Executive Director Essentials: A Guide to Success for Every Exec

Welcome!

Congratulations on becoming an Executive Director!

The world of associations, chambers of commerce and nonprofits is an incredible world in which to lead. Every day is different. From meetings and events, to membership growth and retention, to more meetings and even more emails, we want to help you prepare for this roller coaster.

It is our sincere hope that we can offer the advice and guidance you need to get started. Always remember the mission of your organization and the loyalty of your volunteers, and don’t be afraid to call on your peers. Other Executive Directors in the nonprofit community are often your best source of support and advice. We have all been where you are now and are happy to help.

We strongly recommend you join and get involved in your professional association--your state/national association for executives, state/national chamber professionals association, or state/national nonprofit council. Participating in programs and events with your peers will keep you on top of emerging trends, legislative issues that could affect your organization, and new membership growth, engagement and retention ideas.

Keep learning, attending professional development luncheons, and watching webinars. Your calendar is going to seem overwhelming at times; however, making time for professional development is critical to your success as a leader. Consider attaining a designation or a micro-credential to enhance your competence and credibility. For more information on designations and micro-credentials, visit www.nationalcredentialinginstitute.org.

We wish you and your organization the very best!

Dot

Dot Miller, CAE

CEO

The Solution: An Association Management Company

Co-Founder

National Credentialing Institute

Sam Miller is a pilot and writer with association management experience. He worked alongside me at The Solution, managing our chamber and association clients. He also wrote many of the resource documents for the National Credentialing Institute. I appreciate that he took the time to work on this book with me in between flights; I could not have asked for a better writing partner.

I Get by With a Little Help from My Friends

After I wrote this book, I sent it out to some of my favorite executive directors across associations, chambers of commerce and nonprofit organizations. I wanted their input on what I may have missed. It’s been over a decade since I was in your shoes. With their feedback, I asked them what they wished someone would have shared with them when they were new, so I can share that with you. Here is what they had to say:

If had known then, when I started, what I know now…. I would have been an even better resource for members of the associations I have represented. Too bad that Dot and Sam didn’t complete this project something like 35 years ago! Over the years, some of my best longtime friends have been those I served with leadership roles in associations. I wish I had understood early on the power of strategic relationships built while serving together for important organizations priorities. – Tim Jackson, CEO of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association

The Executive Director 101 is great information for those aspiring to become an Executive Director and new Executive Directors. It is very flattering when so many organizations ask you to participate on their Board of Directors, however it can be overwhelming and cause you not to be as effective in your primary job. Own your time so you can prepare and be effective at everything you do. – Tyrone Adams, CAE, CRE, Executive Director of the Colorado Association of Realtors

Strategic Planning isn’t just about strategy, it’s about leadership – getting your team all going in the same direction. – Michael Gifford, President & CEO of Associated General Contractors of Colorado

In your first 6 months make your relationships the top priority. Ask the leaders in your community who they think you should connect with and develop your TOP 20 list. Take them to coffee and listen. The context and information you get will save you months of brain damage. When I first started in Arvada, I had a board member who gave me background on all of my board members. This information allowed me to navigate and respond to their needs and personality more effectively! You will be pleasantly surprised by the information people will share when you ask. Good luck! – Kami Welch, President of the Arvada Chamber of Commerce

The role of leading any organization is a daunting one. Do the work, stay focused on the big picture, listen and always remember to be kind. Everyone respects a strong work ethic but nobody wants to work for a jerk! – Ron Slinger, President of Miles Community College

Play to your strengths and don’t forget the organization’s culture. You cannot run ahead of members. It’s their organization. So, plant the seed and keep smiling. It will eventually take root and sprout. – Joan JT Tezak, Executive Director of Colorado Society of Association Executives

What I have learned about working with boards is that you always need to expect the unexpected. You will worry about agenda items that you think the board will question or have problems with…and they will sail through! On the other side, the items that you think are so simple and logical might get scrutinized. Be prepared. – Luanne Williams, CFRE, Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Children’s Health Foundation

What Makes a Good Leader?

When an organization hires an executive, they aren’t just looking for someone who will send out invoices and answer the phone; they want a true leader who will help their organization grow. Here are ten essential traits that will help you become the kind of leader your organization needs.

1.Integrity – The most important quality that any leader can have. Good leaders must be honest, transparent, and ethically sound in their decision making.

2.Passion for the Mission – Leading an organization can be an extremely taxing job. An executive director who isn’t passionate about the mission of their organization won’t be motivated to do their best work.

3.Adaptability – The environment your organization exists in is constantly in flux. A good leader needs to be flexible and able to adapt their plans and policies to economic and sociodemographic changes in the landscape.

4.Interpersonal Skill – Good people skills are essential for the leader of an organization, both for building relationships with members and donors, and for facilitating the operations of the Board, committees, and employees.

5.Financial Acumen – Financial mismanagement can quickly doom an organization. An executive director must be a smart and conscientious steward of the organization’s finances, and be able to give the Board detailed and accurate information about the organization’s fiscal state.

6.Communication Skill – You are the figurehead of your organization and the center point of a web of communication lines that extend to trustees, members, donors, committees and staff. Clear and effective communication with all parties is essential to the smooth operation of the organization.

7.Strategic Thinking – As mentioned above, a good leader does more than just maintain the status quo. An executive director should always be mindful of the big picture and operate with an eye on the long-term future of the organization.

8.Willingness to Collaborate – Anyone who wants to be a dictatorial decision maker should look elsewhere for work. Executive Director sounds like a powerful position, but in reality, you are still beholden to the desires of your Board and the needs of your membership. A great executive is willing and able to listen to every voice at the table and collaborate to make decisions that work for everyone.

9.Creativity – Nonprofit organizations tend to serve very niche markets and are bound by strict regulations on their activities, so they are often faced with unique problems that require outside-the-box solutions. A good executive director must be able to take a creative approach to problem solving.

10.Motivational Ability – A big part of the executive director’s role is managing staff and volunteers. A good executive should be able to keep everyone invested and motivated to work hard in service of the organization’s mission.

Ethical Leadership

As the leader of your organization, you have to understand the enormous role that trust plays in your relationships with members, donors and the public. Unethical, or the perception of unethical, conduct will tarnish your organization’s reputation. Members won’t want to have their names associated with yours, and donors will be unwilling to contribute money if they don’t feel confident that it will be used ethically and properly in service of the organization’s mission.

As an executive director, it is up to you to set the standard for ethical behavior. Demonstrate to the community a commitment to honesty, transparency, accountability and service to your members. Constantly examine whether your actions and conduct as an executive are consistent with the mission and values of the organization. Adhere strictly to your organization’s Code of Conduct, and don’t let others in the organization off the hook when they violate it. When you are making decisions on morally dicey issues, always ask yourself, Would I feel comfortable honestly explaining the rationale for this decision to the public?

One tool to help protect your organization is an ethics audit. This is a comprehensive review of your organizational values, the ethics policies you have in place, whether those policies are consistent with industry expectations and applicable regulations, and how you are maintaining accountability to those policies among leadership, staff and volunteers. An ethics audit could be accomplished internally by a task force of Board members and staff or externally by bringing in donors or outside consultants. Most organizations will conduct an audit only after an ethical violation has come to light; you should demonstrate your commitment to ethical leadership by conducting one every 3-5 years. Remember that is much easier to maintain the public trust than to win it back.

Teach your core leadership that, like you, they need to set the example of ethical leadership.

Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity is a key component of organizational success. Organizations that develop and implement an effective Diversity & Inclusion strategy tend to be significantly more successful and innovative than those that don’t. But why is that?

It starts with your organization’s image. A lack of diversity can be harmful to your reputation. If certain demographics aren’t well-represented in your organization, people from those demographics may get the idea that your organization isn’t interested in serving them. They will be less likely to pursue membership. However, it isn’t just about appearances—a strong commitment to diversity allows for broad stakeholder representation within your organization, and your decision-making will certainly benefit from a wide variety of voices, perspectives and opinions. If your membership and stakeholders are too demographically homogenous, you will miss out on ideas and perspectives that would be valuable.

Diversity should be established as a core value that is woven into the fabric of your organization. As the leader, it falls to you to set the standard for a commitment to inclusion. Align the messaging, communications and programs of your organization to reflect that commitment. Make it a point of seeking ideas from stakeholders of different backgrounds. Educate everyone in your organization on diversity awareness, and develop strategies that promote inclusion. You should always be aware of the potential for unconscious bias—examine your organization’s mission, goals and procedures to see if any of them are unintentionally discriminatory or exclusionary to a certain demographic.

Like most other organizational goals, diversity and inclusion can be measured. Track the demographic trends in both your staff and membership to see if you are doing enough to generate cross-demographic appeal for your organization. Take a look at your volunteer leaders as well--what does your Board of Directors look like? And remember that diversity is not just limited to racial diversity. It can include age, gender, economic status, and a number of other demographic factors.

If you have been successful in attracting and employing a diverse group of contributors, then you have a responsibility as a leader to learn how to properly manage that diversity. You may have to learn different communication techniques to serve people from different backgrounds. Encourage your team to engage you in an open dialogue about what you can do to help promote acceptance and inclusivity within the organization. Work hard, with your team and your leadership, to make diversity part of your organization’s culture.

Governance

Governance is the structure of your organization that facilitates operational management and provides a process for decision making. In this chapter, we will give you examples of governing documents and policies. We will also discuss the structure and responsibilities of the Board of Directors.

One common oversight that Executive Directors, Boards of Directors and Committee Chairs make is skipping an orientation, or providing inadequate training, for new leaders. A board orientation is critical to the success of a Board in any organization. During a board orientation, you discuss the roles and responsibilities of the Board, as well as the strategic plan and the budget. It’s not enough for a board to participate in the strategic plan and approve the budget for the organization; they need a