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    1. Reach out to your predecessors to find out what worked and did not work.  If your section or committee does not already do so, consider starting a tradition of leaving a memorandum of suggestions at the end of the year for your successors, and update it throughout the year. Include specific dates and timelines. After even a few short years, the collection of memoranda will be a valuable asset.
    2. Personal outreach is critical for recruiting diverse volunteers and attendees for events and ensuring those volunteers and attendees feel welcome and included and have a sense of belonging. The eBlast, SC Bar Connect communities, emails, etc. are helpful, but there is no substitute for individual, personalized outreach.
    3. Set clearly defined goals with benchmarks that are easy to measure, communicate those goals, and follow up over the course of the year. Always phrase your follow up in terms of how you can help your colleagues achieve their goals.
    4. Communication is key. Make sure the leaders in your committee or section understand the need to be responsive to emails and calls. That means getting back to people within 24 hours. If you are out of the office for an extended time, set an auto-reply on your emails and update your outgoing voicemail message so that people know you are not ignoring them. Be thoughtful about communicating with accessibility and inclusion in mind.
    5. Engage with other committees, sections and divisions to allow members to interact with a broader, diverse group and combine resources. Consider expanding this idea beyond lawyers and thinking about ways to facilitate interaction between your members and the constituencies with which they interact in their work and collaborating with students in (as appropriate) middle schools, high schools, undergraduate institutions, and law schools.
    6. Have in-person and accessible meetings where feasible. Doing so helps identify the best resources and helps build relationships that will be valuable during your leadership tenure.
    7. Here’s a great tip that your committee members and fellow leaders will appreciate: Use the BCC line when sending mass emails. For example, send an email to yourself, then BCC everyone on the list. That way, the recipients can email you back directly with any questions but will not start an endless chain of reply-all emails that you will have started.
    8. Be considerate of people’s time. For example, consider dividing your section or committee leadership into specific groups or task forces with clearly defined roles so that your volunteers do not feel like they are wasting time in meetings and on calls where they are not contributing. Be thoughtful about selecting section and committee leadership and make sure you are seeking out members of underrepresented groups to add their strength to your section or committee.
    9. Find a way to recognize members who go above and beyond with their work, whether through a call, email, personalized letter, or recognition within the Bar. Take advantage of the Communications staff at the Bar so that members can be recognized in the Bar communications channels.  Set specific times on your calendar to remember to do so. Ensure you are being inclusive and equitable, with a focus on diversity, when recognizing members or amplifying achievements.
    10.   Recruit diverse committee members, particularly those you know would be helpful. Many people do not think about the Bar as the natural place to volunteer their time but could be quite helpful if called upon. Follow through by fostering an inclusive, equitable, and transparent environment where members of your committee and section know how they can participate, how leaders are selected in your committee, and why their contributions are valued.
    11.   Pay attention to those who might potentially succeed you and actively engage in fostering diverse leaders for your committee and sections. Make sure to share your insight with the appropriate people so that your section or committee will be in good hands going forward.