Issue 10
January 15, 2003

NEWSNOTES is a monthly email newsletter published by Nonprofit Enterprise at Work. It includes items of interest to the nonprofit community in Washtenaw County and the surrounding areas, as well as resources available at NEW. Encourage your friends and colleagues to join over 200 other NEWSNOTES subscribers!

NEW would like to recognize the generous support of its partners:

IN THIS ISSUE

LEAD STORY

Characteristics of an Excellent CEO

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a set formula that produced an excellent nonprofit CEO? Schools of business, nonprofit management, and social work would crank them out regularly, and nonprofits could snatch them up as needed. Ah, fantasy…

The reality of the situation is that a person chosen to direct an organization requires a fine and level balance of several qualities. The Chief Executive Officer (or Executive Director) must manage the operations of the organization, seeing that quality programs and services are provided efficiently. But how does an individual do this? What kind of person does it take to inspire confidence, make shrewd decisions, and create productive rapport with employees, colleagues, and funders?

Ask a thousand people for an answer to that question, and you’ll receive a thousand different responses. Below, we’ve put together our own list of characteristics that an effective CEO should either have or be willing to develop.

1. First, CEOs must be creative. Creativity is particularly important in the nonprofit arena where the shifting economy can lead to changing funding sources. When creativity manifests itself in adaptability, flexibility, and innovative leadership in the midst of chaos, it is one of the most valuable characteristics one can possess. Leaders must constantly be able to find ways around, over, and through the myriad glitches that can and will arise.
2. Successful CEOs inspire their employees to do their jobs well and then delegate the responsibility to let them. By establishing, developing, and motivating a diverse group of skilled professionals within their organization, CEOs take the first step towards successfully accomplishing the organization’s mission. As one local nonprofit employee said about her CEO, “[He] believes in his staff and gives us freedom and room to work, which in turn maximizes our potential.”
3. An effective CEO is curious . By constantly seeking to learn about their field, their organization, their employees, and themselves, CEOs will stay sharp and gather important insight into their organization’s present and future. Also, if the CEO develops a culture of discovery and exploration for the organization, employees will follow suit. The benefits to the organization from this aggregate knowledge will multiply.
4. The CEO should take the time to understand the business. If he or she comes from outside the organization, or more importantly, outside the organization’s industry (i.e., from environmental consciousness-raising to literacy development), there needs to be adequate time to learn the concerns, challenges, and benefits facing that sector. Time should also be taken to acclimate to, but not overhaul, the new organization’s culture.  
5. Wayne Gretzky once said, “I skate to where the puck is going, not to where it’s been.” A good leader will have the same foresight . Because of devolution, a slowing economy, and sped up technological innovation, the nonprofit landscape changes much more rapidly than it did 10 or 20 years ago. Today’s CEO needs to recognize critical moments in his/her organization’s path and then “follow the cheese” accordingly.
6. Image may not be everything, but it is a big something. Therefore, as the face of an organization, a CEO is responsible for representing not just herself, but her organization. If a leader is perceived to be dynamic and progressive , then the organization will be similarly perceived. This holds true in the for-profit world, too. Think about the differences between the recently indicted Ken Lay of Enron and the service-focused Jeffrey Swartz of Timberland. Which CEO—and organization—would you want to be affiliated with?
7. A critical attribute (and one that is sometimes assumed until it is challenged) for a CEO to possess is integrity . In the for-profit world and the nonprofit world we’ve seen far too many instances where corrupt leadership has pulled a company under. On the other hand, CEOs with strong character can “walk the talk” because their values are in line with their organization’s. In displaying strong character and loyalty to their own and their organization’s convictions, successful leaders inspire trust in the community, thereby helping ensure the achievement of the mission.
8. Finally, a successful CEO manages alignment between the organization’s stakeholders—clients, staff, and board. Continually fine-tuning the organization—modifying this policy, changing that person’s responsibilities, embellishing that program but dropping this service—keeps the organization fresh and dynamic.

Resources for improving CEO skills:

• Managing for Nonprofit Excellence Workshop Series: NEW’s spring term of 60 new workshops, including 12 free sessions, begins March 7 and runs through June 10. Scholarships are available for Washtenaw County nonprofits; apply online. DEADLINE FOR SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS IS FEBRUARY 10, 2003. These workshops offer skill development for CEOs (listed chronologically):
  • Managing Conflict in the Workplace, March 21
  • Talking Up Your Agency, March 25
  • Community Needs Assessments that Work, March 27
  • Networking, Outreach, and Beyond for EDs, April 1
  • Facilitating Meetings and Groups, April 2
  • Mastering Management Basics, April 4
  • Hiring an Executive Director and Senior Staff, April 9
  • Achieving Strategic Agility: An Introduction to Long Range Planning, April 15
  • Your Development Effort: What’s Right? What’s Wrong? What’s Next?, April 16
  • Being the Boss: Effective Supervisory Skills, April 25
  • Bottom Line Training, May 1
  • Managing Generation X and Y, May 2
  • Motivating Employees and Volunteers, May 2
  • The Art of Soliciting Major Gifts, May 6
  • Media Opportunities:Looking Good on Camera and Other Tips, May 7
  • Getting the Best from Volunteers, May 14
  • Healthy Board and Staff Relations, May 29
  • Rules, Regs and Your Reputation, June 4
  • Coaching and Mentoring, June 6
• Leadership²Go, Executive Director Series: Take advantage of these gatherings to network and learn from peers.
• Nonprofit Reference Library books available to borrow at the NEW Center and purchase from Amazon:
  • Nonprofit Leadership   
  • Nonprofit Management
• For Boards doing a CEO evaluation:
  • Pierson, Jane and Joshua Mintz. Assessment of the Chief Executive .   BoardSource, 1999. Available to borrow from the Nonprofit Reference Library or purchase from the publisher.
  • Contente, William . “Reviewing the CEO:   A Guide for Nonprofit Boards.” Nonprofit World , Vol. 20, No. 6, Nov/Dec. 2002, p. 32-35.

FEATURED ITEMS

Education and Training

The catalog of workshops for NEW's spring 2003 Managing for Nonprofit Excellence series is now online and in the mail. Sessions begin in mid-March and continue through early June. Register online with our secure server, or call 734-998-0160.

Scholarship applications for workshops are also online. The deadline for scholarship applications is February 10. Scholarships are available for nonprofits in Washtenaw County thanks to the generous support of the City of Ann Arbor , Junior League of Ann Arbor, and Washtenaw County.

Leadership²Go Executive Director Series

Refine your CEO skills with NEW’s Leadership²Go Executive Director Series. Join your fellow leaders for two events this spring, where you’ll share your common challenges and solutions. The following links will take you to online registration.

• Happy Staff Who Stay -- Recruit and retain enthusiastic, qualified staff. Panel, Q&A and Networking, February 14, 2003, 8:30 -10:30am, NEW Center, $10.

  Panelists include Dale Berry of Huron Valley Ambulance, Jim Frenza of Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, Laura Rubin of Huron River Watershed Council, and Gail Scott of Girl Scouts of the Huron Valley Council.

• The Trustee Connection -- Enhance your relationship with your board. Panel, Q&A and Networking, Friday, May 2, 2003, 8:30 -10:30am, NEW Center, $10.
  

  Panelists include Gary Bell of SOS Community Services, Joan Chesler of the Corner Health Center, Mary Steffek Blaske of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and Dave McDowell of Ronald McDonald House of Ann Arbor.

The 2003 Leadership²Go Executive Director Series is made possible, in part, by the generous support of the Sarns Ann Arbor Fund and the Bill and Molly Dobson Fund of the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation.

Nonprofit Reference Library: Web Sites Worth Exploring

• Nonprofit New Year Resolutions -- Use the processes of evaluation, planning, implementation, and review to advance your mission.
• Iknow.org stands for Interactive Knowledge for Nonprofit Organizations Worldwide. The mission of the site is to provide nonprofit leaders with knowledge that is critical to expanding their impact. Find information and links on all aspects of nonprofit management. If the answer you are seeking is not readily available, “Ask I Know” for help.
• Prof. Susan Kattelus of Eastern Michigan University maintains the Nonprofit Service Bureau site to help nonprofits with accounting questions.

Emerging Leaders: Statewide Leadership Program for New Nonprofit Professionals

For the aspiring nonprofit leader, EMERGING LEADERS 2003 is just the thing to get you started. Emerging Leaders, a program of the Michigan Nonprofit Association, is comprehensive training for program-level staff, created especially for individuals with between one and five years of professional experience in the nonprofit sector. Emerging Leaders is your opportunity to build the skills and relationships that will help you succeed in the nonprofit sector. It goes beyond “the basics” and engages participants in critical thought and dialogue.

For more information, contact Mike Corbin at the Michigan Nonprofit Association (888-242-7075, Ext. 2412) or see MNA’s Web site for more details.

Washtenaw United Way Announcements

Victory Reception and Campaign Awards

Be there as the Washtenaw United Way 2002 Campaign total is announced! The event will take place from 4:30 to 6:30 pm on Tuesday, January 28, 2003 at the Holiday Inn North Campus, 3600 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor. Join fellow volunteers for the hors d' oeuvre reception and program. Everyone present will have a chance to win the door prize of two round-trip tickets to any Northwest Airlines destination in the continental United States (donated by Northwest Airlines).

Cost is $10 per person. Watch for your invitation in the mail and return the enclosed reply card with your check by January 21, 2003. For additional invitations, contact Debi Taft (734-971-8200).

Washtenaw United Way Office Has Moved

Washtenaw United Way is temporarily located in downtown Ann Arbor at the One North Main Building, 101 N. Main St. until the new United Way building is completed, anticipated in Spring/Summer 2004. The previous mailing address and phone number will remain the same: P.O. Box 3813, Ann Arbor, MI 48106, phone 734-971-8200.

Grant Proposal Deadline Reminders

• Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs: February 1, Arts Minigrants. Contact Daran Smith at NEW, 734-998-0160.
• Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation:Contact Martha Bloom at the AAACF, 734-663-2173.
  • February 5, General Grant Program
  • February 12, Foundation’s Youth Council
  • March 5, African American Endowment Fund
• Rosebud Foundation, February 21, Youth Program Grants. Contact Brooke Tracy, 734-424-0727.

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