Category: Origin Story
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Several months ago, I unveiled my House of Governance™ framework during a webinar hosted by Ed Rigsbee, CSP, CAE. During the Q&A portion, Ed asked me about one of the domains of the House: Culture, Candor & Accountability. The question was really more like a challenge. “How do you maintain a positive culture on a…
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Over the last few weeks, I have been talking about the role of the interim in a nonprofit organization. I have broken down what an interim does, and does not do. I have talked about the costs, not just to the bottom line, of not having an interim. And I have touched on why a…
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When an organization experiences the loss of its CEO, whether by retirement, death, resignation, or termination, it is not only an operational issue. It is emotional as well. The board may feel pressure to project stability, protect the organization’s reputation, reassure staff, keep members calm, and move quickly. In that moment, hiring an outside interim…
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In the last 20 years, I’ve had the chance to guide several nonprofit organizations. During that time, I’ve seen transitions handled well, handled quickly, handled internally, and handled under pressure. Each situation has taught me that the real cost of transition is not always visible on the balance sheet. The following are not stories about…
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Often, when board members or other nonprofit leaders hear the term “interim,” they immediately think of a placeholder. And that’s not surprising. It’s not unusual for a board, upon hearing they are losing their CEO, to make a knee-jerk reaction and appoint a past board chair or an internal staff member as the interim. While…
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There are times in life when something new gets added to your story and you immediately realize it was not really new at all. It was just another piece of the puzzle finally finding its place. Recently, I was officially certified as an interim executive through Armstrong McGuire’s Interim Management Institute. After sharing the update…
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Why Thank-You Notes Still Matter I don’t know about you, but growing up, my Mom was a stickler for writing thank-you cards. I can still hear her voice on the phone saying, “Jimmy, did you remember to write your Gran and thank her for your birthday card?” I knew it was a big deal, but…
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Over the past few weeks, we’ve unpacked what it means to “Be the Unicorn” in the association world. We’ve explored traits centered around action, mindset, adaptability and growth. This final group of traits feels especially important to me because they focus on influence, relationships and purpose. As an association professional for over 25 years, those…
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Last week, we started unpacking what it means to “Be the Unicorn” in the association world, focusing on four traits centered around action: Fast, Authentic, Agile, and Solver. This week, we shift a bit. These next four traits are less about how leaders act in the moment and more about how they think, prepare, and…
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Over the next few weeks, I’m unpacking the habits outlined in Be the Unicorn, not just as concepts, but as practical leadership traits that show up in the day-to-day reality of association management. My hope isn’t just that you recognize these traits in others, but that you begin to see where they already exist in…