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Among our values at North Group is the value of “modeling an others-centered focus.” We define values as beliefs we hold that drive our actions – so, how do we put this value into action?

For many years in organizational leadership, I found myself pursuing a solution-based approach to leadership. As time went on, I began to learn the importance of asking questions. Questions, and the ensuing responses, enriched my leadership. I found that providing solutions without listening closely did not serve my organization well. The more questions I asked, the smarter I got. The more responses I received, the better our organization performed. Who knew listening was a key to great leadership?

At one time, I served an organization who’s slogan was “everyone’s journey matters.” Before we focus on the how, we must first focus on the “who.” That’s modeling an others-centered focus.

One of the realities of the nonprofit world (and business in general) is that, at some point, all leaders will leave their organization. With the average tenure of a nonprofit leader being just three years, this issue is unavoidable. In some instances, this will be a known change with time to carefully develop and carry out a succession plan. All too often though, transitions happen unexpectedly (or with short notice) due to a personal crisis or performance issue. Because nonprofits are at a very vulnerable point during leadership transitions, organizations that ignore succession planning place their organization at great risk.

Whether planned or sudden, temporary or permanent, the process of planning for smooth transitions is a huge responsibility shared by board members and the organization’s leaders. It is important for them to work together to create a succession plan so the ongoing mission of the organization can continue at full strength.

While succession planning ideally begins as soon as a new leader steps into his or her role, only one third of nonprofits report that they have a written succession plan. This problem is expected to intensify as the number of leadership transitions accelerate with the increasing rate of baby boomers retiring.

I have been privileged to partner with several nonprofits during leadership transitions. Each leadership transition has been different. There are no cookie cutter procedures that work for all organizations. Our approach at North Group honors the uniqueness of each transition.

Is your organization prepared for your next leadership transition?

Recently I attended a recognition event that featured the celebration of a retiring CEO and the introduction of his successor. As the speakers were acknowledging the legacy of the retiring CEO, one theme emerged: “As a leader, he bridged differences.”

One definition of “bridge,” when used as a verb, is “to make a connection where there is a great difference.”

The retiring CEO bridged differences by:

  • Listening to others
  • Providing a vision for the future
  • Respecting others’ points of view
  • Soliciting ideas from others
  • Collaborating with others

Leaders with these behavioral traits influence processes and people in a positive way. What a contrast to the current political discourse among would-be leaders in our nation. When leaders do not bridge differences, divisions among people accelerate while vision, creativity and productivity suffer or come to a stand-still.

I am reminded of the Vulcan greeting in Star Trek: “I am pleased to see that we are different. May we together become greater than the sum of both of us.”

I recently read the book, “My Calling to Fulfill,” by John E. Sharp. The book is about Orie O. Miller who led Mennonite work in education, mission, peacemaking, and mental health. He developed most of the major Mennonite agencies that exist today, including Mennonite Central Committee, Eastern Mennonite Missions, and Goshen College.

Miller had many talents, one being his unique ability to spot leadership talent in others. Several weeks ago I was talking about the book with a former work colleague. He was in his first year of a pre-med program in college when Miller suggested he become the administrator of a hospital in Africa that Mennonite missionaries had begun. This led my former colleague away from a career in medicine to a life-changing experience serving in an underprivileged area for more than 15 years.

Reflecting on my own career path, I realize that several persons influenced me as I chose a college major and then assumed leadership positions in several church and social service agencies, and now as a consultant with North Group. I am grateful for the guidance I received from these individuals.

Leaders need “talent radar” that spots ability and potential in others. Talent radar looks for five key indicators in others:

  • The right kind of motivation: a fierce commitment to excel in the pursuit of unselfish goals
  • Curiosity: a penchant for seeking new experiences, knowledge, and candid feedback, as well as openness to learning and change
  • Insight: the ability to gather and make sense of information that suggests new possibilities
  • Engagement: a knack of using emotion and logic to communicate a persuasive vision and connect with people
  • Determination: the wherewithal to fight for difficult goals despite challenges, and the ability to bounce back from adversity

As a leader, how do you rate your ability to assess talent in others? Are there persons in your life right now who might benefit from some timely shoulder tapping?

Good leaders know that they can’t do the job alone. So empowering others to lead is a major responsibility of a leader. How do leaders empower others to lead?

Recently I read a book entitled Christian Reflections on The Leadership Challenge, edited by James Kouzes & Barry Posner. The authors suggest the following ways of influencing others in their growth as leaders:

  1. Put Love into Action: People thrive when they have meaningful work to do. Give them something critical to do that advances the mission of the organization.
  2. Develop Talent Radar: As a leader, learn what areas of strength each person on your team possesses. Everyone is good at something.
  3. Fan People’s Gifts into Flames: After you’ve given critical tasks to the right people, commit yourself to the development of their character and their competence.
  4. Make Heroes of People: Make heroes of people when they do things well. Tell their stories. Celebrate their successes with others.
  5. Lead Out of a Servant’s Heart: Without this element of servant leadership, a leader will develop a workforce of implementers. When you lead out of a servant’s heart, you tap into the best level of motivation in a person.

True leadership requires a strong commitment to the well-being and growth of others, an “other-centeredness” that includes lifting others up, sharing the load and sharing power. It builds trust and makes your job easier.

In what ways are the people you lead becoming better people and leaders because of the time spent with you?

June 20, 2014

Getting Better at Doing Good by Gerald Meck

During the past four years, as well as in previous leadership experiences with nonprofit organizations, I’ve become very aware of the scope of responsibility boards of directors have to assure they protect an organization’s mission and follow fiduciary and governance requirements.

I’ve drawn much from Doing Good Better, a book by Edgar Stoesz and Chester Raber, both of whom have extensive experience working with boards and upper level management. Their main thesis is this: Nonprofit boards, established to do good, have the capacity to do much better.

They tell us there are two main components to improving: The first is for the board to understand and fulfill its governance role, and the second is to maintain a productive working relationship between the Board Chair and the CEO.

Several years ago, events at Penn State University gave us a stark reminder of the importance of leadership at the board and executive level.  While there may be organizational policies, procedures and codes of conduct for leadership and employee accountability, there is no substitute for doing the right thing.

One aspect of doing the right thing means paying more attention to the important role a board chair plays within an organization. Most experienced observers on nonprofit governance agree that board chairs can have considerable influence on board and organizational operations.

The major leadership positions within an organization include the board chair and the chief executive officer. The CEO is expected to support staff and the board chair maintains a supportive/supervisory relationship with the CEO. Supporting the CEO is one of the most important non-meeting responsibilities of the board chair.  A positive and productive working relationship between these two individuals is critical for a successful organization. To achieve this, a high level of leadership skills from each person is required.

Research has identified several personal qualities of exceptional board chairs. These include trustworthiness, intelligence, and good listening skills. Being dictatorial, critical and motivated by self-interest are the lowest qualities (NPQ, The Best and Worst of Board Chairs, June 21, 2007).

As a community we need to identify and support board chairs that have the qualities needed to be effective leaders.  Our nonprofit organizations will be able to service our communities more effectively when board chairs and the CEO work well together.

 

December 20, 2013

How Are You Doing? by Gerald Meck

I exercise regularly.  The other day, while at the gym I asked a senior gentleman, How are you?  This is the standard way I greet people. On this particular day, I was in a hurry to complete my routine.  I asked the question out of habit rather than out of genuine interest in the person.

Often, people respond by saying, Doing well, or Fine, thank you.   However, this individual responded to my question by telling me his story.  He said he was late coming to the gym because his car ran out of gas.  He said his gas gauge doesn’t work and he has to estimate how much is left in the tank.  He sometimes misjudges this.   He said that even though he was late he was glad to be at the gym and start his workout.

I decided to count the number of times people ask me, How are you?   I was surprised that in a very short period of time ten different people asked me how I was doing.   I thought perhaps I should find a different way to greet people. But out of habit later in the day, I asked the same question of someone I have known for a long time.   He told me he was dealing with a serious health problem.  Again, I was not prepared to hear more than a perfunctory response, even though I had invited him to tell me how he was doing.

These encounters reminded me of John C. Maxwell’s book, Everyone Communicates, Few Connect.  Maxwell states that we are bombarded with thirty-five thousand messages a day. On an average, most individuals speak about sixteen thousand words a day. If you transcribed those words, they’d fill a 300-page book every week. At the end of a year, you would have an entire bookcase full of words.  In a lifetime, you’d fill a library.  Maxwell asks, How many of our words really matter?

As a consultant, I usually start my coaching sessions by asking a client how they are doing.  If I am paying attention, and ready to listen, this question opens the door for connecting with the person and what they are experiencing.  It opens the door for me to influence them, and for them to influence me.

Let me ask you how you are doing. As a leader, do you use words to connect?  Do you move from perfunctory questions and responses, to genuine connection? Please join me in being more intentional with this.

June 20, 2013

Leadership Lessons Learned on the Farm by Gerald Meck

It’s 7:30 on a Sunday evening and I have just arrived at my nephews’ dairy farm in Berks County, Pennsylvania with my 12 year old granddaughter, Maya. Maya lives in Hartford, Connecticut and has aspirations to become a “big animal” veterinarian someday. We agreed to spend the week together working on the farm. Spending a week on a large 300-acre farm with over 300 dairy cows will give her some insights into farm life and an opportunity to learn more about what a veterinarian really does. This time together is also a great opportunity for me to spend some quality time with Maya and experience farm life with her.

Our daily routine for the week includes waking up bright and early at 4:00 a.m. to milk the cows. We stop for a hearty breakfast at 8:30 a.m. After breakfast we discuss the work schedule and specific tasks for the day. My nephews who own the farm, Jeremy and Zach, are hosting a Delaware Valley College Student Intern who is studying to be a veterinarian. The intern is assisting them on the farm for the summer. Jeremy and Zach compile a list of tasks with specific work assignments and copies are given to each person. Our main goal is to complete the task list between 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. At 4:00 p.m. it is time to milk the cows again. We end up eating our evening meal around 9:00 p.m.

Examples of work projects from the list for the week include meeting with the head dairy nutritionist to review feed ingredients for the cows, giving an IV to a sick cow, trimming cow hooves, vaccinating calves, harvesting barley, disking fields to plant corn, cleaning and organizing the tool shed, mowing grass, and numerous other tasks. Managing a dairy and crop farm requires a broad array of operational and technical skills.

As the week progresses, I observe planning, delegation, problem-solving, communication, community relationships and a great need for flexibility and adaptability. The weather, malfunctioning equipment and other unexpected situations frequently require a change in the carefully designed plans that were made for each day.

Like farmers, leaders in organizations must be flexible and able to adapt quickly to changes in the environment, whether that be funding changes, work force challenges, and policy or regulatory changes in order for their companies to survive and flourish.

We end the week on Friday evening, sitting around the dining room table playing Farm Monopoly. In Farm Monopoly, each player has a farm with a certain amount of acres, crops and animals. The goal of the game is to increase individual assets by purchasing additional acres, harvesting crops, etc. while navigating the challenges of weather, taxes, loan debt, and other unexpected challenges, similar to what a farmer experiences. By the end of the game, Maya has the most assets.

Maya came away from the week with a greater understanding of farm life and the responsibilities of a large animal veterinarian. On the way home, she talks about her continued interest in becoming a veterinarian and her renewed commitment in school to make sure her grades remain high enough for entrance into veterinarian schools.

I came away from the week with a new appreciation for all that it takes to be a successful farmer: the hard work, long days, and the variety of leadership skills, such as flexibility and adaptability, required to be a leader in the farming industry. I also came away with the realization that leaders have an important role in the success of all kinds of organizations and industries, including farming.

February 21, 2013

Becoming a Sage by Gerald Meck

All of us go through different stages of life.  Several weeks ago I signed up for Social Security. I resisted this for a time partly because I do not consider myself to be old. At church several weeks ago, someone described those of us over 65 years of age as “sages.” Each of us received a black coffee mug with “SAGE” imprinted in green.

In his book Radical Grace, Richard Rohr writes this about sages – “When you have met a sage, you know you have met a great person. He or she is the real image of the wise person who can sit on the edge of the family and offer it security and caution. They don’t stifle others with closed-ness or rigidity or dogmatic political opinions. Rather, they offer a world view in which we feel both safe and adventurous.”

“Because most of us don’t have that kind of grandparent around, we bear the whole burden of life alone. We have to change this. There has to be a different way. No civilization has survived spiritually unless the elders saw it as their central task to pass on wisdom to the young.”

Several weeks after receiving my “sage” mug, my granddaughters (ages 12 and 9) asked if they could spend some time with me this summer. The older one, Maya, asked if we could spend some time on a dairy farm, milking cows, feeding the calves and assisting with general farm work.  Maya’s dream is to become a veterinarian.   A week on the farm will give her a good introduction to animals and farm life.

Maya’s sister, Mason asked me to visit her in Connecticut and do fun things around home.  She is already making lists of activities for us to share during “Camp Grandpa.”

I am grateful for these opportunities to spend time with Maya and Mason.  I’m encouraged to “be a sage” by offering them security and caution, safety and adventure, and to share wisdom without stifling them as I open myself to their world.

As leaders we also have opportunities to model sage-like behaviors to people in all life stages.  We do this by observing, listening, sharing knowledge, encouragement and wisdom, sometimes through active engagement and sometimes while “sitting on the edges.”

Be inspired to share the wisdom and perspective that you’ve gained on life’s journeys.  Be a sage in someone’s life today!