by Valyrie Laedlein-On June 15th I wrote a blog post about having been named Co-Director of Community Resource Exchange, along with my colleague Holly Delany Cole. At the time, I’d suggested that this News & Views column would be a site for us to track insights we gleaned in our new position. Read more >>
News & Views
A blog for those interested in what affects, motivates and drives the New York City Nonprofit Sector — written by CRE’s crackerjack consulting team. We hope you use this space to share your thoughts, ask questions and engage in conversations about our city, social justice and the nonprofit sector.
Three Lessons from a New Executive Director
Preparing for Succession
by Valyrie Laedlein-A search on the internet on the topic of succession planning yields considerable guidance and commentary for and from the corporate sector. Just this week, Forbes.com ran a story on the Chief Information Officer for Equinix, who has been with the company since 2008 and is already preparing his successor, even though the CIO has no intention of leaving anytime soon. Raising questions related to who will follow the CEO, the COO, the CIO or any other company’s leader is not considered impolitic in that sector. Indeed, it is expected and seen as exercising good business judgment. Grooming rising talent for executive positions is not disrespectful of those currently holding those positions. Failing to do so is considered irresponsible and short-sighted. Read more >>
Becoming a Strong Board Chair
by Valyrie Laedlein
Have I got a job for you?
Role:To lead a group of under-available, over-committed volunteers responsible Read more >>
Are You a T-Shaped Manager?
By Jean Lobell A brief article in the Human Resources Magazine – The Future Manager is T-Shaped -- captured my imagination for the second time. Read more >>
The Importance of Community Within the Board Room
By Valyrie Laedlein - In any setting, what is it that compels hard work, extension of self, high performance, commitment of time? Read more >>
Your Board’s Generative Work
by Valyrie Laedlein - How much time do those of us on executive teams spend preparing reports, summaries, “Board Books,” and Power Point presentations for our Board of Directors meetings? Read more >>
What Makes a Difference in Leadership Development -- A View from the Field
by Mohan Sikka - Last month, my colleagues Jean Lobell, Carolyn Sauvage-Mar and I published an article on CRE’s Leadership Caucus in The Nonprofit Quarterly. Read more >>
Handling the Unexpected
by Holly Delany Cole - In the lives of nonprofit leaders, there probably isn’t a day that goes by when something ‘unexpected’ doesn’t happen – some welcome, some that present additional challenges. These may be matters such as a valuable Board member calling to say they are taking a new job in another city and will be resigning from the board, to a funder calling to say that they will move the consideration of your grant to an earlier (or later) Board meeting, to learning that a building in which you rent space for some programs has been sold and the new landlord wants you out as soon as possible. This is the world of nonprofit leaders, but there’s evidence that most are pretty good at managing it. Read more >>
What Is It About Boards?
by Valyrie Laedlein - The Board of Directors. Mention the phrase to many Executive Directors, and you’ll get rolling eyes, a sigh, a weary shaking of the head, sometimes an earful. It’s the rare nonprofit executive who will respond with an enthusiastic assessment of his or her Board.
What is it about Boards that makes them such hard-to-develop, low-yield assets? Read more >>
"What Do Nonprofit Leaders Do In These Difficult Times?"
by Barbara Turk -- When the house of cards built by the banking and insurance industries began to topple, we could only begin to guess at the long-term damage that would result for non-profits and their clients. It was immediately clear, however, that non-profit leaders would be tested. Would they have what it takes? Is there particular things leaders need to do when faced with exceptional uncertainty? Read more >>
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