A Valuable Lesson from a True Leader, Part 2

PUI: What will you do differently in your next volunteer leadership role?
AT: I believe that most of us resort to what we are most comfortable with, and that is operations. I have enjoyed those roles such as keeping a budget or planning an annual event. So part of what will be most appealing to me next is not the operational part, but a more of a strategic role. I have enjoyed diversity and will work to have even greater diversity in the groups I volunteer in. A board I just went on is an organization based in Washington, D.C. and focuses on public policy, an area that I wanted to learn more about. It is always a balancing act to not get spread too thin, but I do want to think more about education and the technology and business ecosystem in our great City.

PUI: In a few sentences, please touch on the importance of your industry to the broader economy.
AT: Simply, in the pharmaceutical industry, we have the opportunity to work on products that allow people to live longer and healthy lives. Approximately 10% of the nation’s healthcare dollars are spent on prescription drugs. And it is among the best investment we can make. Beyond the immeasurable of healthy lives, the GAO (Government Accountability Office) estimates every $1 spent on prescription drugs saves $4-7 in overall health care with less need for expensive surgery and hospital time.

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Art, thank you for taking the time to provide such thoughtful and honest responses to our questions.

Readers, how would evaluate your own volunteer leadership experiences, both current and past?
How essential have these volunteer experiences been to your
professional development?

Leave a comment and let us know what you think.

Need to go back? Click for the first half of the interview.

A Valuable Lesson from a True Leader

Volunteer Spotlight: Dr. Art Tipton

Dr. Art Tipton is the Senior Vice President and General Manager, Pharmaceuticals at SurModics, Inc. He is an active volunteer leader in the Birmingham area. In his volunteer roles, he is the current chairman of the Biotechnology Association of Alabama, he sits on the Board of Directors for the Birmingham Venture Club and he is an executive committee member for TechBirmingham, to name just a few of his local activities.

Dr. Tipton has graciously agreed to participate in our very first e-mail interview, and we thank him so much for his time. His responses are great, and we are fired up to see where these interviews go.

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Projects Unlimited, Inc. (PUI): What has been the most fulfilling part of your volunteer service?
Art Tipton (AT): The words of the educator and philosopher John Dewey come to mind: “Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself.” A most fulfilling part of volunteer service is the ongoing learning. It is a way to stretch yourself and to continue to have new experiences. Much of my board involvement has been with international groups, and that has been a great way to learn more about science, business and culture in other countries. I strongly believe that there are organizations that have been very important in my career, and volunteering is a necessary and fulfilling way to give back to those groups with a focus to make them just as crucial and vital for the next generation of members.

PUI: How essential has volunteer leadership been for your own professional development?
AT: Volunteer leadership has added a depth that would have been missing otherwise. Watching and participating in how groups make decisions has helped me lead similar discussions in my company. I have been quite active in groups that include academicians, and for me, with a corporate background and focus, it has been very valuable to understand better the motivations in academia.

PUI: What advice would you give to someone who will be serving on their first board of directors in the next few months?
AT: First, do some homework. Read the bylaws of the organization. Get the budget and financial records. Talk to the chair person or other board members to obtain a deeper understanding of key issues. If there is a strategic plan, get a copy and read it several times. If there is not a strategic plan, develop an understanding of why and maybe suggest that as a first task you volunteer to lead.

Plan to both listen and talk – be active at the meetings. I am a strong believer that boards need the right mix of continuity and new ideas. As a new board member one of your jobs is to bring those new ideas in a positive and creative way.

One piece of advice to avoid is the overuse of, “When I was on the XXX Board, we did…” – certainly bring those experiences and great ideas from other roles, but it is important to remember that each organization is unique.

Click for the second half of the interview.