35TH ADMINISTRATION GRAND POLEMARCH
“WE HAVE A SERIES OF GOALS AND STRATEGIES WITHIN EACH FOCUS AREA THAT WILL POSITION KAPPA ALPHA PSI FOR GREATNESS.”
from that point forward that my com- mitment level to the fraternity would never be questioned. And now 30 plus years later, I’m comfortable saying that I kept my word. And that promise and commitment helped my journey to the office of Grand Polemarch. Journal: Speaking of the installation, your son, a neophyte at the time, held the bible as you and your team were sworn in. Describe that feeling? McMikle: I dealt with a lot of mixed emotions that day. At that moment, I’m not sure if watching him hold the bible or being installed was deeper for me. Every Kappa man desires and dreams about the day his son crosses and experiences the bond. That’s an unspeakable joy alone. The thought of being installed as a Grand Polemarch is almost an unimaginable concept. But the notion of having your son hold the bible (as a brother) a few months after he crosses on such a momentous occasion as being installed as Grand Polemarch was a plot twist that I never saw coming. It added a lot more emotion to what was already an overwhelming day. Journal: Now that you are officially our Grand Polemarch and the responsibil- ity of leading rests on your shoulders. What’s your platform for how you’re going to lead our fraternity? McMikle: The 35th Administration will move this fraternity forward through our commitment to eight focus areas which we refer to as “The Scorecard.” And those eight areas of the scorecard are the standard by which our admin- istration should be evaluated and
held accountable by the membership. Those eight focus areas are: Under- graduate Leadership and Development; Brand Management; Finances; Guide Right; Infrastructure and Operations; Membership Services; Organizational Culture and Training for Leadership. We have a series of goals and strategies within each focus area that will position Kappa Alpha Psi for greatness. It is my hope that the mem- bership of our fraternity will become familiar with what and how we plan to lead in order to understand where we’re going. You’ll see a high level of transparency from our administration with regular reporting of our actions and activity. Historically, the fraternity mem- bership is used to receiving a State of the Fraternity report every two years at the Grand Chapter meeting as the standard update of fraternal progress. However, if you’re not at the Grand Chapter Meeting, you may never hear or receive that update. I plan to pro- vide more frequent reporting so that our membership is better informed as to how their elected leadership is advancing the fraternity. Expect a first quarter report to be distributed through mass communication to every financial member of this fraternity.
Expect a first year report when our first fraternal fiscal year ends, dis- tributed in the same manner. And of course, we’ll provide the standard State of the Fraternity report at the next Grand Chapter Meeting. And there’s a reason! I want the membership to have a high level of comfort that the 35th Administration is not at rest. They need to have the confidence that we are busy leading and executing in an inten- tional manner with great effectiveness and operational excellence. Journal: You place a very high value on the quality of leadership. Why is that? McMikle: Effective leadership is everything for an organization. It’s the critical component through how we grow organizations. It’s the key to driving optimal performance. It determines whether you succeed or fail. In leadership, there is little time for missteps, wasted motions, lack of understanding about roles and responsibilities, or the assignment at hand. Because of that, I have a very low tolerance for people who seek leadership positions simply for the sake of having titles. And I probably have even less patience for people with no intent on doing anything and who don’t take seriously the opportunity
SUMMER 2023 ♦ THE JOURNAL 25
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