The Observant Leader

Introduction

Background: The Observant Leader

A major problem today in many smaller not-for-profit organizations is the short length of time that their leaders remain in their positions. We are living in an age of transitory leadership. This is true for many reasons. It may be a question of leadership style, lack of commitment, financial instability, lack of loyalty, changes in the environment, or a variety of other reasons. In many cases, the leader may be asked to resign.

The result of such short-term leadership is that the contributions of the leader are frequently of little consequence. Positive leadership impact on an organization requires time.

Organizational excellence requires excellent ongoing leadership. In order to sustain leadership and organizational excellence, there has to be some continuity and consistency.

One of the important purposes of this book is to help leaders of smaller not-for-profits keep their jobs, thereby increasing their contributions and legacy as leaders. In order to do this, they need to be keen observers of the internal and external environments in which they operate.

Observant Leaders need to be aware of and act on a variety of warning signals in the environments in which they operate which represent present or future problems. This book discusses warning signals that can alert you, as the leader, of the need to take action before a problem or potential problem becomes more acute. Specific action strategies are suggested to deal with these warning signals. The warning signals discussed in this book have been included because of their importance and the frequency with which they occur.

Being proactive is one of the key ingredients in successful leadership in smaller not-for-profit organizations. These organizations are more vulnerable in many ways because they lack resources in key management areas as well as other areas. Because of this, they need to act more quickly to remedy present and potential problems. In order to do this, as mentioned previously, they must be keen observers of the environments in which they operate. In addition, they need to have insight into their own values, beliefs, and competencies as they impact the ways in which they perceive and act on these environmental situations.

The central focus of the Observant Leader is that identifying and acting on warning signals of present and potential problem areas is critical for personal and organizational survival and prosperity in smaller not-for-profits. Some of these warning signals involve specific individuals, some involve groups, and others may involve the organization as a whole.

In smaller not-for-profits, each individual must perform well if the organization is to succeed. These organizations do not have the resources to cover up for non-performers. Individuals must pull their own weight. The Observant Leader needs to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of each employee. Having this knowledge will enable the leader to work with employees to build on their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. The importance of being aware of group and broad-based organizational warning signals is also discussed in this book.

The Observant Leader discusses ways in which warning signals and the problems connected with them can be converted into opportunities for positive action which will improve the health and contributions of a smaller not-for-profit organization. At a personal level, converting problem areas into success stories is a great way for not-for-profit leaders to demonstrate their value to their organizations.

The ability to identify areas of organizational difficulty and create out of them areas of excellence can be one of the most satisfying aspects of leadership. A central characteristic of successful not-for-profit organizations is their capacity to creatively discover and act on opportunities to improve their performance as they work to serve their constituents.

Organization of the Book

The Observant Leader consists of a foreword, six chapters, and a concluding section:

• Chapter 1: Warning Signals: Problems with the Leader

• Chapter 2: Warning Signals: Problems with the Mission

• Chapter 3: Warning Signals: Problems with the Board

• Chapter 4: Warning Signals: Problems within the Organization

• Chapter 5: Warning Signals: Problems outside the Organization

• Chapter 6: Wisdom from the Observant Leader

Chapter 1 deals with warning signals concerning the personal characteristics of leaders that can get them into trouble.

Chapter 2 explains the central importance of the mission and warning signals concerning it. It deals with warning signals concerning the mission itself, commitment to the mission, and communicating about the mission.

Chapter 3 discusses warning signals regarding the Boards of smaller not-for-profit organizations. Among the warning signals are those dealing with roles and responsibilities, commitment to the mission, understanding the special characteristics of a not-for-profit organization, the Board selection process, and the Board Chair-Leader relationship.

Chapter 4 deals with warning signals within the organization that represent problems of organizational health. Warning signals regarding the tone of the organization are discussed in some detail. These include the level of innovation, creativity, morale, complexity, participation, trust, loyalty, optimism, energy, fun, and enthusiasm in an organization which can be important indicators of present or potential problems. Various warning signals regarding a breakdown in communication processes are also highlighted.

Chapter 5 focuses on warning signals in the environments outside of the organization. Warning signals concerning the media, changes in the economic, political and social environments, and the personal support system of the leader are among the issues which are