|
Jill Macauley When clients inquire about the elements of successful strategic, business, development or campaign planning, our response always begins with leadership. Although leadership has many definitions, its essence remains the same: Leaders are people who know how to achieve goals and inspire others.
A recent Gallup study, State of the American Manager, states that much of an organization’s success rests on its leadership. In fact, effective, or “high-talent,” leaders tend to have more engaged employees, many of whom act as “brand ambassadors” or vocal advocates for their institutions. Successful leadership also contributes to substantial increases in profitability and productivity as well as decreases in employee turnover. However, the study also revealed that 82% of leaders lack the necessary skills to “lead the team toward common objectives.” This leads to the question: How can you recognize strong leaders?
Although we’d like to think that we value and can identify these qualities in others, Gallup found that organizations fail to choose candidates with the right talents a staggering 82% of the time! What are we doing wrong? According to Gallup, job promotion often has more to do with long tenure or high performance than with talent. Fortunately, you don’t have to look far to find your next leaders—talent is hiding among your current employees. Gallup found that 10% of employees have all of the skills of a good manager. Another 20% have some combination of the necessary skills and, with proper training, could become effective leaders. While reflecting on the Gallup article, our thoughts turned to the zoo and aquarium industry—a nonprofit sector that S&W works with extensively and one with a keen awareness of the need for and value of effective leadership. At its recent annual conference, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) leadership strongly advocated for its role in worldwide animal conservation. The message was clear: AZA’s approximately 230 accredited organizations have the opportunity to become the largest force in wildlife conservation, but doing so will require that member institutions work together, harder and smarter, to save animals from extinction. It will also require visionary leadership throughout the industry. Fortunately, zoos and aquariums have benefitted tremendously from a robust cadre of strong leaders. But a recent survey, Demographics of AZA Directors and Their Implications, revealed an aging base of leaders: average age of 54.6, 26.4 years of zoo experience and approximately 10 years of experience in their current role. This means that, in the next ten years, approximately 74% of AZA member institutions will be hiring a new director. The trend has already begun—in each of the last three years (2012-14), over 20 directors left their positions and another 7 left in early 2015. AZA’s call to action concerning the impending leadership transition within most AZA member organizations represents an opportunity to take stock of the type of leadership that will be needed to realize AZA’s ambitious agenda for the next decade. When thinking about how to identify the talent in your pool of employees and how to mentor future leadership, consider AZA’s recent efforts to cultivate their own next generation of leaders. In response to the high volume of transitions that will occur over the next decade, the AZA established the Executive Leadership Development Program to identify and train talented individuals, providing them with the resources to move into the most senior levels of leadership in an AZA zoo or aquarium in the next two years. This program, now in its third year, has been very successful. But the program itself is not enough because the demand for talented individuals who can replace outgoing directors far outpaces current supply. Zoos and aquariums need to look closely within their own ranks to identify skilled individuals and implement training programs that will prepare them for leadership. In addition, AZA member institutions must have a succession plan in place to proactively manage imminent change. We encourage you to read more about the Gallup study on leadership here and to think about your employees who exhibit Gallup’s five fundamental traits of effective leadership so you can help them develop into the next generation of leaders.
0 Comments
Jill Macauley The leadership of nonprofit organizations pours their hearts into achieving their mission and vision and is passionate about ensuring institutional growth and success. Yet so many organizations lack the necessary safeguard for maintaining institutional stability—a succession plan.
Succession planning can be viewed as a touchy topic. We often find that neither Board nor senior staff wants to raise the issue, as they are unsure of its purpose and may perceive it as a threat. What they fail to realize is that, without a succession plan, an organization becomes vulnerable to loss of management, loss of knowledge and loss of progress/momentum if critical leadership should suddenly depart. The best approach is to remove the sense of “threat” through an open dialogue with your key leadership staff. Make sure they understand that succession planning is for the good of the organization as it lays out a “roadmap” without firm dates for implementation. A succession plan is a critical management tool that helps ensure long-term viability and sustainability. Such planning allows a Board and its staff leadership to think through, in advance, a practical approach that will effect a smooth and successful transition for individuals in key leadership positions. It does not establish a specific timeline, but it does begin to “frame the conversation” to help make sure that an organization continues to be managed at its highest level. This proactive approach mitigates the significant risks associated with the failure to address succession planning. Schultz & Williams Vice President Rick Biddle and Co-principal Investigator Dennis Kelly, Director of the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., recently completed a study for the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) on zoo directors’ succession planning. This study reveals critical insights into the scope of leadership transitions that will take place over the next few years. In fact, the study has exposed an urgent and widespread need for institutions and their Boards to actively engage in framing succession plans to insure that they continue to build on the success and momentum created by their existing leadership teams. The study found that only 36% of its participating zoos and aquariums had succession plans! “Never before has succession planning been more important for zoos and aquariums than now,” said Biddle. “In fact, our study revealed that this is a crucial issue for other sectors of the nonprofit world as well, since today’s baby boomers are beginning to age out of their long-held leadership positions.” Succession should be a topic addressed now…even if you are not anticipating a change in leadership. Succession planning lays the path to an orderly outcome. It helps to prepare your organization for the unexpected loss of a member of your leadership staff. Having a process and plan in place allows your organization to continue to deliver the highest level of service and programs to your stakeholders. Succession plans do not have to be complicated. Their framework includes outlining the transition process and updating key position profiles and organizational structures. Succession plans should be updated annually and integrated into your institution’s strategic planning process. An important element of ongoing succession planning is working with your organization’s Board. Boards need to be informed about leadership trends in their nonprofit sector/niche and about how the role of the Executive Director/CEO is changing. Board training should include these topics. By being proactively prepared and informed, Board members will be positioned to hire and recruit the “right” leaders. Taking succession planning steps now will increase your readiness for the inevitable changes in leadership that will be occurring over the coming years. |
©
2021 Relevant Strategies and Solutions. All Rights Reserved. Site Developer Aristo Marketing LLC.
Privacy Policy Terms of Services
Privacy Policy Terms of Services