Leadership Skills and Knowledge of Leaders Qualities of leaders - PDF document

3/19/2016 Agenda • Introductions • Several Paradigm Comments • Why Succession Planning? • What do we ask leaders to do? Leadership • Skills and Knowledge of Leaders • Qualities of leaders Succession Planning • FourThings to Implement Right Away • Conclusions Conservation Consulting Conservation Consulting Group Group Nancy Moore, Managing Partner • Founded in 2009 as a partnership of friends • More than 30 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and management • Guided Organizational Assessments • Nonprofit consultant for more than a decade • Strategic Planning • Senior Examiner for The Lincoln Foundation of Illinois • International adventure travel expedition leader • Accreditation Preparation • Board member of Big City Mountaineers. Conservation Consulting Job Responsibilities of a Group Board Director David Allen • Governance • 30 years raising money by asking • Management – 13 with TNC Chapters in OR, TX, and WI – 10 with Sand County Foundation • Fundraising • Membership Systems to $18MM Capital Campaign • Celebration • Consulting PT since 2004; FT since March 2009 3/19/2016 1

3/19/2016 Board Roles Staff Roles • President/Executive Director • Strategic (Day-to-Day Management) • (Boundary) Management • Land Acquisition • Fiduciary • Preserve Management/Easement Monitoring • Resource Acquisition • Newsletter/Communications • Represent the Public Interest • Membership Management • Grant-writing • Volunteer Management SHIFT Why Succession Planning? • Make Conservation Work Permanent Staff roles are often filled by volunteers who are not paid. • Assure that the Board’s collective talent and experience is always sufficient to meet the changing needs of the This fact alone does not make them Board organization roles. What do w e ask leaders to do? • Organize productive work experience for everyone else Succession Plan means that when leaders leave, everyone else knows what to do • Assure engagement regardless of the degree to which the • Assure the group moves forward as a vacancy is anticipated. group (nobody left behind) • Facilitate discussion and even debate as needed to make good decisions 2

3/19/2016 Skills and Know ledge Qualities • Good with People (Fundraising and • Authentic interest (passion) for the mission Communications) • Generalist • Strategic Thinker • Knows the Business of Conservation • Critical Thinker (Good analytic skills) • Good judgment • Knows the Organization • Sense of humor • Curiosity (Not afraid to ask questions) • Good Facilitator • Listens well Four Things 1 • Rethink the Recruitment Process Rethink the Recruitment Process • Rethink the Orientation • Become a Standard Bearer • Board Evaluations What do Board Members Do? Remember • Board Directors – Attend all board meetings and events. • Recruit from your existing supporters – Serve on at least one committee. – Give money. • Recruit LEADERS- people others will – Raise money. respect, take seriously, and follow. – Advocate. – Adopt major gift prospects to cultivate. – Know the projects. Know the finances. • Board service is a major gift – for the – Go on a monitoring visit each year. donor 3

3/19/2016 Remember 2 • The people you need most are probably Rethink the not available to you right away. Orientation • They need to be introduced to the idea, wooed, and ultimately solicited. (Sounds like donor development) Re-Think Checklist Items • Sit in on one meeting of each board • Re-Think in terms of showing new board committee, members what you want them to know. • Serve for a year on the Finance Committee, • Re-Think in terms of helping them practice • Visit a project site, enough to get proficient. • Develop and practice an “elevator speech,” • Call a donor to say thank you, • Re-Think in terms of helping them create • Get to know a set of donor prospects, the story they will tell others. • Attend an organizational event. 2A 3 Serve on the Finance Become a Standard Bearer Committee for the first year 4

3/19/2016 Job of Standard Bearer Job of Standard Bearer • One report on a land trust standard at least every four years. Without reservation, I believe this – Are we compliant? organization is compliant with both the letter – Are we consistent? and the spirit of the standard. The By-Laws, – Do we know what to do? mission, plans, and policies are all internally consistent, and I have seen evidence that – Are we sustainable? we apply them consistently as needs and opportunities present themselves. 4 Four Things • Rethink the Recruitment Process Board Evaluations • Rethink the Orientation • Become a Standard Bearer • Board Evaluations Conservation Consulting Group Nancy Moore, 608-630-8553 David Allen, 608-239-5006 • Strategic Planning • Board Development • Assessments • Coaching and Mentoring 5