From an early age, Nichole Bohner admired her father’s readiness to serve the community as a volunteer fireman. She wanted to replicate that.

“I really looked up to him,” she says. “Taking a job as a lifeguard was my way of doing what he did.”

For the aquatics manager of Round Rock Parks and Recreation, a summer job as a lifeguard at age 15 marked the beginning of a career that has enriched her life and many others.

Today, having trained at least 2,000 lifeguards and shared a wealth of knowledge, Bohner is a leader who combines practical experience, innovative training techniques, and a passion for community service to leave a lasting impact.

Evolution of a manager

Bohner worked as a lifeguard through high school and college, using each experience — good and bad — to shape her understanding of effective leadership.

Early in her career, as she was exposed to leaders who were present and others who spent their hours in an office, she came to value hands-on leadership. In skipping regular interaction with staff, she came to believe, managers fall out of touch and can’t adequately support those who need guidance.

So Bohner makes training and mentoring a priority. “At least once a week, I’m out on the pool deck doing training time with my team,” she says.

Through her work, the culture evolved into one that engages and excites the staff by promoting skill, innovation and healthy competition.

When Bohner took over, Round Rock had recently undergone an expansion. She decided it was a good time to similarly overhaul the training program, too.

At the time, in-service trainings were seen as team-building exercises, involving kickball or other games. Bohner introduced skill-based, hands-on training, focusing on CPR, water rescues, and scenario practice.

The new approach paid off in more ways than one. Round Rock’s team entered lifeguard competitions and has earned state championships. “It took us seven years to make it to state, and then for the last two we were champions,” Bohner says.

In motivating her guards to hone razor-sharp skills, she emphasizes the importance of that competence in serving the community. She works to foster a healthy, competitive environment where lifeguards want to train, show off their skills, and challenge each other to get better.

The team members “want to be the best lifeguard,” she says, adding that they want to know exactly how to respond and may even debate about that.

To constantly improve training, she encourages staffers to share how they feel about the programs. She often asks where they feel confident and where they don’t in terms of their skills.

“I’m successful because I’ve learned to listen to what the team says and use those ideas to pivot and build our program,” she says.

Expanding her impact

Bohner’s influence extends beyond her staff, as she speaks at industry conferences. She started early in her career when she learned that signing up as a presenter meant she could attend.

She remains a frequent instructor, presenting on such topics as training, effective social media use, building team culture, safety training and collaboration with EMS.

One of the standout contributions is her approach to marketing and recruitment. Leveraging her background in graphic design and marketing, she was an early adopter of social media for connecting with potential lifeguards. In 2016, Bohner’s Instagram campaign earned Round Rock recognition as a Best of Aquatics facility.

She used bright, colorful photos that were edited for clarity to showcase what the facility and team were about. Her techniques have become standard practice.

“I didn’t invent it, but I helped bring it to our industry,” she says.

She also showcased training exercises through the platform.

Of course, sharing your success strategies can open the risk of competitors using your ideas. Bohner has three waterparks within a 5-mile radius, but she doesn’t let the fear of losing business stop her from sharing.

“I got better because people shared ideas with me,” she says. “So, there was no way I was going to keep it a secret.”

Seeking inspiration

While Bohner draws inspiration from aquatics, she also looks to other industries across the globe for examples of innovation. She brings these ideas to her programs and shares what she learns.

Reflecting on her impact, Bohner is proud to see others benefit from the programs she’s created and the experiences she’s shared.

“I’m here to help people and happy to be available to share what we do.”