# Vice-President Guide

As a Vice President (VP) on an Executive Board (EB) in AIESEC in Denmark, you own a functional area — whether that is outgoing exchange (oGX), incoming exchange (iCX), Marketing (MKT), Talent Management (TM), Business Development (BD), Finance and Legalities (F\&L), or another portfolio. You are the strategic leader of your function, the manager of your Team Leaders and members, and a peer within the EB. This page covers what the VP role demands and how to do it well.

## The VP Role: Three Dimensions

| Dimension      | What It Means                                                                 | Example                                                      |
| -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Strategist** | You set the direction for your function, aligned to the LC and national goals | Defining your term's oGX target and the approach to reach it |
| **Manager**    | You lead your TLs and, through them, your members                             | Running weekly TL check-ins, tracking MoS, giving feedback   |
| **EB Member**  | You contribute to LC-wide decisions alongside the LCP and other VPs           | Voting on budget allocation, co-leading conference planning  |

{% hint style="info" %}
A common mistake for new VPs is spending 90% of their time on operations (doing the work themselves) and 10% on leadership (enabling others to do the work). Aim for the reverse. Your job is to multiply, not to do.
{% endhint %}

## Strategy Cascade: From National to Local

Your functional strategy does not exist in isolation. It flows from the national strategy, through the LC term plan, into your functional plan, and down to team and individual actions.

```
AIESEC International Strategy
    ↓
MC National Strategy & Goals
    ↓
LC Term Plan (LCP + EB)
    ↓
VP Functional Plan (your strategy)
    ↓
TL Team Plans
    ↓
Individual Member Actions
```

### How to Build Your Functional Plan

1. **Start with the national goals.** What has the MC set as priorities for your function? What are Denmark's targets?
2. **Assess your LC's reality.** What is your team's capacity? What worked last term? What did not?
3. **Set 3–5 functional goals** using SMART or OKR format (see [Leadership Knowledge](/leadership-track/team-leader-guide/leadership-knowledge.md)).
4. **Break goals into quarterly/monthly milestones.** What needs to happen by when?
5. **Assign ownership.** Each milestone should have a TL or member responsible.
6. **Share the plan with your EB.** Your plan should be visible to the whole EB, not locked in your head.

## Managing Up and Down

As a VP, you sit in the middle of the leadership chain. You must manage effectively in both directions.

### Managing Down (Your TLs and Members)

* **Set clear expectations early.** In the first two weeks, each TL should know their MoS, meeting rhythm, and reporting format.
* **Run weekly TL syncs.** A 30-minute weekly check-in with each TL keeps you informed and gives them a space to raise issues.
* **Do not skip levels unnecessarily.** Respect the TL role. If a member has a problem, work through the TL first — unless the issue is about the TL.
* **Give feedback often.** Do not save feedback for end-of-term evaluations. Use SBI (see [Team Leader Guide](/leadership-track/team-leader-guide.md)) weekly.
* **Recognise publicly, correct privately.** Celebrate wins in front of the team. Address performance issues in one-on-one settings.

### Managing Up (Your LCP and MC Counterpart)

* **Report proactively.** Do not wait for your LCP to ask how things are going. Send a brief weekly update — even three bullet points.
* **Bring solutions, not just problems.** "We are behind on applications, and here are three things I plan to do about it" is better than "We are behind."
* **Ask for what you need.** Budget, support, introductions, decisions — your LCP cannot help if they do not know what you need.
* **Use your MC counterpart.** The Managing Committee Vice President (MCVP) for your function is a resource. They have national data, best practices from other LCs, and tools you may not know about.
* **Push back respectfully.** If a national directive does not fit your LC's reality, explain why and propose an alternative. Compliance without context helps no one.

## EB Dynamics: Working as a Leadership Team

The EB is not a collection of individual VPs — it is a team. The LCP facilitates, but every VP shares responsibility for the LC's overall success.

### Principles of a High-Performing EB

1. **Collective ownership.** Your LC's exchange numbers are not just the oGX VP's problem. Recruitment is not just TM's job. Everyone contributes to everything.
2. **Honest debate, unified execution.** Disagree in the EB room. Once a decision is made, support it publicly — even if you voted against it.
3. **No silos.** Share information across functions. A BD lead might surface a partnership opportunity that helps iCX. A MKT campaign might boost oGX applications. Talk to each other.
4. **Mutual accountability.** Hold each other to commitments. If a VP is consistently missing deadlines, the EB — not just the LCP — should address it.
5. **Regular EB retreats.** At least once per quarter, step away from operations and spend a half-day on strategy, team health, and honest reflection.

{% hint style="info" %}
The five dysfunctions of a team (Lencioni model) apply to EBs as much as to any team. If trust is low, conflict is avoided, and accountability is weak, your EB will underperform regardless of individual talent. See [Leadership Knowledge](/leadership-track/team-leader-guide/leadership-knowledge.md) for the framework.
{% endhint %}

## Running Department National Education Cycle (NEC)

As a VP, you are responsible for educating your members on their functional area. The National Education Cycle (NEC) provides the structure and content, but you adapt it to your LC's needs.

### What Is NEC?

NEC is a global AIESEC framework that defines what functional members should know and be able to do at each stage of their journey. AIESEC International releases NEC content annually, and the MC adapts it for Denmark.

### Your Role in NEC Delivery

1. **Review the NEC materials** provided by your MC counterpart at the start of your term
2. **Plan a delivery calendar** — map NEC modules to your term timeline
3. **Facilitate or delegate facilitation** — you can run sessions yourself, ask TLs to co-facilitate, or invite your MCVP
4. **Track completion** — ensure members complete required modules
5. **Contextualise the content** — NEC materials are global. Add local examples, Danish context, and your LC's specific processes.

{% hint style="warning" %}
NEC content and delivery timelines are updated each term by the MC. Check with your MCVP for the most current NEC package before planning your delivery calendar.
{% endhint %}

## Common VP Pitfalls

| Pitfall                                       | Why It Happens                   | How to Avoid It                                                                |
| --------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Doing everything yourself                     | "It is faster if I just do it"   | Invest time in training your TLs. Short-term slow, long-term fast.             |
| Ignoring EB meetings                          | "I am too busy with my function" | EB time is not optional. Your LC needs your voice in collective decisions.     |
| Not tracking MoS until month 3                | "We are still ramping up"        | Start tracking from week 1. Early data prevents late surprises.                |
| Avoiding difficult conversations              | "It will sort itself out"        | It will not. Use SBI and have the conversation within 48 hours.                |
| Over-reporting to MC, under-reporting to team | Wanting to look good upward      | Your team needs transparency more than your MC does. Share data with everyone. |

## Training Materials

{% hint style="info" %}
For function-specific training materials, visit your functional area page under [Functional Knowledge](/functional-knowledge/functional-knowledge.md).
{% endhint %}

## Resources

* VP onboarding checklist — contact your MCVP
* Functional plan template — contact your MCVP
* NEC materials — distributed by MC at term start
* EB dynamics workshop — see [Leadership Knowledge](/leadership-track/team-leader-guide/leadership-knowledge.md)
* SBI feedback model — see [Team Leader Guide](/leadership-track/team-leader-guide.md)

*Last updated: April 2026 · Maintained by: MC VP Talent Management*


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