Читать книгу Joan Garry's Guide to Nonprofit Leadership - Garry Joan, Joan Garry - Страница 11

Dear Joan:

I've been with my organization for nearly 8 years, most recently in a development role. My predecessor has been the voice and face of the organization for nearly 25 years and has just retired. The board has offered me the ED position.

This would be alien territory for me. I've been the relationship guy, and I keep the trains running on time.

And the truth is, I'm not exactly sure what I would be getting into. I want to give this a go but I think I need help and would like to retain you as a coach.

My goal is simple: I want to learn to behave like an executive director.

Signed,

ED “E.T.”

“To behave like an executive director.” A very good goal for an executive director, I might add.

E.T. became a client, and we teased out exactly what he meant by this.

To be a leader and not a department head. To worry about the whole organization and every stakeholder. To stare at cash flow and wonder about payroll. To take responsibility for partnering with the board so that its members can fulfill their obligations. To stand up at a gala and give an inspiring and motivational speech. To feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility for the communities you serve.

It's a hard role to be in and a hard role to cast for. I am currently working with a board that cannot agree on the role the executive director should play (and they are already interviewing candidates!). (Can you say “cart before the horse?”)

Who should a board be looking for? What matters? In small organizations, the staff leader really does do it all. A person who can inspire a group with her words and read a balance sheet? What skills and attributes matter? Do you have them? How do you cultivate them?

And the decision is so important. In my experience, leadership transitions are the most destabilizing forces in a nonprofit organization. Try raising money when you are between executive directors. Nuff said.

What's interesting is that all these same issues and questions apply to board chairs as well. What should an organization be looking for in a board chair? (Note: the correct answer is not “pray that someone raises her hand and pick her.”) How might the skills and attributes of that person complement those of the staff leader? What skills and attributes matter? How do you cultivate them?