop and refine their visual literacy and direct consumers’ attention more precisely where they want it to go?

#1 Familiarize yourself with “visual thinking”

Up to 65% of us may be visual thinkers: people who predominantly think and learn, discern and interpret the world, through picturing things in the mind. When we are not thinking analytically about those visuals, we tend to believe that “what we see is more trustworthy than what we hear.” Yet we are not quite able at this point — as leaders and companies publishing them, nor as a public consuming them — to comprehend the impact that images have on us. We cannot read them: we memorize about 15% of what we read as opposed to 60% or more of what we see. So it’s crucial to be visually literate (to know what it is that you are memorizing) in a world that is overtly visual. 

We are entering a predominantly post-literate era, where communication is less about deep reading and more about immediate visual recognition, visual credibility, and emotional resonance with what and who we see. More leaders find they are now operating in a mediascape where memes, emojis, and short-form videos often carry more weight than traditional written reports. 

This shift toward the visual favors intuitive, right-brain communication, making it harder to rely on rational argument and easier to connect through shared symbols and emotional cues. This is an evolution that calls for contemporary leadership to master an essential new skillset — visual literacy. 

Visual literacy calls on one’s ability to critically interpret the images used in communication, especially relevant with the rise of AI imagery (some estimates suggest that by 2050, 75% of what we will see will be AI-generated). While the concept of visual literacy has been with us for fifty years, we are far behind in developing it, and it’s time to catch up. 

Visuals in the business arena are all-pervasive, from our slide and video presentations to communications and multimedia branding initiatives. Short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram have become the primary stage for executive visibility — with business-oriented LinkedIn catching up fast. Not only did video creation on LinkedIn increase 100% in 2024, but CEOs are also more active than ever on the site: 85% of CEOs from the FTSE100 are now posting on LinkedIn, up from just 12% two years ago.

Casual-looking, home-recorded business videos are more frequent than ever in these post-pandemic years and show executives speaking to us about the state of the market and corporate earnings as they walk their dog, run on the treadmill, or show off their homes. Leaders may not, however, be conveying the right message to the people who matter most. They might not even realize that they aren’t fully in control of the effects they are creating.

So, how can leaders develop and refine their visual literacy and direct consumers’ attention more precisely where they want it to go?

#1 Familiarize yourself with “visual thinking”

Up to 65% of us may be visual thinkers: people who predominantly think and learn, discern and interpret the world, through picturing things in the mind. When we are not thinking analytically about those visuals, we tend to believe that “what we see is more trustworthy than what we hear.” Yet we are not quite able at this point — as leaders and companies publishing them, nor as a public consuming them — to comprehend the impact that images have on us. We cannot read them: we memorize about 15% of what we read as opposed to 60% or more of what we see. So it’s crucial to be visually literate (to know what it is that you are memorizing) in a world that is overtly visual. 

In The Visual Detox, I break down visual categories such as color, composition, angles, perspectives, and distance. These are just some of the components of what we see, and how these components are assembled can affect how we interpret what we see. Marketers, advertisers, political strategists, and creatives choose each component carefully to trigger a new consumer behavior, a political vote, and other responses. 

#2 Take a quick audit

To develop your visual critical thinking, take an audit. Assess your current visual information, and absorb your sector’s visual trends in terms of positioning yourself and your company. What are the current visual conversations on various outlets? How do you, as a leader, fit into them? And your company? Simply go online and Google whatever is available about your C-suite executives. Analyze the imagery of other leaders and businesses within and outside of your sector, then audit your company’s visual presence in a similar manner. Get a team involved and record all the ways you appear. Look at social media, news feeds, images, reviews, videos, and LinkedIn profiles of your C-suite, along with your corporate website. Have your team note the misalignments: What you are telling yourselves the business represents may not correspond with what your consumers and stakeholders perceive. That means it is time to build a new visual strategy.

#3 Establish your visual identity

Business leaders’ visual literacy is crucial to making the desired impact. Using visual critical thinking and analyzing visual trends among your clients and partners, you can better evaluate the impact your visual story-telling has on those you wish to persuade. Since COVID the lines between the visual identity of your private persona and your visual identity as a leader have become increasingly blurred. A business leader’s videos are a consumer’s first approach to the business; they visually position the company, and you as leader. But one size doesn’t fit all. It would not be suitable, for example, to create the same visuals for a local startup seeking funding as for an established corporation with a global presence. The former has to convey more visual excitement and look more impressive than its size, whereas the latter needs to be more visually relatable.

Leaders now need to add images to their analyses and funding pitches — and they need a visual strategy for that. Gone are the days of suit-and-tie pitches, and long written reports published for shareholders and customers. We now expect the more viral, informal, short videos of CEOs speaking about the state of the market and corporate earnings — resilience, drive and determination now have to be visualized. Businesses and CEOs must be visually aware, consistent, and understand the context and perceptions of their audiences. That is the only strategic way to convey the right message, in the right setting, at the right moment, to the audiences you wish to convince. 

#4 Fine-tune your visual strategy

It cannot be over-emphasized: Your visual presence is wordless communication. You have performed a visual audit with your team. Now you can develop your new or revised visual strategy. Define a timeline for the implementation and testing of new actions. Determine the different places you wish to be seen in (retail, digital, social media, press, presentations, products). Draw the visual trends and demands from each space and the visual thread/narrative you therefore need to weave as a company. Make sure that your values and the feel of the brand are represented in it. Pick each still and film image with intention and continue to work with your creative team to analyze outcomes. Develop, test, and fine-tune your visual strategy, and you’ll control your visual story.

Rest assured that consumers are not only watching, they are “seeing.”

#5 Beware of biases

While we may all equally strive to put our visual narratives out there, it’s worth understanding that we still live in a world where leadership is visually praised and seen in a certain way: white, male and over 50 years old. AI-based image generators have been “caught” mainly depicting a CEO or leader from this bias. Rest assured that consumers are not only watching, they are “seeing.” Your consumers know that only 6 CEOs in the FTSE 100 come from ethnic minorities, and that only 11 of the 100 are women. Those leaders must insist on projecting images that convey their personal identity so that it’s perceived to be credible, authentic, and authoritative. Behind the best visual strategy is the awareness that we live in a world that is visually biased about what leadership should look like and hence the need for those in roles of influence and leadership to help diversify it.

#6 Research the origin of images

Beware of visual misinformation as well as the ethics behind the images you use. Always make sure you and your business are not promoting or republishing fake imagery — one-third of manipulated images go undetected — or AI-generated images that are not compensating those creating or shown in them. (Note that this is not just about AI but any image that has been changed from its original context/source). Do not repost images so quickly that you do not understand the source of the image and the hidden messaging it carries. The way to start is by knowing the origin of images and the context of their capture. It is notable that the BBC takes such an approach with BBC Verify. 

Whether it’s earnings calls, media interviews, board presentations or company-wide meetings, CEOs often encounter high-pressure speaking opportunities. These tools can help you use your voice more confidently.

Senior executives frequently encounter high-stakes communication scenarios—earnings calls, media interviews, board presentations and company-wide meetings. Yet, even at the highest levels, preparation often involves generic advice like “don’t upspeak,” “slow down” or “sound more confident.” While well-intentioned, such guidance typically leads to self-conscious delivery rather than measurable improvement.

The core issue is that most coaching addresses the symptoms of ineffective communication rather than the underlying habits. In my work with Fortune 500 executives, presidential candidates and high-growth founders, I’ve found that sustainable improvement requires a shift from superficial fixes to a deeper understanding of how leaders use their voice—and why it matters.

To strengthen vocal presence, we need to move beyond vague guidance and examine its components with greater precision. One critical element is vocal variety. Below, I outline tools to help you recognize effective use of vocal variety and share targeted exercises to enhance your own performance.

What Is Vocal Variety?

Vocal variety is the music of the voice. Often referred to as tone, inflection or energy, none of these terms fully capture its nuance and importance. Vocal variety can be evaluated by examining five distinct dynamics:

• Pace: The speed at which you speak.
• Pitch: The highness or lowness of your voice.
• Pause: The intentional use of silence.
• Power: The volume or loudness.
• Placement: Where the sound resonates in your body.

I developed this alliterative framework to help clients remember these components. However, when communicating fluidly, speakers don’t need to consciously recall them; vocal variety becomes an integral part of effective communication.

Vocal variety is essential—not a mere embellishment. It serves to:

• Convey meaning: Emphasizing different words can alter a sentence’s meaning entirely. For instance, repeating the sentence “This essay I wrote focuses on vocal variety,” while shifting emphasis to each subsequent word, changes its implication each time.
• Express emotion: Misinterpreting the emotional intent of a text message illustrates our reliance on vocal cues to assess feelings.
• Guide the audience: Inflection indicates chronology, hierarchy, preference and priority.
• Maintain engagement: Variations in vocal delivery keep audiences attentive and interested.

Speakers who effectively use vocal variety are often perceived as more credible, thoughtful, persuasive and trustworthy.

Pace: What Does “Good” Sound Like?

What constitutes an effective speaking pace? Many resources suggest an ideal speed of 120 to 180 words per minute. However, aiming for this range without understanding the factors influencing it can result in robotic communication. Striving for a generic “Goldilocks” pace—neither too fast nor too slow—may lead to a monotonous delivery.

Pace naturally varies based on intuitive factors, such as:

1. Word choice: Selecting the right words takes time.
2. Enunciation: Clearly articulating words requires deliberate pacing.
3. Audience comprehension: Allowing listeners time to absorb information is crucial.

When speakers focus on these aspects—thinking, enunciating and ensuring understanding—they naturally fall within the optimal pace range.

Kinesthetic Exercises to Improve Vocal Variety

Varying pace—and all elements of vocal variety—is not just a mental adjustment; it’s a physical skill. I’ve developed kinesthetic drills to address common delivery challenges, such as speaking too quickly. These exercises leverage embodied cognition to help speakers adopt new communication patterns that can be practiced and refined.

1. The Wiffle Ball Exercise

Purpose: To cultivate deliberate pauses before speaking.

How It Works: During practice sessions, I pose a question and slowly toss a Wiffle ball to the speaker. They must wait to respond until catching the ball. This enforced pause allows time to gather thoughts, leading to more considered and concise answers.

Andrew Yang, a presidential candidate I coached during the 2020 election cycle, reduced his speaking speed from 7.2 words per second to approximately 3 words per second using this technique.

2. The Lego Block Exercise

Purpose: To encourage speaking one idea at a time with intentional pauses.

Materials Needed: 5 to 8 Lego or Duplo blocks.

How It Works:

• Select a section of your presentation. 
• Pick up the first block and speak your first thought.
• Place the block down in silence.
• Repeat the process for each subsequent idea, interlocking the blocks as you go.

This exercise naturally integrates pauses into speech, allowing time to consider and improve subsequent thoughts, fostering a virtuous cycle of clarity and intentionality.

3. Finger Walking

Purpose: To slow down speech within individual thoughts.

Materials Needed: A flat surface and your fingers.

How It Works:

• As you speak, “walk” your index and middle fingers across the surface, one deliberate step per word.
• After completing a thought, reset your hand and begin again.
• If you use a filler word, pause your fingers until you regain clarity.

This tactile method transforms speech into a physical act, anchoring words in movement. It sharpens word selection and slows delivery without forcing artificial restraint.

Transforming communication through habits

These drills are designed for solo practice but can eventually be employed subtly during actual communication situations. With consistent use, speakers can develop new pacing habits within six to twelve weeks.

By treating vocal variety as a skill rooted in both physical and mental execution, you can cultivate greater intentionality and accuracy in your speech. Over time, these methods help transform rushed, haphazard delivery into purposeful, precise communication.

Executives who master vocal variety don’t just “sound more confident”—they become more compelling, persuasive and effective leaders.

Let tech assist you, but never override the wisdom of your body and soul.

By Kyle Emanuel Brown for Psychology Today

We’re living in the age of outsourced thinking. From GPS telling us where to go to ChatGPT offering answers in milliseconds, we’ve grown used to reaching out before we reach in. But in the rush for faster, smarter, more “optimized” everything, many are unknowingly trading their greatest evolutionary gift for convenience. Your intuition.

Intuition isn’t magic. It’s a subtle, scientifically supported form of non-linear knowing; what researchers call implicit learning or somatic markers. In short, it’s your nervous system, your subconscious, and your stored lived experience whispering wisdom faster than your logical brain can compute. It’s that gut feeling when something’s off. That inner pull to say yes before the facts make sense. That quiet nudge you can’t quite explain and shouldn’t need to.

But here’s the trap. When AI speaks with confidence and speed, it’s easy to assume it knows better. And that’s dangerous.

The Rise of the Algorithmic Overlord

AI is brilliant. It can analyze vast amounts of data, generate poetry, build business plans, or summarize psychological studies in seconds. I use it daily and I think it’s one of the most powerful tools of our time.

But AI doesn’t have a heart.

It doesn’t feel the weight of a decision in the gut. It doesn’t carry ancestral trauma or spiritual resonance. It doesn’t know what lights up your soul or what haunts your dreams. That’s your job.

We’ve confused intelligence with wisdom. But wisdom requires more than pattern recognition. It requires context, embodiment, and alignment.

AI is like a sharp scalpel. In skilled hands, it can heal. But you better make sure the one holding it is you.

In writing this, I asked ChatGPT its opinion:
“Should people ever outsource their intuition to AI?”

Here’s what it said:

“Intuition is a deeply personal synthesis of emotion, experience, and subconscious intelligence. While AI can support decision-making with information, it cannot replicate or replace the wisdom that comes from within. Outsourcing your intuition to AI is like using a compass for matters of the heart. It may offer direction, but only you can feel what’s truly north.”

Well said, friend.

Your Body Is Smarter Than Your Browser

Harvard research shows that the gut-brain connection is real. Your enteric nervous system, sometimes called your “second brain,” is deeply wired to signal when something is aligned or not. The vagus nerve, the pathway between heart, gut, and brain, plays a critical role in intuitive awareness, decision-making, and emotional regulation.¹

That feeling in your chest or drop in your stomach isn’t just emotional fluff. It’s biofeedback: real, physiological data your body is giving you in real time. Ignore it long enough, and the consequences add up. Burnout. Regret. Illness. Misalignment.

Use AI Like an Aligned Teammate

I’m not telling you to ditch AI. I’m telling you to use it consciously, because if you don’t, you’ll most likely be left in the dust like Blockbuster clinging to DVDs instead of partnering with Netflix. Let it support your process, not become your compass. Bring your discernment to the table. Ask better questions. Check in with your nervous system after you get an answer. Don’t just ask, “What should I do?” Ask, “Does this feel like truth in my body?”

Imagination is key here, too. AI can help you imagine possibilities, generate ideas you hadn’t considered, give you language to articulate the unspoken. But it’s still you who must feel the resonance, make the call, walk the path.

In the same way you wouldn’t let a therapist make your life decisions for you, don’t let AI become your inner compass. Your soul didn’t come here to follow prompts. It came to lead.

Total Self-Trust Is the Real Upgrade

As the world gets noisier, faster, and more automated, what becomes rare becomes sacred. And the most sacred thing you can reclaim? Your ability to trust yourself.

Not because you have all the answers. But because you’re willing to pause long enough to listen. Because you’re learning to read the signals of your body. The resonance in your heart. The aliveness in your decisions. Because you remember that real wisdom lives within you. Not in the cloud.

Let AI be a partner in your process. But don’t let it make you forget that your intuition was never artificial.

Zach Mercurio is a researcher who specializes in purposeful leadership, mattering, meaningful work, and positive organizational psychology. He works with hundreds of organizations worldwide, and some his clients include the U.S. Army, USA Wrestling, J.P. Morgan, Delta Airlines, Marriott International, The Government of Canada, and the National Parks Service. He also serves as one of Simon Sinek’s “Optimist Instructors.”

What’s the big idea?

When we think about what makes an impressive leader, we often color it in terms like inspiring, courageous, or even heroic. But research shows that, when asked about great leaders in their own lives, people don’t talk about grand actions or noble qualities. More likely than not, people point out small interactions—moments—when a leader helped them feel seen or heard, illuminated gifts they didn’t know they had, or provided affirmation. Psychologists call this sense of significance mattering, and the best leaders have trained and practice the skill of showing people their value.

Below, Zach shares five key insights from his new book, The Power of Mattering: How Leaders Can Create a Culture of Significance. 

1. We’re facing a mattering deficit.

Let me take you back ten years to a hospital room. I was meeting my newborn son. I remember looking down at this tiny crying human, and he tilted his head, locked eyes with mine, and reached his arms out frantically. When I reached back, he gripped my index finger and wouldn’t let go. His crying stopped, and his whole body calmed.

I was experiencing six million years of fine-tuned programming. Scientists call that grip I felt the “grasp reflex”—an automatic action we take to secure our first caring relationship. From your first breath, survival depended on mattering to someone. None of us would be listening to or reading this if, at some point, we hadn’t mattered enough to someone so they’d keep us alive.

As we grow up and go to work, the survival instinct to matter evolves into the psychological need to feel seen, heard, valued, and needed. When this need is met, we experience mattering. Mattering is distinct from belonging or inclusion. Belonging is feeling part of and connected to a group. Inclusion is being able to contribute to a group. Mattering is knowing you’re significant to individual members of that group.

When we experience mattering, we flourish. We’re more motivated and grittier and experience greater well-being. But when we feel that we don’t matter, we languish and either act out in desperation or withdraw.

Imagine the absolute panic of a child reaching out and finding no one. In a way, that’s what’s happening today. Too many of us are experiencing the same stress of feeling insignificant. In January 2025, Gallup reported that employee engagement is at a ten-year low. If we were an organization, seven out of ten of us would be emotionally uninvested in our work. That’s despite services to improve engagement becoming a $1 billion industry.

“The average adult sends 30 to 40 text-based messages daily and spends more time in meetings than ever—yet we’re still lonely.”

So, what’s going on? Two data points stand out: Just four out of every ten employees in the Gallup sample group felt that someone at work cares about them as a person, and only 30 percent believe their potential is invested in. Last year, a different poll showed that 30 percent of people felt invisible at work, and repeated surveys reveal that six out of ten people feel underappreciated.

We’re not facing a disengagement crisis. We’re facing a mattering deficit. The most glaring symptom of this deficit is loneliness. The advice to solve this has been to connect more. The result has been that we’re in more meetings and on more platforms. The average adult sends 30 to 40 text-based messages daily and spends more time in meetings than ever—yet we’re still lonely.

Research shows that the quantity of interactions doesn’t matter much when it comes to reducing loneliness. The quality does. To have a quality interaction, people need to experience what researchers call companionate love—receiving the interpersonal behaviors of attention, respect, and affirmation.

The opposite of loneliness isn’t having more people around you; it’s feeling like you matter to the people around you. That’s why just putting down our phones won’t reduce disconnection; what we do after we put down our phones will. The solution isn’t to connect more; it’s to relearn the skills to connect better by showing people they matter to us.

2. Mattering happens in moments.

Think about when you most feel that you matter to others. How many of you are thinking about getting your direct deposit, or when you won Employee of the Month? If you’re like most people we posed this question to, you’re thinking about small interactions. Mattering happens in moments.

Jane is a custodian at the university where I do research. She was part of a study we did on how frontline service workers experience meaning. She told me she only took the job because she was nearly homeless and needed to put food on the table. Her friends kept telling her cleaning was a “dirty job,” and she started internalizing that. She told me that during her first month, she would clock in, clock out, and continually think: Why couldn’t I have done something more with my life? She said, “I felt useless and worthless.”

But then, she described to me how a couple of minutes changed everything. A supervisor noticed she was struggling. He invited her into a training room, handed her a dictionary, and asked her to read the definition of custodian: “A person responsible for looking after a building and everyone in it.”

“That’s you,” he told her.

She looked at me and said, “That was the first time in my life someone made me feel worthy and important.” Realizing she was responsible for a building and its people changed her beliefs about herself and her job. She’s been there for 18 years. That’s the power of a moment of mattering. The best leaders tend to turn regular interactions into moments of mattering.

3. There’s a difference between knowing someone and noticing them.

There’s a difference between knowing someone and noticing them. You can know your best friend but not notice that they’re struggling. You can know a team member but not notice that they feel unheard. Jane’s supervisor noticed she was struggling and took action.

Noticing is the deliberate act of paying attention to the details, ebbs, and flows of others’ lives and offering an action to show them we’re thinking of them. Noticing takes time, attention, and practice.

“You can know a team member but not notice that they feel unheard.”

In one distribution center where I worked, there were 20 teams that all scored low on employee engagement surveys, with one extreme outlier that consistently showed high engagement. When I met with that team, they all told me some version of: “It’s our supervisor. She just gets us. We’d do anything for her.” So, I asked her what she did. She pulled out a black Moleskine notebook. Every Friday, she wrote down one thing she noticed about each team member—nerves about a meeting, a struggle on a task, a child starting a new sport. Then on Monday, she reviewed her notes and scheduled micro-check-ins, starting with, “I remember last week…” She said to me, “You know, Zach, there’s magic in being remembered.”

We’ve come call it her “noticing notebook.” She also asked her team two questions every week: “What would you do if you were me?” and “What are you struggling with and how can I help?”

Leaders who are great noticers tend to do these three things:

• They have a process and practice for observing the details of people’s work and lives.
• They note those details, which is a powerful way to retrain our attention.
• They share back what they observed.

Noticing others creates understanding and understanding creates trust.

4. Affirmation can be more powerful than appreciation or recognition.

When Jane’s supervisor defined custodian, he provided her with indisputable evidence of her significance. That’s what makes affirmation different and more powerful than appreciation or recognition. Appreciation is a form of gratitude for who someone is. Recognition is a form of gratitude for what someone does. Affirmation reveals how someone’s uniqueness makes a unique difference.

One way to affirm someone is to give more meaningful gratitude. Any time you say, “Thank you” or “Good job,” go one step further and show people the difference they make and exactly how they make it.

First, name people’s unique gifts. Everyone offers us four unique gifts every day:

Strengths: what they love and they’re good at
Purpose: the impact they make
Perspective: how they see the world
Wisdom: what only they can teach us from living their life

Second, show them vividly the unique impact they make. For example, a facilities manager I worked with at the National Park Service would take photos of park visitors using projects his team worked on. He had a process of emailing them every Friday and attaching the pictures. He simply wrote: Look what you did. Thank you.

He gave them indisputable evidence of their significance.

5. When people feel replaceable, they will act replaceable.

To feel that we matter, we must feel needed. In 1913, the French agricultural engineer Max Ringelmann had groups of students pull on a rope as hard as possible. The rope was attached to a device called a dynamometer to measure force. Then, he had the same students pull the rope as hard as they could as individuals. He added up the force readings. Who do you think exerted the most total force, groups of individuals? It was the individuals. Why? Because they knew they and their effort were indispensable.

“To feel that we matter, we must feel needed.”

When people feel replaceable, they act replaceable. But when people feel irreplaceable, they tend to act irreplaceable. When I interviewed people and asked them when they most felt that they mattered, people frequently mentioned some version of these five words being said to them: “If it wasn’t for you…”

Think of someone you rely on. Now think of the last time you’ve told them, “If it wasn’t for you…” If you say these words to them, you’ll see and feel the power of mattering, and you’ll be putting into practice a skill that sets great leaders apart from the rest: showing people how they matter.

By Kelly G. Richardson, Esq. CCAL, HOA Homefront Column  

Determining which type of management services is best for the HOA is a very important HOA board decision. Even the smallest associations need some form of professional management assistance. 

What is a “Manager”?  Managers oversee the association’s day to day operations, advising and informing the board and following its policies and instructions regarding association property and funds. A manager may be an unpaid volunteer or may be paid. The paid manager may be an association employee, a consultant, or an employee of an outside company. California requires no license to manage HOAs.

Volunteer management. Many associations use volunteers for their management functions. The motivation for volunteer management is primarily to save cost. As unpaid managers, volunteers take on all the risks and stresses of management, with no reward, and are also more vulnerable to accusations of favoritism. Volunteer-managed associations often have difficulty finding board candidates, since directors work so much harder when they are also managers.

Financial Management. This involves collecting assessments, paying bills, and preparing monthly and annual financial reports, disclosures, and budgets. A financial manager typically does not visit the property. Management companies often prefer financial management because it is more predictable and less prone to the extra work of managing the property. Some accountants also offer financial management services. Associations struggling with the cost of full association management may wish to consider at least financial management.

Property Management. Property management involves responsibility for keeping up the condition of the buildings and grounds and may include routine inspections for architectural violations, maintenance items, and repair needs. The plumbing leak on a Sunday afternoon and the broken window on Tuesday evening are all part of the routine for property managers.

Full Management. Property management coupled with financial management services is called “full management.” Some associations choose to hire one company for financial management and another for property management services. Full management services normally cost significantly more than “financial-only” management.

Off-site/On-site. Most associations are managed by people working at off-site locations in a management firm office. Some companies provide managers working at the association property, at a greater cost. On-site managers typically provide a higher level of service, which can merit the greater cost.

Portfolio vs. General Manager.  Portfolio managers simultaneously work for multiple associations, while general managers work for just one. Most associations cannot afford general managers.  An important question to the portfolio manager is “how many other associations will you handle along with ours?” A lower management fee can result from a company overloading its managers. For some HOAs, cost is the only concern, but level of service, experience, and management credentials should also be considered. Ask questions and make sure your association understands what it is receiving. HOAs normally get what they pay for.

In-house management. Larger associations may choose to hire managers and staff as direct employees. This gives the association more control of its management at less cost than the rates charged by management companies for the staff they provide. The drawback is the opposite side of the coin – the association takes on the responsibility of finding, screening, and supervising the manager and dealing with personnel issues.

Choose the management style best serving the community’s interests and needs, rather than automatically selecting the cheapest.

Emily Myers in Bricks & Bucks for HABITAT

For nearly a decade, a 1,150 square-foot space on the ground floor at Towers on the Park, a 599-unit South Harlem condo, sat empty. Efforts to convert the vacant space — adjacent to the laundry room — into a gym or storage facility stalled. This was largely because the condo’s bylaws require any spending above $25,000 to be approved by a majority of unit-owners. With 15% of apartments being sublet — and many owners not living in the building or enthusiastic about a gym — it was difficult to get the necessary votes. “We just got stuck with a vote that remained open,” says Ilene Cruz, the condo’s property manager, with Argo Real Estate.

Towers on the Park comprises three buildings and was constructed in 1988 as a mixed-income building. One challenge in repurposing the space at the complex’s 220 Manhattan Ave. location was that it only had one door, which meant capacity could not exceed 83 people according to city fire codes. To complicate matters, it wasn’t feasible to install an additional door needed for code compliance, because the only available location for it was blocked by a staircase. “A second door was not going to be an option,” says Carl Leibowitz, who was voted in as board president last December.

As the new board began weighing options for the space, it became clear that converting it into a lounge had multiple benefits: it could be installed at a cost that didn’t require approval from a majority of unit-owners; it avoided the need to add another door because capacity would not exceed 83; and it would foster community. “One of the things we kept hearing from people over and over again was they wanted a place where they could hang out,” Leibowitz says.

The board allocated $10,000 from the operating budget to make the upgrades. This involved installing furniture, a TV, piano, pool table, a soft play area, and shelving for a library. “So far we’ve spent less than $6,000,” says board secretary Shari Siegel. Flooring and an accessible bathroom and kitchenette have also been added with funds allocated in a previous budget for community improvements throughout the three buildings at Towers on the Park.

Work on the lounge began in late January and the space was complete in early April. To keep costs down, building staff did some of the work, including the painting. Siegel was involved in writing the guidelines for the community room, including restrictions on alcohol, unsupervised minors, sleeping overnight, and using candles. “We didn’t want the staff having to clean up,” she says. Fines will be imposed if residents break the rules.

A fob system controls access and a second fob is available for $25. As a way of recouping some of the costs, renters can get access to the lounge for an annual $100 fee. “That way, tenants will have ownership in this,” Leibowitz says. With residents given a space to get to know each other, various clubs have emerged, including a knitting group, sewing group and book club. “A lot of people are excited about the new space,” Cruz says. “They didn’t realize they wanted a lounge until it appeared.”

To Professional Development And Growth

By CAMICB Executive Director Matthew Green, CAE

Community association managers who hold and retain the CMCA credential demonstrate they’re accomplished professionals committed to developing their skills and knowledge by participating in ongoing continuing education (CE) coursework and professional development opportunities year-round.

Recertification, the process through which CMCAs retain their credential, is not just a requirement but a valuable opportunity for promoting and demonstrating continued competency in the association management profession. Over the last ten years, an impressive 88 percent of CMCAs, on average, successfully finished the recertification process.

By participating in CE opportunities that pertain specifically and primarily to community association operations or management, CMCAs contribute to their own professional growth and the development of the CMCA as a recognized standard for experienced managers.

The types of professional development CMCAs participate in encompass a variety of facilitated learning opportunities, ranging from college degrees and coursework, conferences, professional coaching, community workshops, seminars, symposiums, and webinars. In addition, courses may include accounting, human resources, and public administration.

A Sampling of CE Opportunities 

The following are some examples of the many different types of programs in which CMCAs participate, including CAMICB’s newest opportunity, volunteer service credits. 

Recognized course providers: The CAMICB Continuing Education Review Committee plays a crucial role in maintaining the quality and relevance of the CE opportunities available to CMCAs. They have a pre-approved coursework list for CMCA recertification continuing education credit. Any coursework approved by a state regulatory agency for manager licensing requirements will also be approved for CMCA recertification continuing education credit, further ensuring the credibility and value of these courses.

The CAMICB Continuing Education Review Committee must review and approve any in-house training management companies provide to qualify for CE credit. 

CMCA prerequisite coursework is also approved for continuing education. It’s important to note that CMCAs may not use the coursework to meet examination eligibility and continuing education requirements. For example, if a CMCA used CAI’s M100: The Essentials of Community Association Management as their prerequisite education to sit for the CMCA examination, they may not submit it for CMCA recertification continuing education credit. Coursework that meets the standard criteria may be submitted for review and approval to CAMICB. If the proposed coursework meets the requirements, it will be approved for a two?year cycle.

Volunteer service credits: Credit hours may be earned for volunteer service to organizations advancing community associations or the management profession. Credit hours for advocacy work supporting community associations and management professionals may also be granted. CAMICB must approve the organization and service hours before a credential holder submits their recertification application. The maximum total hours allowed for volunteer service during the two-year recertification cycle is 8 hours. Credential holders must provide objective evidence of their participation to receive continuing education credit for volunteer service.

CAI: CAI’s website (www.caionline.org) and local CAI Chapters offer an array of resources, networking, and professional development opportunities. To find a local chapter, go to: https://www.caionline.org/Chapters/Pages/Find-A-Chapter.aspx.  Your local chapter will also offer specific opportunities to impact your community, specifically your state. For example, in California, opportunities may be state-specific to drought, wildfires, the Davis Stirling Act, etc.

Coursework that supports the operations of a community: Credit may be awarded for attendance at local law seminars and local college or university courses about accounting, business practices, computers, or foreign languages. CAMICB calculates CMCA credit on an hour?for?hour basis (e.g., one hour of class attended equals one hour of CMCA credit). Courses related to buying and selling real estate are not acceptable.

Self-study: Self-study credits are limited to no more than four hours every two years and must be pre?approved by CAMICB. A written request for approval should include a description of the course or activity (including outline, syllabus, or summary, as applicable) and the estimated length of time. Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) home study courses are not considered self?study.

Teaching credits: Teaching a course related to community association management can qualify for continuing education credit. Two credits are earned for each class hour the first time the course is taught. When the same course is re?taught, one hour of credit is earned for each class hour.

Authorship Credits: An article for a regional or national community association publication may qualify for continuing education credit. A copy of the published work and the total number of words written must be submitted to CAMICB. The determination of the number of hours depends upon the word length of the article; the longer the article, the more credits. Please note that copies of publications must be submitted within ample time for review before the recertification due date.

If you have questions about whether a particular course or activity is eligible for CE credits, please visit www.camicb.org or contact CAMICB at info@camicb.org—we’re here to help!