Amex Report Emerging Leadership

7/28/2019 Amex Report Emerging Leadership

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/amex-report-emerging-leadership 1/40

Leadership Academy

Emerging Leadership inNonproit Organizations:

Myths, Meaning, and Motivations





Executive Summary 3

Introduction 4

PurposeofThisReport 6The Context o Nonproft Organizations: Opportunities and Challenges 7

ChangingTechnologies 7

DiverseStakeholders 8

MeasuringImpact 9

CombiningEffort 10

LackingHumanResourceSupport 10

Work-LifeFitExpectations 12

BlurringBoundaries 12

NeedforDevelopment 12

Nonproft Workorce 13

MotivationandPaySatisfaction 13

TheImportanceofImpact 14

Turnover 14

Learning 15

StructureandFlexibility 16

Recommendations 17

FosterLearningandBuildTalentatAllOrganizationalLevels 18

FosterLearningandBuildTalentintheSector 21

AdapttoChangingWorkandWorkplaceExpectations 23

Measure,Communicate,andConnecttoImpact 25

Recommendations or Future Research 27

Reerences 28

Biographic Inormation about Authors 29

Appendix: Methods Overviews 33

WorldLeadershipSurvey 33

AppreciativeInterview 34

FocusGroups 35

TABLE OF CONTENTS

To cite from this report, please use the following ci tation:

KellyM.Hannum,JenniferDeal,LizLivingstonHoward,LinshuangLu,MarianN.Ruderman,Sarah

Stawiski,NancieZane,andRickPrice(2011).Emerging Leadership in Nonproft Organizations: Myths,

Meaning, and Motivations.(Greensboro,NC:CenterforCreativeLeadership).



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Since2008,theAmericanExpressNonprotLeadershipAcademyhasbeendevelopingemergingleaders

inthenonprotsector.In2010,AmericanExpressandtheCenterforCreativeLeadershipembarkedon

aresearchefforttoadvancetheunderstandingof,andtopromoteexcellenceintheeldof,nonprot

leadershipbyfocusingontheneedsofemergingleaders.Twointerlinkedresearchprojectswereconducted.Surveyandnarrativedataweregatheredfromcurrentandemergingnonprotleaders.Belowarethecritical

themesfromthiswork.

•Overall,individualsateverylevelfeelasenseofpurposeintheworktheydo.However,individualsat

lowerlevelsaremoreconcernedaboutpaythanarethoseathigherlevels.

•Fewerindividualsarewillingtotakeitonfaiththattheyaremakingapositivedifference;theywant

tangibleevidenceofthedifferencetheyandtheirorganizationsaremaking.

•Individualsmaybemoremarriedtoacausethantheyaretoanorganization.Thenewworkforceis

willingtochangeorganizationsiftheydonotbelievetheyarehavinganimpact.

•Clearorganizationalstructuresandhierarchyareseenasusefultotheextentthattheycontributeto

development,careerprogression,learningopportunities,andregularfeedback.However,whenstructure

andhierarchycreatedobstaclestodoingtheworkorweretooinexibletoallowforwork/lifebalance

accommodationsorinhibitedcreativity,structureandhierarchywereviewednegatively.

•Individualsmaybemorewillingtostaywithanorganizationiftherearelearninganddevelopment

opportunities;or,conversely,toleaveiflearninganddevelopmentopportunitiesarenotprioritized

bytheorganizationanditsleaders.

•Weneedtoexpandhowwethinkabouttalentdevelopmentandutilizationtoincludeasectorial

perspectiveandndwaystosupportitatthatlevel.

•Withtheincreaseinmobiletechnologyuse(suchassmartphones)thelinesbetweenworktime

andpersonaltimeareoftenblurry.Individuals,particularlyyoungerworkers,increasinglyhavethe

desiretochoosehowtheymanagetheboundariesbetweenworkandnonworkroles,relationships,

andresponsibilities.

3



Nonprotorganizationsseektocreatepublicgood.Theyfostercommunityengagementandcivic

participation.Theyrespondtocommunityneedsthatmaynotalwaysrepresentafor-protmarket

opportunityandmaynotbebestservedthroughafor-protapproach.Asweareincreasinglyinterconnected

andseektotacklesharedchallenges,nonprotorganizationsplayanimportantroleinoursocietyandastheneedforthatroleisgrowing,so,too,isthesector.Accordingtoa2009report(Wing,Roeger,&Pollak)

between1997and2007thenumberofregisterednonprotorganizationsgrewby30percentandreporting

nonprotsgrewby60percent.

Muchhasbeenwrittenaboutnonprotleaders.Toshareabitaboutourperspective,wewanttoanswer

twoseeminglysimplequestions:whatisleadershipandwhoareleaders?Theeldofleadershipcontains

anabundanceofleadershipdenitions;almostallofthemaretrue,tosomeextentandinsomecontexts.

Leadershipisnotproducedbyaperson;itissomethingpeoplecreatetogether.Forourpurposeswedene

leadershipastherolesandprocesses“thatfacilitatesettingdirection,creatingalignment,andmaintaining

commitmentingroupsofpeoplewhosharecommonwork(VanVelsor,McCauley,&Ruberman,2010,p.2).

Inshort,leadershipresultsindirection,alignment,andcommitment.Ourrmbeliefisthateveryoneengages

inleadershipatsomepointintimeand,therefore,everyonehasthepotentialtobealeader.Leadersmay

operatefromformalleadershiproles(forexample,anExecutiveDirectorofanonprotorganization)or

informalroles(forexample,acommunityvolunteerwhoiswidelydependedonforadviceandsupport).The

phrase“commonwork”isusedasawaytodenethefocusofwhereleadershiphappens.Itmayormaynot

bewithinthesameorganizationorthesamecommunity.Commonworkcouldbeaspecicprojectwitha

short-termclearlydenedgoalorsomethingmoreexpansive,likeimprovingglobalwateraccessandquality.

Theprocessesbywhichdirectionisset,alignmentcreated,andcommitmentmaintainedcanlookvery

differentdependingoncontext.Theprocessesmaybehierarchicaloruidand,insomecases,theremaybe

verylittleagreementabouthowleadershipshouldbeenacted.

In2010,AmericanExpressandtheCenterforCreativeLeadershipembarkedonaresearchefforttoadvance

theunderstandingof,andtopromoteexcellenceintheeldof,nonprotleadershipbyfocusingontheneeds

ofemergingleaders.OurorganizationshostedaresearchsymposiumonNovember5,2010,attheAmerican

ExpressheadquartersinNewYorkCity.Thegoalsofthesymposiumweretobetterunderstandissues

affectingthegrowthanddevelopmentofemergingleadersinthenonprotsectorandtodeterminewhat

additionalresearchwouldhelpthesectortonavigatethechallengesahead.Thegroupdiscussedthecurrentstateofandchallengesfacingnonprotleadersinordertoidentifycriticalareaswheremoreinformation

wouldbemosthelpful.The specifc questions addressed included:

• Howareemergingleadersdened?

• Whatarethecriticalcontextualissuesthataffectemergingleadershipinnonprots?

• Howareemergingleadersbeingidentiedforleadershipopportunities?

• Whatiscurrentlyavailablefordevelopingtheleadershipskillsoftheseemergingleaders?

• Whatgapsexistinsupportingthesuccessofthisnewleadership?

INTRODUCTION



Thegroupinitiallysoughttodeneemergingleadersandfoundthetaskmoredifcultthanimagined.

Emergingleadersdoesnotnecessarilymeanyoungleadersorleadersfromaspecicgeneration.

The group fnally determined that the ollowing characteristics best defned emerging leaders in nonprofts

•Workinginanonprotorganization

•5-15yearsofexperienceinthenonprotsector(thoughwealsorecognizethatleaderswithsignicant

experienceinothersectorsmaytransferintothenonprotsectorandtheywouldalsobeseenasemerging

leaders);andtheremaybeyoungpeoplewhofoundnewnonprotswhoareboth“emergingleaders”by

agebut“leaders”byposition/role)

•Potentialforassuminghigherlevelsofleadershipresponsibility

•Desireforassumingformalleadershiproles

•Demonstratedcommitmenttothenonproteld/socialimpact[thiscommitmentcouldbetoa speciccause(e.g.,breastcancertreatment),ageneralcause(e.g.,healthaccess),ageographic

area(e.g.,NewYorkstate),etc.].

Asaresultofourdiscussion,twointerlinkedresearchprojectswereconceived.Intherstproject,the

WorldLeadershipSurvey(WLS)wasadministeredtononprotleadersandcombinedwithdataalready

gatheredfromfor-protleaders.Thesurveygathersinformationontrendsinleadership,aswellasissues

thatleadershavetodealwitheverydaysuchaswhatemployeeswantintheirleaders,trustandethicsin

effectiveorganizations,employeeengagementandretention,generationaldifferences,andattitudesabout

work.Thesedataareusedtopinpointtheprimaryissuesfacingnonprotleaderstoday.Becauseofthesizeofthedatabase,wealsoexaminedifferencesinexperiencesandexpectationsamonggenerationalcohorts

ofleadersandcompareresponsesfromnonprotleaderswiththosefromfor-protleaders.Thesecond

researchprojectusednarrativeapproachestogatherleaders’perspectives,intheirownwords,abouttheir

experiencesandexpectations.Combiningthesedatasourcesandexaminingtheminthecontextofother

researchshedslightonemergingleadershipchallenges,inordertoidentifypracticalrecommendations.

5

GENERATIONS DEFINED

SilentGeneration Born1925-1945

EarlyBoomers Born1946-1953

LateBoomers Born1954-1963

GenerationXers Born1964-1980

Millennials Born1981-2000



Purpose o This ReportThisreportcontributestotheunderstandingof,andconversationabout,howtodevelopemergingleadersin

thenonprotsector.Itisamultifacetedundertaking.Leadershipandleadershipdevelopmentcanoccurin

smallways,butiftheintentisforthenonprotsectortoachievegreatercollectiveimpact(andwebelieve

thatitis),thereismuchworktobedoneprimarilybecauseofthegrowthofthesectorandthecomplexityof

challengesaddressed.Thegoodnewsisthatweseeshiftstakingplacethatpositionthesectorforgreater

impact,thoughwearenotblindtothesignicantchallengesfacingthesector.

Wehavewrittenthisreporttobeaccessibletomultipleaudiences.Whilethisreportisinformedbyresearch,

wedidnotsetouttowritearesearchreport.Weidentiedthecriticalstakeholdergroupsthatwethought

wereessentialtoincludeinaconversationaboutdevelopingandsupportingeffectiveleadershipinthe

nonprotsector.This report is intended to speak to these multiple audiences, including:

•CurrentNonprotLeadership(includingExecutiveDirectors,Boards,etc.);

•EmergingNonprotLeaders;

•ProvidersofLeadershipDevelopmentforNonprotOrganizations;

•FundersofNonprotOrganizations.



Thenonprotsectorisextremelydiverseintermsoftheorganizationsitencompassesandtheworkit

undertakes.Somenonprotorganizationsarebrandnew;somehavebeenaroundfordecades.

TheNationalCenterforCharitableStatisticsdevelopedtheNationalTaxonomyofExemptEntitiesCore

Codesclassicationsystemwhichdividesnonprotorganizationsinto26majorgroupsunder10broadcategories(includingArt,CultureandtheHumanities,Education,EnvironmentandAnimals,Health,Human

Services,etc.).Withinthesevariedcategories,therearesimilarlyvariedorganizations.Theorganizations

mayfocusonactivitiessuchasresearch,directservice,advocacy,andtechnicalassistance,oracombination

oftheabove.Somehaveonlyahandfulofstaff;someemploythousandsofpeople.Operatingbudgets

rangefromafewthousanddollarstomillionsofdollars.Itisdifculttomakestatementsthataretruefor

allnonprots.Thus,whilewemakegeneralizationsaboutthestateofanddemandsonthenonprotsector,

werealizethatnoteverythingistrueineveryinstance.Onestatementwearepositiveistrueacrossall

nonprotsisthateffectiveandsustainedleadershipisvitaltoeffectiveness.

Theworldisincreasinglyinterconnectedanddynamic.Leadershipsitsinthemiddleofthechurn–both

drivingtrendsandbeingaffectedbythem.Whilethesectorhasaccesstoanenergetic,passionate,and

creativeworkforceandtonewtools,therearealsochallengesthatmakeitdifcultfororganizationsand

theirleadershiptoourish.WilliamAshby’s(1956)LawofRequisiteVarietysuggeststhatfororganizations

toeffectivelyadaptandcopewithacomplexenvironmentthevarietyofitsinternalordermustmatch

thevarietyoftheenvironmentalconstraints.Whilefor-protsfacesimilarchallenges,manynonprotsdo

nothavetheaccesstoresourcestoenablethemtocopewiththepaceandscaleofchange.Inaddition,

thestrategiesthatworkinfor-protorganizationsmaynottaswellinthenonprotsector.Asnonprotorganizationsandtheirleaderslooktothefuture,thereareopportunitiesaswellaschallengesassociated

withthesetrendsthatwewillexploreinmoredepthtohelpnonprotorganizationscontinuetosucceed.

Thesetrendswereidentiedbytheresearchteamthroughafacilitatedconversationabouttheirexperiences

inthenonprotsector,andwhatisspecictothenonprotsector.

Changing Technologies

Everygenerationhasprobablyhadtheimpetustobetterserveandimprovetheworldaroundthem.

Themotivationtohaveanimpactisn’tnew.Thetoolsandresourcesavailablenow,however,aredifferent.

Inrecentyears,nonprotshavebeenontheleadingedgeofnewtechnologyinordertoraiseawareness,

mobilizestakeholders,andbuildcommunity.Forexample,usingdatabaseandcommunicationtechnology,

theNationalMarrowDonorProgram’sBetheMatchregistrygathersinformationaboutvolunteerswillingto

donatebonemarrowandconnectsthemwithpatients,doctors,andresearchersonascalehardtoimagine

30yearsago.CaringBridgeprovidesfreewebsitesthatconnectpeopleexperiencingasignicanthealth

challengetofamilyandfriends.TheGenerationProjectconnectsyoungdonorsandtheirgiftsdirectly

withteachersandstudentsinneed.Technologicaladvancementsarechangingthetypeofworknonprot

organizationsengagein,andhowtheyaccomplishtheworkthattheymayhavebeendoingfordecades.

THE CONTEXT OF NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS:OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

7



Diverse Stakeholders

Manyfor-protentitiesareprimarilyconcernedwithshareholders,customers,andemployees.Nonprots,on

theotherhand,mustengagewithafarmoreexpansivesetofstakeholders,allofwhomareseekingdifferent

relationshipsandconnectionswiththenonprot.Figure1illustratesthestakeholderwheelofaChicagoareanonprot.Thisorganizationconsidersnotonlyitsclientsandemployeesasstakeholders,butalsoitsdonors

(individual,foundation,andcorporate),thelocalgovernmententities,variousboards/committees,volunteers,

andothersasitskeystakeholders.

Nonprotleadersmustlearntoeffectivelynavigateandbuildconsensusamongstitsmultipleanddiverse

stakeholders.Boardsofnonprotorganizationsarealmostalwaysvolunteerorassociatedwithminimal

compensation.Thediversenatureofnonprotorganizationscreatestheneedforadiversematrixofskills,

experience,andperspectivesinindividualboardmembers.Nonprotboardsarenotalwaysclearabouthow

theycanbestcontributetotheorganization’sgrowthanddirection.

FIGURE 1. SAMPLE STAKEHOLDER WHEEL

Nonproft

BoardofTrustees

Volunteers

Employees

Members

Visitors

ProspectiveMembers/

Donors

LocalGov’t/ParkDistrict

OtherBoards

AuxiliaryWomen’s

Donors:Corp.Indiv.Fdn

Copyright 2009, Honack and Howard, Kellogg School o Management. All Rights Reserved.



Nonprotsalsooftenhaveavolunteerworkforcewhodoesnotdependontheorganizationforincome

andmaychoosetoleaveatanytime.Thesevolunteersprovideacriticalhumanresourcetothenonprot.

Theirmotivationsarevariedandtherewardstheyareseekingareasdifferentastheindividualsthemselves.

Nonprotleadersneedtoplaceapriorityonattractingandretainingvolunteersaswellasstaff.

Fundersordonorsmayalsohavetheirideasabouthowtheorganizationshouldbeled,andhowtheirfunds

shouldbeusedtosupportthemission.

Theabilitytoprovideleadershipinthecontextofdiversestakeholdergroupsisimportantfornonprot

executivesandboardmembers.Donorsareincreasinglymoresophisticatedandmore“empowered”in

theirphilanthropy.Therearemanycompetitorsfortheirgenerosityandnonprotleadersmustbeable

toarticulatetheimpactthosedonationshaveonthemission.

Measuring Impact

Measuringsocialimpactismorecomplexthanmeasuringprotsandlosses.Anonprotorganization

canmonitoranddemonstrateeffort,butmeasuringtheimpactofthateffortismorechallenging.

Measuringthenumberofmealsservediseasierthandemonstratingareductionintheprevalenceof

hungerinacommunity.

Contributingtothischallengeisthefactthatsustained,measureablesocialimpacttakestimetoevolve.

Thetimehorizonforchangeinthenonprotsectorcanoftenbelongertermthaninthefor-protsector.

Thechainofimpactmaybeginwithprovidingaresourceto,orservicefor,anindividualorgroup,but

thedesiredchangeisoftenatthesocietallevelanditcantaketimetocreatethatlevelofchange.Furthermore,theissuesaddressedbynonprotsareoftencomplexanddrivenbymultiplefactors–

political,environmental,personal,andsocial.Itishardtolinksocialimpacttoa“cause”relatedtowork

donebyanonprotorganization.

Thenonprotfundingenvironmentdoesnotalwayssupportmeasuringsocialimpact.Giventherelatively

lowsuccessrateformedicalexperiments,itisreasonabletoassumethatthesuccessratefornonprot

interventionsmayalsobelow.Deningandworkingtowardssuccessrequiressustainedeffortandthatcan

beexpensive.Inaddition,itisdifculttoadopta“failsoon,failoften”approachwhenfundingisridingon

successandcompetitionishigh.Finally,asmentionedabove,nonprotleadersanswertoalargenumberofstakeholders.Thesestakeholdersallhavedifferentmotivationsand,thus,differentexpectationsand

measuresofsuccess.Dening,measuring,andcommunicatingsocialimpactwithmultiplestakeholder

groupsisacomplexandsubstantialundertaking.



Combining Eort

Thecurrenteconomicclimatehasencouragedmanyconversationsandpredictionsaboutmergersand

partnershipsinthenonprotsector.Manystakeholders,particularlyfunders,aresuggestingthatnonprot

organizationsworkmorecloselytogether.Thereappeartobetwomainmotivationsforthis.Onemotivationistoreducecosts.Byjoiningforces,somenonprotscanrealizecostsavingsthroughsharedresourcesand

better(bulk)pricing.Outsourcingfunctionsisanotheroption.Somenonprotsarepoolingfundstohirea

bookkeeperorhumanresourcefunctions.Astrongexampleistheriseofcooperativesacrossthecountry.

InChicago,forexample,theBackOfceCooperativehasbroughttogethermid-sizedsocialserviceagencies

toleveragescaleandbestpracticestodrivedownbackofcecosts(http://www.backofcecoop.com/).

InPittsburgh,theCDCollaborativeisavoluntaryassociationofsevenorganizationscommittedtoopen

communicationandcoordinationabouttheirindividualprojectsinfourtargetneighborhoods;othergroups

liketheGreaterPhiladelphiaUrbanCoalitionandtheTidesCenterserveasscalsponsorsandprovide

the“umbrella”underwhichsmallernonprotscanndneededservices.Aconcernraisedinourresearch

wasthattwoorganizationsmaybeabletogetmoremoneyindependently,sopartneringmaynotincrease

resourcesbutratherhaveanegativeeffect.Thesecondmotivationisthatsubstantivesocialimpactrequires

big,coordinatedeffort.Itisunclearwhatshapethecombinationofeffortswilltake.Nonprotstaffand

boardsmaybereluctanttoletgooftheidentityofanonprotand,thus,notconsidermergerasanoption.

Onepositiveoutcomeofthistrendmightbeahighercoordinationwithinthenonprotsector,andbetween

nonprotorganizationsandothersectors.

Lacking Human Resource SupportWhilesomenonprotorganizationshavesophisticatedhumanresource(HR)systems,manydonothave

dedicatedHRfunctionsortrainedHRstaff.HRprofessionalscouldassistnonprotorganizationswithhiring,

roleclarication,staffdevelopment,compensationpolicies,andperformancemanagement.BecauseHR

tendstobeunderfunded,nonprotorganizationsmaystrugglewithidentifyingtheskillsetandexperience

needed,conductingathoroughsearchfortherightt,andprovidingonboardingfornewstaff.Trackingthe

paidandvolunteerworkforceandprovidingadequatetrainingandoversightareamongtherolesforHR.

Somefoundations,likeTaproot,arespecicallyfocusingonclosingthisgap.





Work-Lie Fit Expectations

Theriseofnewtechnologiesandneworganizationalformssupportsandenablesashifttowardsamore

exibleworkforce.Withincreasedtechnicalconnectivity,thereisanincreasedexpectationthatindividuals

canbeavailableorworkinganywhere,atanytime.Technologiessimultaneouslyincreasetheuidityofmodernlifeandprovideamechanismformanagingtheuidityofthemodernlife.Theincreasingdiversityof

theworkforceandchangingsocialnormsalsocontributetoshiftsinexpectationsabouthowworkand

nonworkrolesandresponsibilitiesaremanaged.Findingnewwaystohelporganizationsandtheworkforce

tobeproductiveandeffectiveinthemidstofthesechangeswillbeagrowingchallengefornonprotleaders

Blurring Boundaries

Theboundariesofthenonprotsectorhavealsoblurredasneworganizationalformshavedeveloped,

suchasthelow-protlimitedliabilitycompaniesorL3Cs,CertiedBCorporations,andsocialenterprises.

Youngerleadersareconcernedwithsolvingsocialproblemsthroughtheirworkandlessinterestedinthe

organizationalformoftheiremployer.Timewilltellifthesenewformsareenduring,buttheriseofnew

waysofthinkingaboutorganizationssuggeststhatfor-protandthenonprotsectorsarenotfully

addressingtoday’schallengesandharnessingtoday’sopportunities.

Need or Development

A2006reportaboutaforthcomingleadershipdecitinthenonprotsector(Tiereny)putaspotlighton

thegrowingneedforleadershipandleadershipdevelopment.Thenotabledipintheeconomyhaspeople

workinglongerthanexpectedandhelpedtoquelltheexodus,buttheneedforleadershipdevelopment

hasnotsubsidedasjobsarebeingcreatedwithinthesector(Simms&Trager,2009).Thereisgreater

recognitionoftheimportanceofdistributedleadershipratherthanasingleleader,andofhavingleadersthat

arediverseinmultipleways.Thus,newleadersandnewkindsofleadershiparecalledfor.

Theneedforleadershipdevelopmentinthenonprotsectorisn’tsomethingthatishighlycontested.So

whyisn’tithappening?Oneissueistheperceptionthatthere’snotimeforit.Staffmemberstendtohave

overloadedschedules,andprovidingdirectservicestendstobewhystaffmembersareemployedand

whattheyareexpectedtodo.Engagingindevelopmentisperceivedtobetimeawayfromworkingon

themission.Fundersandboardsoftenreinforcethisnotionbyfocusingfundsondirectservice.Uncertain

revenuestreamsforsomenonprotsputthefocusongeneratingormaintainingfunding(inordertokeep

operationsgoing),ratherthanengaginginactivitiesthathavealonger-termhorizon.Itcanbedifcultfor

nonprotorganizationstodefendexpendituresrelatedtooverheadandcapacity.Inaddition,thereisoften

notdedicatedHRstafftohelpidentifyappropriateprofessionaldevelopmentopportunities,orlearningpaths

foralllevelsoftheorganization.WithoutstrongerHRsystems,nonprotorganizationswillnotbeabletobe

learningorganizationsattractingandretainingthebestandbrightestworkerstomeettheirmissions.



Inthissection,weexaminethenonprotsectorfromaworkforceperspectivetogaininsightintowhat

motivatestheworkforce,howpeoplefeelabouttheirwork,andwhatchangesthey’dliketosee.

Werelymoreheavilyonthedatawegatheredusingthreedifferenttechniques:survey,focusgroups,and

appreciativeinquiryinterviews.Ourquantitativedatasuggeststhatmorecommonalityexistsbetweengenerationsthannot—manydifferencesdisappearafteraccountingforage,careerlevel,andotherfactors.

Inmostcasesourobservationsapplytoallgenerations,butwecalloutonesthatwereparticularlyrelevant

toyoungergenerations.

Inthissectionwefocusonthethemesweexploredthroughourresearch.Overall,respondentsindicatethat

theyarecommittedtotheirorganizations,satisedwiththeirjobs,contentwiththeirpay,and,ingeneral,do

notintendtoturnover.Peoplearedrawntononprotworkbecauseoftheirpassionforthemission.People

generallyagreethattheyfeelsupportedbytheirorganizationandboss,thattheirorganizationissocially

responsible,andthatorganizationalpoliticsisn’tamajorissue.Peoplegenerallyfeelthereismanagement

supportforfamily,buttheystillexperiencework-familyconictandperceivetheretobemoderatecareer

consequencesformakinguseofavailablefamily-friendlyprograms.

Motivation and Pay Satisaction

Overall,thereisasenseofpurposeateverylevel.Respondentsreporthigherlevelsofintrinsicandidentied

motivationthanextrinsicandintrojectedmotivation.Thisshouldpleaseemployers,managers,andbosses

becauseintrinsicmotivation(ndingjoyinyourwork)andidentiedmotivation(feelingdriventoachieve

goals)arecloselyassociatedwithproductivity,engagement,andinnovation(Amabile,1983;Bono&Judge,

2003).Atthesametime,peopleatlowerlevelsaremoreconcernedaboutpaythanarepeopleathigher

levels(seeFigure2).Thissuggeststhattheremaybeathresholdunderwhichpayincreasesinimportance.

Whilewedonotknowthecause,wespeculatethatpayforsomehourlyandentrylevelnonprotemployees

maynotallowthemtobenanciallyindependent.Whileworkinginanareathatisrewardingintrinsically

maybeemotionallyfullling,theemotionalfulllmentismoredifculttoexperiencewhenyoufeel

nanciallyunstable.Forexample,ifanindividualisworriedaboutpayingrentandpayingbills,meaningful

workisunlikelytobeenoughtokeephimorherhappy.Oncethatthresholdismet,paymaybecomeless

important.Forexample,nonprotexecutivesareamongthemostsatisedwithpay,whichmaybetheresult

ofhavingmeaningfulworkaswellasadequatecompensation.Conversely,itshouldbenotedthatSimmsandTrager’s(2009)researchsuggeststhatinadequatecompensationremainsabarrierforattractingleaders

tothenonprotsector.Dataaboutworksatisfactionsuggestthattheintrinsicrewardsofnonprotwork

couldbefurtherleveraged.

NONPROFIT WORKFORCE



FIGURE 2. SATISFACTION WITH PAY BY PROFIT STATUS AND ORGANIZATION LEVEL

The Importance o Impact

Peoplewanttoseetheimpactoftheirorganization’sworkandoftheirworkspecically.Itisnotjustamatter

ofworkingforanorganizationthathasanimpact,butalsoseeingthevalueandimpactofthespecicwork

theyaredoing.Italsoappearsthattheconversationaboutimpact,ingeneral,isgettingmoresophisticated.

Fewerpeoplearewillingtotakeitonfaiththattheyaremakingapositivedifference;theywanttangible

evidenceofthedifferencetheyaremaking,andtounderstandthebiggerpictureofhowdiverseelements

cometogethertomakeadifferenceortosolveasocialproblem.

Turnover

Regardlessofwhethertheyworkedinthefor-protornonprotsector,Millennialswereslightlymorelikelyto

saythattheyintendedtoleavetheirorganization,orturnover,thanwereoldergenerations(seeFigure3).

S a t i s f a c t i o n w i t h P a y ( M e a n S c o r e )

For Prot Nonprot

2

0

4 Top/Executive

Upper Middle

Middle/Professional

Hourly/Entry Level

FIGURE 3. INTENTION TO TURNOVER

I n t e n t i o n t o T u r n o v e r ( M e a

n S c o r e )

2

1

0

3

Silent Early Boomer Late Boomer Gen X Millennial

1.92 1.942.19 2.22

2.63



Thisisconsistentwithresultsfrompastresearchwhichshowsthatyoungerpeople(regardlessofgeneration)

aremorelikelytochangejobsthanareolderpeople.Commentsfromthefocusgroupsandinterviews

suggestthat,inthiscase,Millennialsthinkingaboutchangingjobsmaybelinkedtothedesiretohaveand

seeanimpactinawaytheydonotintheircurrentposition(asindicatedabove).Resultsfromthefocusgroupssuggestthatwithinthenonprotsector,peoplemaybemoremarriedtoacausethantheyaretoan

organization.SaidoneMillennial,“Today’scollegegraduatesarenotlookingforacareer,butlookingforthe

experiencesthatwillenablethemtomovefromjobtojob.”EchoedanMBAMillennial,“Wearetransient.

Wemove.Wearegeneralists.”Withthisfocusonthecausecomesawillingnesstochangeorganizationsifa

persondoesnotbelieveheorsheishavinganimpacttheybelievetheycouldinanotherjob.

Learning

Thereisastrongdesireforgreaterlearning

anddevelopmentopportunities.Classroom

andtechnology-enabledlearningopportunities

thatresultindegreesandcredentialsremain

important,butthereisarealdesirefor

hands-onlearningthatisclearlytransferrable

totheworkplace.Inoneofthestudentfocus

groups,studentsexpressedthattheywanted

regularopportunitiestolearn.Thestudents

wantedopportunitiestobeinnovativeandcreative.Theyappreciatedenvironmentswhere

theyhadthefreedomandexibilitytogather

inputanddevelopsolutions.Onestudentsaid“Ican’timaginebeinginaplacefor15years.Whatmotivates

meistolearnnewthingsanddonewstuff;butIdon’tbelieveanorganizationcankeepreinventingitself

tooffermenewthings.IfI’mnotlearning,Ilosemymotivation.Iwanttobemarriedtoacause,notan

organization.”Peopleofallgenerationswanttobementored,andtheyalsowanttomentorothers.This

desiretolearnanddevelopcouldbeasignicantassetfornonprotorganizationsiffullyleveraged.Given

thelimitedstaffandscopeofsomenonprotorganizations,guringouthowtokeeptalentedpeopleinthe

sectormay,attimes,bemorebenecialthantryingtokeeptheminanorganization.

5

I can’t imagine being in a place for 15 years.

What motivates me is to learn new things

and do new stuff; but I don’t believe an

organization can keep reinventing itself to

offer me new things. If I’m not learning,

I lose my motivation. I want to be married

to a cause, not an organization.

Focus Group Participant



Structure and Flexibility

Emergingleadersdesiredbothstructureandexibilityintheworkplace.Whatinitiallyappeared

paradoxicalcouldbeeasilyexplained.Clearorganizationalstructuresandhierarchywereusefulwhen

theycontributedtodevelopment,careerprogression,learningopportunities,andregularfeedback.Whenorganizationalstructuresandhierarchycreatedobstaclestodoingtheworkorwastooinexible

toallowforwork/lifebalanceaccommodationsorinhibitedcreativity,theywereviewednegatively.

Youngergenerations(GenXersandMillennials)feeltheyhavemorework-familyconictthanolder

generationsdo(BabyBoomersandSilents),andyoungergenerationsbelievetherearegreaterconsequences

formakinguseofavailablefamily-friendlyprograms.Theybelievethattechnologycanbeusedasastrategic

tooltoincreaseefciencyandtoimprovework-lifebalance,buttheyalsohadtobeabletodisconnectfrom

work(whichwasproblematicforthem).Withtheincreaseintechnologyuse(e.g.,carryingBlackberriesand

emailaccessibleathome)thelinesbetweenworktimeandpersonaltimeareoftenblurry.Technologyis

partoftheproblem,andmanybelievethatitisgoingtobeacriticalpartofthesolutionaswell.

SomethinginterestingthatwenoticedwasthatGenerationXerssometimefeelcaughtinthemiddle;

“struggling”asonewomancommented“tondastronganddistinctivevoice”GenerationXistherst

generationthatissmallerthantheprecedingandsubsequentgenerations.Byandlarge,BabyBoomersrun

theorganizations,andMillennialsarethenewhireswhoaremakingalotofnoise.GenXershavetomake

suretheworkgetsdone,whilemanagingtheconictsbetweenthepeopleatthetop(primarily

BabyBoomers)whoknowhowtheywantthingsdone.Thenewhires(primarilyMillennials)thinkthey

knowhowthingsshouldbedoneandarefrustratedthattheycan’tgettheorganizationstoshifttodo

workinthewaytheythinkwouldbemosteffective.SaidoneGenXer,“Inmymid-30’s,Iamstuckinthemiddle.”Anotheragreed,“The‘sandwich’generationdoesn’tleavewithoutapaycheckandI’mjealous

oftheyoungergenerationwhoisnotworriedaboutnancialsecurity.Theirfreedomisamazing.”



Basedonourinterpretationoftheavailableinformation,wedevelopedthefollowingrecommendations.

Weorganizedourrecommendationsbykeythemeswhicharenotmutuallyexclusive.Theserecommendations

includesomeeasy,low-costideas,butsomerequireasignicantshiftwithinthesectorandamongthose

dependingonandsupportingthesector.A2011reportfromCompassPointandtheMeyerFoundation(Cornelius,Moyers,Bell,Brown,&Scott,2011)indicatesthat46percentofnonprotexecutivesindicated

theirorganizationhadcashreservesthatwouldlastfewerthanthreemonths.Investingincapacitywhen

itisunclearthattheorganizationwillbeabletocoverexpensesandmaintainoperationsisseemingly

counterintuitive.However,amyriadofreportsindicatesuchaninvestmentisexactlywhatisrequired

(AmericanExpressNGenFellows,2011;Enright,2006;Simms&Trager,2009;Tiereny,2006).

RECOMMENDATIONS

7



Foster Learning and Build Talent at All Organizational Levels

Peopledesiremorelearninganddevelopmentopportunities.Peoplemaybemorewillingtostaywithan

organizationiftherearelearninganddevelopmentopportunities;or,conversely,toleaveiflearningand

developmentopportunitiesarenotprioritizedbytheorganizationanditsleaders.Ourqualitativedatasuggestthatrisingnonprotleadersemphasizeexperientiallearningandskillbuilding,notjustgettinga

degreeorearningcredentials.Theneedfortalentwithinthesectorisgreat.Thenonprotsectoristackling

someofthemostcomplexissuesfacingoursocietyand,inmanycases,doingsowithinadequateresources

andinfrastructure.Fosteringlearningandbuildingtalentatalllevelsisessentialtoattractingandretaining

talent,andtotheeffectivenessoforganizationsandthesectoroverall.

Whilesomelearninganddevelopmentopportunitiesarelowornocost,thereisaneedtoinvestmoreinstaff

andinthetalentdevelopmentfunctionoverall.Ofteninvestmentsaretooexpensiveforanorganization,

and/orfrowneduponbyboardsandfunders.Findingwaystodemonstratethevalueandimportanceofinvestmentsintalent,especiallyasitrelatestomissionfulllment,iscriticaltoincreasingthepriorityof

theseexpendituresamongnonprotleadersandfunders.

Current Leadership

•Understandthetalentavailabletotheorganization.Identifyifstaffmembersarebeing

underutilizedorincorrectlyutilized.

•Discusstheimportanceofinvestingintalentwiththeboard.Seektoprioritizeinvestmentsin

learningbudgets,andtoidentifywaystheboardmaybeabletohelpadvancelearning(suchas servingasmentorstostaff).

•Providesystematicapproachesforlearningandcultivateacultureofgrowthanddevelopment.

Engageinstrategicrisktakingsoindividualscanlearnbyexperienceandsharetheirlearning.

Specifc ideas include:

• Developpeoplethroughchallengingassignments(Developmental Assignments: Creating Learning

Experiences without Changing JobsbyMcCauleyisagoodresourceforthis).Giveindividualsexplicit

responsibilityandaccountabilityovertasks,clients,people,and/ordecisions.

• Examineandattendtothetrainingneedsofboardsandvolunteers(resourcesfromorganizations

likeBoardSourceandtheCenterforNonprotManagementmaybehelpful).

• Useevaluationsasopportunitiestoreectandlearnaboutwhatisworkingandwhatcould

beimproved.Linklearningtohavinganimpact.Hostcollectivediscussionsinwhichreectionand

actionarethenorm;reinforcestrategicthinkingandsystemicapproaches,andarticulatethe

benetsintermsofimpactandefciency.

continued on next page



• Whenpossible,promoteregularindividualfeedbackandinvestinperformancesystems.

• Createskillshareopportunitiesthatareenergizingandinformativeforstaff.Involvestaffin

cross-functional/interdisciplinaryteamstotacklestrategicissues.

• Createopportunitiesformentoring,includingprovidingtrainingforsupervisorstobecomebetter

mentors.[TheAmericanExpressNGenreportprovideshelpfulinformationonthis.]

•Leveragetrainingopportunitiesasawaytosharetheorganizationalvisionandcreatealignment

ofefforttowardsimpact.

Emerging Leaders

•Identifyapersonalboardofdirectors,committedtohelpingyoubesuccessful.Lookforopportunities

outsidetheorganizationtotakeonleadershipresponsibilities(e.g.,asavolunteerorboardmember).

•Seektounderstandtheorganizationfromdifferentfunctionalperspectives.Interviewleaderswithinyour

organizationandotherorganizationsabouttheirrole.Askthemtohelpyouunderstandyourorganization

andhowworkgetsdone.

•Takechargeofyourexperiencesbyaskingforstretchresponsibilities,seekingmentors,

andbeingamentor.

•Frameyourtalentsinamannerthatdemonstratesyourvaluetoyourorganization,andaskfor

developmentopportunitiestohoneorgainskillsandexperiences.

Funders

•Fundopportunitiesforpeopletolearn.Forexample,providefundingformentoring,coaching,training

programs.Investinmulti-organizationalleadershipdevelopmentandinorganizationalexchanges.

•Makeitarequirementthatmorethanonestaffmemberperorganizationparticipatesandthatthese

membersrepresentdifferentlevelsoftheorganization.Thisapproachwillallowyoutocreateleadership

developmentopportunitiesbeyondtheExecutiveDirectorlevel.

•Lookforopportunitiesforskilltransfersbetweenorganizationsandacrosssectors.

TheTaprootFoundationandUnitedWay’sloanedexecutiveprogramareexamplesofthis.

9





Foster Learning and Build Talent in the Sector

Careersareincrediblyuid;individualsarelikelytochangejobsandchangeorganizationsmultipletimes

duringthecourseoftheirworkinglife.Fosteringlearningandbuildingtalentwithinthesectorisimportantto

keepingtalentedindividualsinthesector,andtoenhancingtheeffectivenessofthesectoroverall.Thisissueisparticularlydifcultbecauseitishardfororganizationstoinvestintraininganddevelopmentatall,anda

uidworkforcemakestheinvestmentseemevenmorelikearisk.Whyinvestinsomeonewhomaybegone

intwomonths?Buttherealityispeopledochangeorganizations.Insomecases,thatmaybetheonlyway

forsomeonetoadvancehisorhercareerandtohaveaccesstonewlearningopportunities.Expandinghow

wethinkabouttalentdevelopmentandutilizationtoincludethesectorialperspective,andndingwaysto

supportitatthatlevel,isimportanttoachievingthebigimpactoftensought.

21



Current Leaders

•Createstrongperformancemeasurementsystemstoarticulate,acknowledge,andrewardindividual

andcollaborativecontributionstoimpact.

•Continuetoaccesstalentevenwhenthatpersonisnolongerpartoftheorganization.Usepositive

turnovertocreateambassadorsofyourorganizationwhomaydirectaninfusionofnewtalenttoyour

organization.Keepyourdooropenandstayconnectedtotalentedstaff.Forexample,manycorporations

create“alumninetworks.”Perhapsthisisanopportunitytokeepformeremployeesconnectedtothe

organizationthroughtechnology,annualevents,etc.

•Bepartofandcontributetosector-basednetworks(seetheworkofJuneHolleyat

http://www.networkweaver.com/andBethKanterathttp://www.bethkanter.org/the-networked-nonprot/

Emerging Leaders

•Beopenandhonestaboutyourlearningexpectationsandlookforopportunitieswithinthesector.

•Createabroadnetworkthatincludesindividualsworkinginasimilarareabutatotherorganizations.

•Don’tletanegativeexperienceinoneorganizationtarnishyourviewofthesector.

Funders

•Fundand/orhostlearningcirclestostrengthenanddocumentlearningwithinthesector.

•Fundissuesorcausesthatcutacrossorganizations.

•Supporttheowoftalentwithinthesector,andseekwaystohelporganizationsbuildandmaintain

connectionstotalentedindividuals.

•Fundtalentedindividualstoattractthemtoandkeepthemworkingonimportantcauses.

Leadership Developers

•Identifycross-organizationallearningtopicsandengagecommunityleadersfromacrossthenonprot

sectortoshareeffectivepractices.

•Createresourcesthatidentifyandsupporteffectivepractices.

•Exploretechnology-baseddeliverymechanismstoreachalargerspectrumofleaders.

•Encourageteam-basedlearning.



Adapt to Changing Work and Workplace Expectations

Ashifttoamoreknowledge-basedeconomyandtheadvanceofmobiletechnologieshaschanged

thedenitionsandprocessesofproductivity.Itispossibletoworkfromdifferentlocationsandto

worknonstandardhours,andbehighlyproductive.Itisalsopossibletoworknonstopandtoburnout;workingmoredoesn’talwaysleadtoachievingmore,andtherearenegativeconsequencestoconsider.

Manypeoplestrugglewithhowtobestmanageworkandnonworkrolesandresponsibilities.

Expectationsaboutproductivityandabouthowworkgetsdonemaynotbeclearorshared.Individuals,

particularlyyoungerworkers,increasinglyhavethedesiretochoosehowtheymanagetheirlife.

Forexample,oneemployeemaywanttoworkxedhoursinanofcesettinginordertoprotectpersonal

time,andanothermaywanttoworkfromhomeorworknonstandardhoursinordertoblendrolesmore

uidly.Noonewayofworkingisagoodtforeveryone.SaidoneMBAstudent,“Wewanttheexibility

ofwhenandhowwework–athome,intheofce,variablehours,etc.”

Thereisadesireforatorganizationalstructuresthatallowforuidexchanges,thatiscontrastedwith

adesireforcareerprogressionandaclearpathforadvancement.Leadersarecalledontondwaysto

reconciletheseseeminglyconictingperspectives.AGenXerparticipantstated,“Weareconicted.People

wantahierarchysotheyknowhowtoadvance,BUTwantthefreedomtoinnovate.”

3



Current Leaders

•Setappropriateboundariesandexpectations.Communicateclearpolicies,includingperformance

expectationsandthewhere,when,andhowworkisexible–orifitisnot.

•Focusontheimpactandqualityofwork–notjustthehoursworked.Examinetheassumptionthat

workinglonghoursisaproxyfororganizationalcommitment,orisnecessaryforonetopayone’sdues.

•Makesuretalent(includingyou)isabletoretaintheirhealth.Payattentiontomanagingtheemotional

andphysicalimpactofworkinglonghours.Knowandbesensitivetosignsofburnoutinyourselfandothers.

•Bearolemodelforpayingattentiontoone’swell-beingasanaspectofachievingsustainableimpact.

Alternatively,communicatethatyoumaynotbemodelingwork/lifebalanceinwaythatwillworkfor

everyone,butyouarechoosingtoworkthewayyouwantto(forexample,youmaychoosetowork

longerhoursbecauseyouhaveahigherlevelofresponsibilityoryouhavefewerfamilydemands,etc.).

•Developsuccessionplansacrosstheorganizationandbeclearaboutpossiblecareerpathsandwhat

ittakestomoveforward.

Emerging Leaders

•Understandhowyoucanbemostproductive.Experimentwithdifferentwaysofworkingto

determinewhatworksbestforyou.Whenpossible,negotiatetoworkinthemannerthatismost

productiveandenergeticforyou.

•Recognizeandaddressissuesofpotentialburnout.Althoughitisoftenimportanttoproveyourself,you alsohavetothinkaboutcreatingpatternsofworkthataresustainable.

•Talktoformalleadersaboutappropriateboundariesandexpectations(getrealisticinformationabout

whatisrequiredandwhatisexibleinyourjob).

Funders

•Supportorganizationalstructuresandoperationalneeds,includingsuccessionplanningfunds,

sabbaticals,fellowships,cross-training,etc.

•Supporttechnologicalinnovationsthatwillenhanceorganizationaleffectivenessandefciency.


•Provideopportunitiesandsupportforleaderstodeterminehowtheyworkmosteffectivelyandhowto

supportdifferentwaysofworkingtohelpothersbeaseffectiveaspossible.



Measure, Communicate, and Connect to Impact

Peoplewanttohaveandtoseeanimpact.Theywanttoseetheimpactoftheirorganizationsandoftheir

workspecically.Peoplemayleaveanorganizationiftheybelievetheorganizationisnothavingasufcient

impact,oriftheybelievetheirpersonalimpactisnegligible.Conversely,beingabletoseeandtocontributepositiveimpactinanareaaboutwhichtheycaredeeplycanbeextremelymotivating.Youngerleadersare

particularlyconcernedwiththeimpactoftheworktheydo.QuotesfromMillennialsincluded,“Theresults

keepyougoing”and“IneedtheabilitytoSEEtheimpactIamhaving.”Asmentionedabove,theimpactof

nonprotworkcanbeverydifculttomeasure,makingthisadifcultexpectationtomeet.However,more

canbedonetoconnecttheworkofindividualstothemissionandimpactofanorganization,andmorecan

bedonetoarticulateandmeasuretheimpactofnonprotsandgroupsofnonprotsworkingtogether.

Itisimportanttokeepinmindthatevaluationdatahasbeen,andcanbe,usedtocutfunding–andthereis

aneedforgreaterstakeholderclarity,alignment,andtransparencyaboutevaluationprocessandpurpose.

Ifpeoplearescaredtoseekinformationaboutandtobehonestaboutwhatisandisn’tmakingapositive

differenceandwhy,thesectorwillbehamperedinitsefforts.

Current Leaders

•Focusonoutcomesandimpactindiscussionswithdiversestakeholders.Thesediscussions

shouldexaminecurrentoutcomes/impactandseekwaystocreateimprovement(inother

words,engageinimpact-drivenlearning).

•Don’tlimityourselftothemetricsfundersasktosee.Seektoolstodeneandmeasureorganizational

impactand,whereappropriate,theimpactofcollaborativeworkwithotherorganizations.

•Usemeasurementtomaketheimpactcasenotjusttofundersbuttoallstakeholders,including

employees,volunteers,clients,donors,andothers.

5



•Helpemployeescreateconnectionsbetweenperformancegoalsandthegoals,objectives,andstrategies

oftheorganization.Talktoindividualsaboutthetypeofimpacttheywanttocreate,andlinkthe

outcomesoftheirworktoimpactsoimpactisthefocusofthework.

•Provideregularpositiverecognitionandfeedbackabouttheimpactyouseeindividualsandteamshaving

andtheimpacttheorganizationishaving.Notallemployeesunderstandorseetheimpactoftheirwork.

Employeesmayappreciatebothprivateandpublicrecognition.

Emerging Leaders

•Learnaboutwaystomeasureimpact.

•Understandthedepthandbreadthofimpactyouwanttohaveinyourwork.

•Maketheconnectionbetweenyourworkandthemissionoftheorganization.Helpotherstakeholders

makethesameconnectionforthemselves.

Funders

•Supportorganizationaleffortstoarticulateimpactandmeasureimpact,bothattheorganizational

levelandwithinthesectorgenerally.Thissupportcouldhelpshapepartnerships/collaboration/

cooperationwithinthesector.

•Supportthedevelopmentofstafftodeterminewhatdatatocollect,howtocollectdatasystematically,

andhowtousedata.Forexample,incorporatingappropriatemethodsandtrackingsystemsthat

collectdataonaregularbasis.

•Framethemeasurementofimpactasalearningexerciseanduseitassuch.Thisapproachwouldinclude

acceptingnegativemeasurementandsupportstrategicrisk-taking,aswellasacknowledgingand

celebratingthesuccessofgranteeslearningandachievingimpact.

•Fundresearchaboutwhatworks,whereitworks,andwhyitworks.Promotethedevelopmentanduse

ofevidence-basedbestpractices.


•Helpleadersarticulateaspecicvisionforimpactandhowthatvisioncanbeachieved.

•Assistleadersindevelopingpracticestheycanusetohelpengagepeoplethroughthe

desiretohaveimpact.

•Workwithleaderstocreateorhaveaccesstotoolsthateffectivelymeasuretheimpactoftheir

organization,andassisttheminimplementingameasurementcultureintotheirorganization.



Thelistbelowisnotexhaustive;itismerelyourthoughtsaboutwhatkindsofresearchwouldbehelpful

totheeldinordertounderstandandmovetowardsimpact.

•Designandtesttalentexchangemodelsbetweenfor-protandnonprotorganizations.

•Identifycareermodelsemerginginthenonprotsector.Dononprotleadersderailfordifferent

reasonsthanfor-protleaders?

•Understandwhypeoplearedrawntoandstaywithanorganization,andwhypeopleleaveorganizations

inthenonprotsector.Whatfeaturesabouttheorganizationoraboutthesectormotivatetheirdecisions?

•Askyoungleaderswhattheythinkabouttheirleadershipidentityandleadershipingeneral.

•Examinethetrade-offsbetweengrowth/learningopportunities,impact,pay,workexibility,work-life

balanceforcareerchoices.Whatarethehigherpriorityitemsandforwhichgroups?

•Examineideasforhowtoinfuselearninginlow-costbuteffectiveways.

•UnderstandtheexperienceofGeneration-Xersandwhyitisimportanttopayattentiontothem.

•Interviewpeoplewhohaveleft(orjoined)thenonprotsectorabouttheirdecision,andexaminethe

differencesinresponsesforindividualsworkinginthefor-protsectorversusthenonprotsector.

•Studythecollaborationandinterdependenceofnonprotorganizations.

•Examinehowneworganizationalstructuresimpacttheoutcomesofnonproteffort.

•Assesstheimpactofdifferentapproachestoboardtraining.

•Prolesuccessfullearningorganizations.Whatdoestheorganizationdo?Howdoesithappen?

•Interviewthoughtleaderstodevelopnewwaysofthinkingaboutinvestmentsintrainingand

developmentinthenonprotsector.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH

7



Amabile,T.M.(1983).The social psychology o creativity.NewYork:Springer-Verlag.

AmericanExpressNGenFellows.(2011).Changing the status quo: Intentional succession

planning through leadership development.Washington,D.C.:IndependentSector.

Ashby,W.R.(1956). An introduction to cybernetics.London:Chapman&Hall.

Bono,J.E.,&Judge,T.A.(2003).Self-concordanceatwork:Towardunderstandingthemotivational

effectsoftransformationalleaders. Academy o Management Journal,46,554-571.

Cooperrider,D.(1995).Anintroductiontoappreciativeinquiry.InD.F.Harvey&D.R.Brown(Eds.),

An experiential approach to organization development(5thed.).NewYork:PrenticeHall.

Cornelius,M.,Moyers,R.,Bell,J.,Brown,L.,&Scott,M.(2011).DaringtoLead2011: A national study o

nonproft executive leadership.SanFrancisco:CompassPointNonprotServicesandtheMeyerFoundation.

Enright,K.P.(2006). Investing in leadership, volume 2: Inspiration and ideas rom philanthropy’s last rontier.

Washington,D.C.:GrantmakersforEffectiveOrganizations.

GrantmakersforEffectiveOrganizations.(2006).Supporting next-generation leadership.

Washington,D.C.:Author.

Hubbard,B.(2006).Investinginleadership,volume 1: A grantmaker’s ramework or understanding

nonproft leadership development.Washington,D.C.:GrantmakersforEffectiveOrganizations.

Krueger,R.A.,&Casey,M.A.(2000). Focus groups: A practical guide or applied research.ThousandOaks,CA:SagePublications.

McCauley,C.D.(2008).Developmental assignments: Creating learning experiences without changing jobs.

Greensboro,NC:CenterforCreativeLeadership.

Simms,D.,&Trager,C.(2009).Finding leaders or America’s nonprofts.TheBridgespanGroup.

Tiereny,T.J.(2006).The nonproft sector’s leadership defcit.TheBridgespanGroup.

VanVelsor,E.,McCauley,C.D.,&Ruderman,M.N.(2010). The Center or Creative Leadership handbook

o leadership development(3rded.,pp.2,375-404).SanFrancisco:Jossey-Bass.

Wing,K.T.Roeger,K.L.,&Pollak,T.H.(2009). The nonproft sector in brie: Public charities, giving,

and volunteering.Washington,D.C.:TheUrbanInstitute.

REFERENCES



Kelly M. HannumisaSeniorResearchScientistattheCenterforCreativeLeadershipandavisitingfaculty

memberatCatholicUniversity’sIESEGSchoolofManagementinLille,France.Shehasshapedtheeld

ofleadershipdevelopmentevaluationaswellascontributedtoourcollectiveunderstandingofinclusiveleadershipprocesses.HerbooksincludeLeadership Across Dierence Casebook Packagepublishedby

Pfeifferin2010andThe Handbook o Leadership Development EvaluationpublishedbyJossey-Bassin

2007.ShehasbeenanactiveBoardMemberfortheLeadershipLearningCommunitysince2007.Sheisthe

recipientofmultipleawardsandrecognitionsforherwork,includingtheprestigiousMarciaGuttentagAward

fromtheAmericanEvaluationAssociation.SheholdsaPh.D.ineducationalresearch,measurement,and

evaluationfromtheUniversityofNorthCarolinaatGreensboro.

Jennier DealisaSeniorResearchScientistattheCenterforCreativeLeadershipinSanDiego,California.

SheisalsoanAfliatedResearchScientistattheCenterforEffectiveOrganizationsattheUniversityof

SouthernCalifornia(http://ceo.usc.edu/research/afliated.html).Jennifer’sworkfocusesonglobal

leadershipandgenerationaldifferencesaroundtheworld.SheisthemanagerofCCL’sWorldLeadership

Survey(currentlyin15languages)andtheEmergingLeadersresearchinitiative.In2002Jennifer

coauthoredSuccess or the New Global Manager(Jossey-Bass/WileyPublishers),andhaspublishedarticles

ongenerationalissues,executiveselection,culturaladaptability,globalmanagement,andwomenin

management.Hersecondbook,Retiring the Generation Gap(Jossey-Bass/WileyPublishers),waspublishedin

2007.Aninternationallyrecognizedexpertongenerationaldifferences,shehasworkedwithclientsaround

theworldandhasspokenonthetopiconsixcontinents(NorthandSouthAmerica,Europe,Asia,Africa,and

Australia),andshelooksforwardtospeakingtoAntarcticpenguinsabouttheirgenerationalandleadership

issuesinthenearfuture.SheholdsaB.A.fromHaverfordCollegeandaPh.D.inindustrial/organizational

psychologyfromTheOhioStateUniversity.

BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ABOUT AUTHORS



Liz Livingston HowardisagraduateofNorthwesternUniversityandholdsanMBAdegreefromtheKellogg

SchoolofManagementatNorthwestern.Ms.HowardistheAssociateDirectorofKellogg’sCenterfor

NonprotManagementandteachesintheSocialEnterpriseatKelloggProgram.ShedevelopedandteachescurriculumforMBAstudentsandnonprotexecutives.Ms.HowardservesastheAcademicDirectorfor

avarietyofnonprotexecutiveeducationcoursesandhasdesignedseveralcustomexecutiveeducation

programs.Previously,sheservedasAssistantDeanforDevelopmentforKelloggfrom1994to2003.Inthat

role,shewasresponsibleforthefund-raisingactivitiesoftheKelloggSchoolincludingalumniandindividual

solicitation,corporateandfoundationgrants.PriortojoiningtheKelloggSchool,Ms.Howardservedasa

fund-raisingconsultantwithCharlesR.Feldstein&Company,basedinChicago.Heradditionaldevelopment

workwasasDirectorofDevelopmentfortheChicagoTourismCouncil/Mayor’sOfceofTourismfortheCity

ofChicagoandReginaDominicanHighSchool,Wilmette,Illinois.Outsideofherprofessionalresponsibilities,

Ms.HowardhasbeeninvolvedwithanumberofphilanthropicorganizationsinChicago.Currently,sheis

PresidentoftheSchoolAdvisoryBoardforStNorbertSchoolinNorthbrook,aboardmemberofthe100Club

ofChicago,andamemberoftheEconomicClubofChicago.Shehasprovidedconsultingservicesforahost

oflocalnonprotsintheareasoffund-raising,marketing,strategicplanning,boardgovernance,leadership

succession,andcapacitybuilding.

Sarah StawiskiisaResearchAssociateattheCenterforCreativeLeadership(CCL®)inGreensboro,NC.

Shehasexpertiseinsmallgroupdecisionmaking,businessethics,andprogramevaluation.Shehasauthored

orcoauthoredanumberofpublicationsonthesetopics,including:Theeffectsofethicalclimateongroupand

individualleveldeceptioninnegotiation;Sharedcognitionandgrouplearning;Employmentandretirement

concernsforpersonswithdevelopmentaldisabilities;andConnectingfracturedlivestoafragmentedsystem:

ChicagoHousingforHealthPartnership.BeforecomingtoCCL,SarahworkedforPressGaneyAssociates,a

healthcarequalityimprovementrm.SheholdsaB.A.inpsychologyfromtheUniversityofCalifornia,San

Diego,andanM.A.andPh.D.inappliedsocialpsychologyfromLoyolaUniversityChicago.

(continued on next page)



Linshuang LuisaConsultantatPraxiswheresheassistsnonprotsandmission-drivenbusinesseswith

strategicandnancialplanning,governance,businessliteracytraining,andownershipculturedevelopment.

LinshuangisamemberoftheteachingteamforAccountingforAssetDevelopmentandEconomicandFinancialFoundationsofSocialPolicy,graduate-levelcourseintheSchoolofSocialPolicy&Practiceat

theUniversityofPennsylvania.LinshuangguestteachesintwocoursesattheUniversityofPennsylvania’s

NonprotLeadershipforSocialChangeMastersProgramontopicsrelatingtononprotaccounting,strategic

nancialplanning,nancialgovernance,andnancing.LinshuangworkedpreviouslyatNonprotFinance

Fundwhereshetaughtworkshopsandprovidedconsultingservicestononprotsinnancialplanning,

management,andeducation.LinshuanggraduatedsummacumlaudefromtheHuntsmanJointDegree

ProgramattheUniversityofPennsylvania,withaB.S.ineconomicsfromtheWhartonSchoolofBusinessand

aB.A.ininternationalstudiesandcomparativeliterature.Shehasalsocompletedgraduatelevelcoursework

insociologyresearchmethodsandstatistics.

Nancie ZaneisasocialpsychologistandaPrincipalwithPraxisConsultingGroup.For25years,Nanciehas

workedwithnot-for-protandpublicsectororganizationstohelporganizationsbuilddiverseleadership

teamsaswellasrealigntheirorganizationalpurpose,culture,andgovernancestructuresthroughinnovative

visioningandstrategicplanningprocesses.NancieheadsthecoachingpracticewithinPraxisandhascoached

andtaughtintheWhartonAdvancedManagementandtheWhartonExecutiveEducationProgramandis

certiedinClarkeWilsonandtheEQIassessmenttools.NancieisonthefacultyoftheOrganizationDynamics

ProgramandtheNon-protLeadershipProgramattheUniversityofPennsylvaniawheresheteachescourses

inOrganizationalDiagnosis,GroupandTeamDynamics,andStrategicThinkingandPlanning.Inaddition,

Nanciehasdesignedanddeliveredcoursesonnonprotleadership,womenandleadership,andintergroup

relations,andwasavisitinglecturerattheUniversityofHaifaandtheGoldaMeirCenterinHaifa,Israel.Her

publicationsfocusonthecreationofcorporatecommitmenttoorganizationaldiversityaswellasrethinking

studentdisciplineinthecontextofschoolrestructuring.Nancieiscurrentlyservingonthenationalboardof

theAllianceforNonprotManagementandrecentlysteppeddownaspresidentfromthePhiladelphiaCenter

forOrganizationalDynamics.NanciereceivedaB.S.fromCornellUniversityincriminaljusticeandcommunity

psychologyandaPh.D.fromtheUniversityofPennsylvania

withaconcentrationinsocialpsychology.

31

BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ABOUT AUTHORS(continued)



Richard H. PriceisStanleyE.SeashoreCollegiateProfessorofPsychologyandOrganizationalStudies,ResearchProfessorattheInstituteforSocialResearch,andProfessorbycourtesyintheRossSchoolof

BusinessattheUniversityofMichigan.Hiscurrentresearchfocusesonleadershipandorganizational

innovation.HeisconductingeldstudiesinIreland,Finland,theNetherlands,Korea,China,andtheUnited

Statestounderstandhowleadersusetheirpoliticalintuitionandsocialnetworkstocreateinnovative

organizations.AsDirectoroftheMichiganPreventionResearchCenterattheInstituteforSocialResearch,

heandhiscolleaguesconductsurveysandeldexperimentsonorganizationalinnovationsaimedat

improvingtheconditionsofworkinglife.TheCenterhasbeensupportedbytheNationalInstitutesofHealth,

theCarnegieCorporationofNewYork,theJoyceFoundation,andtheCaliforniaWellnessFoundation.

PriceisacofounderofICOS,theInterdisciplinaryCommitteeonOrganizationalStudies.Pricewasfounding

DirectoroftheOrganizationalStudiesProgramattheUniversityofMichiganandalsofoundingDirectorof

theBargerLeadershipInstituteatMichigan.In2010PricereceivedtheAmericanPsychologicalFoundation

GoldMedalAwardforLifetimeAchievementintheApplicationofPsychologicalKnowledge.Pricehas

receivedtheDistinguishedContributionAwardfromtheSocietyforResearchandAction,theGroup

PsychologistoftheYearAwardfromtheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation,theInternationalResearch

AwardandthePreventionScienceAwardfromtheSocietyforPreventionResearch,andtheLilaRoland

AwardforPreventionResearchfromtheNationalMentalHealthAssociation.HeisaFellowoftheAmerican

PsychologicalAssociation,theAmericanPsychologicalSociety,andtheSocietyforthePsychologicalStudyofSocialIssues.HeholdsanhonoraryappointmentasProfessorofPsychology,InstituteofPsychology,in

theChineseNationalAcademyofSciences.PricehasservedontheBoardofTrusteesoftheWilliamT.Grant

Foundation,andasanadvisortotheInstituteofMedicine,theNationalInstitutesofHealth,theCarnegie

Corporation,andanumberoffoundations.Hehasalsobeenanadvisortogovernmentagenciesand

corporationsinanumberofcountriesinEuropeandAsiaaswellasintheUnitedStates.

Marian N. Rudermanhasbroadexpertisewith25yearsintheeldofleadershipdevelopment.AttheCenter

forCreativeLeadership,shehasheldavarietyofresearchandmanagementpositions.Marianhaswritten

severalbooksanddevelopedseveralassessmentsandproductsincludingtheGlobalLeaderViewandtheWorkLifeIndicator.MarianiscurrentlyaSeniorFellowandDirector,Americas&EMEA(Europe,MiddleEast,

andAfrica)ResearchattheCenterforCreativeLeadership(CCL®).SheholdsaB.A.fromCornellUniversity

andanM.A.andaPh.D.inorganizationalpsychologyfromtheUniversityofMichigan.



World Leadership Survey

TheWorldLeadershipSurveyhascontinuedtocollectdataonlineinEnglishsinceitsinceptioninMarch

2008,andbegancollectingdataintwelveadditionallanguagesinMarch2009.Participantsinthe

researchcomethroughpartnerorganizations,interestedindividuals,andenrollmentinCCLprograms.ParticipantslloutasurveyonlinethatishostedbyClearPictureCorporationandtakesthemapproximately

20minutes.Inthanksfortheirparticipation,participantsreceiveafreeCCLGuidebooktodownload

immediatelyuponcompletionofthesurvey.QuestionsaboutthesurveyaresenttotheWorldLeadership

SurveyemailaccountatWorldLeadershipSurvey@ccl.org.Thesampleforthisreportwascollectedfrom

January2008throughMarch2011.This sample includes:

•Atotalof3,874respondentsfromtheUnitedStates,with1,054respondentsfromnonprot

organizationsand2,820fromfor-protorganizations.

•Respondents’companiesrangedfromverysmall(1to9employees)toverylarge(10,000ormore

employees)withthevastmajority(79%)comingfromcompanieswithatleast100employees.

•50%oftherespondentsweremale.

•82%oftherespondentswerewhiteandapproximately6%wereblack,4%wereAsian,and8%were

eitherHispanic,multiracial,oracategorynotdened.

•2%arefromtheSilentGeneration(born1925-1945),14%areEarlyBoomers(born1946-1953),

30%areLateBoomers(born1954-1963),50%areGenXers(born1964-1980),and3%are

Millennials(born1981-2000).

•Mostrespondentsweremanagersorprofessionals:31%ofthesampleindicatedthattheyarein

Top(C-level)orexecutiveroles,24%uppermanagement,and25%middlemanagementandprofessional,

and4%wererstlevelorhourlypositions.

ItisimportanttonotethatthisisnotarandomsampleofNorthAmericanmanagersoremployeesand,

therefore,itisnotrepresentativeofthepopulation.Oursampleconsistsofpeoplewhoareemployedand

whowerewillingtotake20minutesoftheirowntimetoparticipate.

APPENDIX: METHODS OVERVIEWS

3



Appreciative Interview

Praxisdesignedandfacilitatedthreegroupsbasedonappreciativeinquirymethods,anapproachdeveloped

byDavidCooperriderandothersatCaseWesternReserve(1995).

•Wedevelopedinterviewprotocolsbasedonthethematicareasdeterminedthroughdiscussions

withourCCLprojectpartners.

•Inthecontextofanintroductoryframework,participantswereprovidedwithinstructionsabouthow

toconductinterviewswiththeirpeerswhiletakingnotes.

•Participantsweregiven30-40minutestoengageinpairedinterviewsandthenaskedtollout

a“summarysheet”tohighlightthecriticalaspectsoftheirinterviews.Theywerealsoengagedina

thematic“sense-making”discussionwhichtookplacebetween30and60minutesinthefull

group,andwastaped.

•Afterthesessions,theinterviewnotesandthesummarysheetsweretypedupaswereanynotes

takenbyfacilitators.Thesendingsreectinterviewandsummarynoteswrittenbytheparticipants,

andtranscriptsofthediscussionsaswellasourdiscussionnotes.

Thethreegroupsincluded38participantsandwereheldattheUniversityofPennsylvania(U.ofP.).

Participants included:

•GroupOne:Thisgroupincluded17MBAstudents.Allwerebetween24and33yearsold.Therewere

10womenand7men.Thestudentshadbeeninvolvedasvolunteerswithnonprot-boardplacements

throughoutthe2ndyearoftheirMBAeducation.

•GroupTwo:Thisgroupincluded9students.Allwerebetween24and30yearsold.Therewere7women

and2men.ThesestudentswerepartoftheNonprotLeadershipProgram(NLP),SchoolofSocialPolicy,

U.ofP.Thestudentsallhadbackgroundsinnonprotworkandhaddonenonprotinternships

duringtheyear.

•GroupThree:Thisgroupincluded13participants.Allwerebetween24and60yearsold.Therewere

12womenand1man.Participantsweremulti-generationalNonprotCommunityLeadersfromarange

ofPhiladelphia-basednonprots.Weinvitednonprotleadersfromacrosstheagespectruminan

efforttotestideasaboutwhatwassimilaranduniquetodifferentgenerationsaboutengagingin mission-driven,nonprotwork.







About American Express

AmericanExpressisaglobalservicescompany,providingcustomerswith

accesstoproducts,insightsandexperiencesthatenrichlivesandbuild

businesssuccess.Learnmoreatamericanexpress.comandconnectwithusonfacebook.com/americanexpress,foursquare.com/americanexpress,linkedin.com/

companies/american-express,twitter.com/americanexpress,andyoutube.com/

americanexpress.

American Express: Developing New Leaders or Tomorrow

OneofAmericanExpress’threeplatformsforitsphilanthropyisDeveloping

NewLeadersforTomorrow.Underthisgivinginitiative,whichrecognizesthe

signicanceofstrongleadershipinthenonprotsector,AmericanExpressis

makinggrantsfocusedontraininghighpotentialemergingleaderstotackleimportantissuesinthe21stcentury.TheAmericanExpressLeadership

AcademyisthesignatureprogramoftheLeadershipgivingthemethatdevelops

thenestemergingleaderswhoarededicatedandpoisedtobeatthehelmof

thenonprotsector.Sinceitsinception,theprogramhasexpandedtoinclude

threeadditionalpartnersandisnowinternationalinreach.

About the Center or Creative Leadership

TheCenterforCreativeLeadership(CCL®)isatop-ranked,globalproviderof

executiveeducationthatacceleratesstrategyandbusinessresultsbyunlocking

theleadershippotentialofindividualsandorganizations.Foundedin1970

asanonprot,educationalinstitutionandfocusedexclusivelyonleadership

educationandresearch,CCLhelpsclientsworldwidecultivatecreative

leadership-thecapacitytoachievemorethanimaginedbythinkingand

actingbeyondboundaries-throughanarrayofprograms,productsandother

services.Rankedamongtheworld’sTop10providersofexecutiveeducation

byBloombergBusinessWeekandtheFinancialTimes,CCLisheadquartered

inGreensboro,N.C.,withofcesinColoradoSprings,Colo.;SanDiego,Calif.;

Brussels;Moscow;Singapore;Pune,India;andAddisAbaba,Ethiopia.Itsworkis

supportedby500facultymembersandstaff.





Documents

Amex Report Emerging Leadership