“Larry Bird is not walking through that door.”
Once upon a time you probably could have hired the leader you need to solve your problems and move your organization forward.
Not anymore.
With very low unemployment, a large generation of leaders retiring, decades of insufficient leadership development, higher salary demands, and the growing complexity of charity leadership, the odds of you finding the perfect leader who can make it all better are incredibly low.
And that’s even if we discount the reality of the costs (financial, momentum, team culture, etc.) of transitions.
You aren’t going to hire your way out of whatever isn’t working.
23 years ago basketball coach Rick Pitino went off on a rant about his players, and more importantly fans and media, looking for a superstar to arrive from somewhere else to fix everything. It wasn’t going to happen.
He knew the only option was for the players he had to improve. It was his job to help them do that.
While I still believe it’s worth reaching out to your Dream Hire, because it just might work out; even that ideal addition isn’t going to make everything fantastic. You need to develop the people you have.
Smart leaders recognize the need to invest in their teams.
Wise leaders understand that getting the most out of those investments requires ensuring that everything we do benefits as many people as possible, is highly actionable, fits our particular cause and culture, and has effective follow up to drive the learning well into our ongoing operations.
An honest reality check shows most charity CEOs and EDs don’t have the time, or maybe the skills, to design and deliver the training their teams need. Your HR department probably doesn’t either. You’re going to need to look outside.
There are lots of options.
Academic degrees and professional certifications provide expert level education, but to only one person at a time and it’s mostly theoretical. Exec training programs (such as Arrow Leadership for Christian leaders) do an excellent job at helping individuals deepen their self-awareness and grow intentionally; but they are costly. Stand alone training sessions tend to slip away in practice, book clubs often fade, offsite retreats and conferences need focused ongoing application.
I’ve advocated for, participated in, and delivered all of the above at different times.
But at this point I am convinced that the best use of time, energy, and money is to invest in customized team leadership programs. The results I’m seeing from clients like Indwell, Christian Horizons, and Compassion Canada demonstrate the greater impact that comes from having your people share learning experiences that are designed to help them grow over time together.
I’d love to work with you to discern how to get the greatest return on your leadership investments. Whether that’s the new Executive Team Program, a custom leadership program, or some combination of options that will best fit your organizations needs; I can help you develop the people you have into the people you need.
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