The 2025 Chapter Performance & Benchmarking Report tells us that the nature of association membership has evolved moving the purpose of chapters into a new era—one that is built around community.
This shift is a call for action to make changes in a variety of areas including governance. To achieve this means we need to have staff and volunteer leaders in a different mindset. For example, chapter leaders will need to focus more on creating a thriving local community rather than simply leading the chapter. Likewise, association staff will need to reevaluate their relationship with volunteer leaders and groups they assist.
Therein lies the challenge. Experience tells us that changing one’s mindset can be difficult, and that it takes a willingness on the part of the person to make that effort. And even when one does wish to change, they often don’t know where to start.
In The 7 Hidden Beliefs That Hold Even Top Leaders Back, author Muriel Wilkins discusses five key points from her book Leadership Unblocked: Break Through the Beliefs That Limit Your Potential. Here, Wilkins notes how leaders can get stuck, not because of external obstacles, but rather by their internal, unnoticed beliefs that quietly shape how they lead.
We picked out two (be sure read the full article for all five) that we believe hit the proverbial “association mindset challenge” nail on the head!
Old beliefs can’t create new results (#2). Wilkins explains real change doesn’t come from just working harder or building new habits—it comes from changing your underlying beliefs on your abilities (positive and negative) as a leader. She also notes that what helped you through one stage of your career won’t necessarily help you during the next. Thus, to grow as a leader, you must update your internal belief system; without shifting your mindset, your results will stay the same.
Which leads us to…
Seven common beliefs quietly keep high performers stuck (#3). Called “hidden blockers” these are the 7 beliefs Wilkins says may be holding you back as a leader. We added an example of each along with a question to help you determine which blocker may be negatively affecting your (or your volunteer’s) success as a leader:
- “I need to be involved” – wants to be in on every detail slowing down decision-making. Ask: Am I undermining results by micro-managing my volunteers and committee chairs?
- “I need it done now” – creates a sense of urgency that leads to rushed work, stress, and burnout. Ask: Am I undermining results by setting an unsustainable tempo for the tasks to be done?
- “I know I’m right” – shuts down collaboration and discourages others from offering input. Ask: Am I undermining results with my own ego?
- “I can’t make a mistake” – insists on perfection which causes hesitation, risk avoidance, and missed opportunities. Ask: Am I undermining results based on my own fear of failure?
- “If I can do it, so can you” – assumes everyone should perform the same way and often results in unrealistic expectations and strained relationships. Ask: Am I undermining results by ignoring the experiences and skills of others?
- “I can’t say no” – overcommits leading to a lack of focus and unhealthy boundaries. Ask: Am I undermining results because I am a people-pleaser or want to avoid conflict?
- “I don’t belong here” – feels like an imposter in the assigned role creating internal stress and emotional strain. Ask: Am I undermining results based on my own lack of confidence?
Be sure to share with your leaders. Better yet, ask yourself … what’s holding me back?