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🏙️ Inspiration for Board Member Volunteers and CAM General Managers

🏙️ Inspiration for Board Member Volunteers and CAM General Managers

Volume #010 - trying to successfully lead any condominium association can be a rather challenging, especially for those luxury high-rise condominiums with very affluent residents.

David Anthony Ward
March 06, 2023

Why did I create Condo Leader and its newsletter?

I always want to help you, all Board of Directors and fellow General Managers (CAMs), by providing the most quality information and news in the industry, supporting you in every way.

Owners of condominium units pay a very significant amount of monthly maintenance fees (frequently mistakenly called HOA fees) and logically are rather averse to any increases in annual operating or reserves budgets. Tenants, especially in Miami now more than ever, can pay as high as $3,000 to $10,000 per month for rent, for only 1 or 2 bedroom units.

All residents expect a high level of service, quick and quality resolutions to problems, proactive and strategic maintenance, and a welcoming home where they are not restricted in any way for their personal lifestyle choices.

What you do is not easy.

If you are a volunteer Board of Director, or even a well compensated luxury high-rise condominium General Manager or CAM (Community Association Manager), chances are you find yourself at times questioning your decision to voluntarily take on the role you chose. As a volunteer Board Member, you are not paid, yet you dedicate many hours of your own personal time to the condominium, the community, improving operations, following up on pending items still not resolved or completed, legal issues, management company staff items, contracts, and more.

General Managers and CAMs often face the same challenges, where especially for the higher level luxury condominiums, the relationship is more of a partnership with the Board of Directors, working very closely in collaboration to achieve the same goals for the community. Both Board Members and General Managers receive many complaints and criticisms from residents, and often it feels that compliments and a pat on the back are few and far between.

Hopefully the adaptation of this inspirational quote below will help you stay energized and encourage you to continue leading, no matter what you happen to face as a challenge.

"If you take a leader and give that person an environment shielded from problems that that leader has never had to face, I guarantee you that person is terrible at being a leader. The best leaders in the world have gone through very difficult challenges.

So the best thing you can do as a leader is say to yourself, 'OK, this first thing is hard, this second thing is hard, this third thing is hard. I feel negative because these are all so difficult. I'm struggling with x, y, z. Let me internalize all of that and turn it into a strength of mine as a leader. Let me become genuinely uncomfortable with my situation as a leader and fix things.

Every time I get stressed or under pressure, I get excited. I hate to not be stressed. I wake up and I say to myself, 'Everything is a mess!,' which then makes me think, 'Good! Yes!'. The key is how you look at the problems and how you use them to fuel you as a leader.

What's the problem for the average leader today? What's the biggest problem? I think there are a whole host of problems. But what you have to do is frame it inside of your mind and understand is all of those problems are going to allow you to give you the fuel and the unlimited motivation that you need to become a successful and beautiful leader.

The best leaders understand that everyone in this world will face challenges of different iterations, and the best leaders frame it differently in their minds to turn those challenges into strengths.

I don't pray for an easy environment. I pray for the opportunity of a challenging environment that allows me to become a better and better leader. I pray to become more competent to handle problems. I pray to put myself in a position where if everyone around me attempts to take me down and destroy my reputation, I can quietly smile on the inside, knowing with the utmost conviction the consistency of the quality, integrity, and dedication of my work and service to others.

This is who I pray to become as a leader. I don't pray that nobody hurts me. I pray to be able to compete in the arena at the highest level and win."

Have a great week everyone.