Friday, January 29, 2010
Read All About It!
Check us out (click on the title of this post) in the January 19, 2010 copy of the Association and Non-Profit BISNOW talking about Executive Bounsues.
Monday, January 25, 2010
CEO Checklist
The fourth point from our CEO Checklist is crucial. In order to be a truly successful CEO you need to be Business savvy.
As associations shift away from the “old boy’s club” way of doing business to a more sophisticated corporate model, boards have become more focused on selecting executives with broad business savvy to lead their organizations.
Today, boards want CEO candidates who have overall business experience in accounting and finance, management (of the board, the staff, the volunteers), marketing, communications, and technology.
They do not expect expertise in all these areas, but they do expect the CEO to have broad experience across several fields (and to know where to brush up on the basics of these disciplines).
If you don’t already have an extensive background, broaden your involvement to diversify your skill set. Association experience can be very attractive, but if you’re an association political affairs director or communications director and your expertise is limited to one sector, it makes you a less desirable candidate. Move beyond your comfort zone by taking on responsibilities (perhaps even a volunteer role in a community organization) requiring you to learn a whole new way of thinking. Boards want CEOs who can move through the basic disciplines of management with a degree of confidence.
As associations shift away from the “old boy’s club” way of doing business to a more sophisticated corporate model, boards have become more focused on selecting executives with broad business savvy to lead their organizations.
Today, boards want CEO candidates who have overall business experience in accounting and finance, management (of the board, the staff, the volunteers), marketing, communications, and technology.
They do not expect expertise in all these areas, but they do expect the CEO to have broad experience across several fields (and to know where to brush up on the basics of these disciplines).
If you don’t already have an extensive background, broaden your involvement to diversify your skill set. Association experience can be very attractive, but if you’re an association political affairs director or communications director and your expertise is limited to one sector, it makes you a less desirable candidate. Move beyond your comfort zone by taking on responsibilities (perhaps even a volunteer role in a community organization) requiring you to learn a whole new way of thinking. Boards want CEOs who can move through the basic disciplines of management with a degree of confidence.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
New Year, New Post
As its a new year we thought we would add a new point to our CEO Checklist. In order to be the perfect CEO you have to be a:
Strategic Thinker.
Every single board asks for a strategic thinker.
The Candidates with a strategic orientation are able to clearly articulate their vision of where the organization can be in two, three, or five years and this is crucial to the Board.
Whether it’s with a well thought-out handout prepared ahead of time or simply by telling “war stories” of developing and implementing past strategic concepts, you can win over the board with your vision of the organization’s limitless potential under your leadership. Of course, this requires a lot of homework. More than arming yourself with knowledge, conveying your strategic thinking capabilities is a matter of exciting imaginations—yours and theirs.
Strategic Thinker.
Every single board asks for a strategic thinker.
The Candidates with a strategic orientation are able to clearly articulate their vision of where the organization can be in two, three, or five years and this is crucial to the Board.
Whether it’s with a well thought-out handout prepared ahead of time or simply by telling “war stories” of developing and implementing past strategic concepts, you can win over the board with your vision of the organization’s limitless potential under your leadership. Of course, this requires a lot of homework. More than arming yourself with knowledge, conveying your strategic thinking capabilities is a matter of exciting imaginations—yours and theirs.
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