When the Goal Posts Move…
Even before Covid and the cultural and political crises we’ve endured in recent years, many executive directors and heads of school shared that a sense that their jobs were undergoing fundamental change; that the goal posts were always moving and and nothing they did was enough. Today, as we reflect, it seems this problem is felt even more acutely by so many of the leaders we know. And the reality is that the goal posts have moved. The job of leading mission-based organizations has changed, and a failure to name this reality and to adapt how we understand and prepare for the work is a recipe for constant stress and potentially damaging the organization.
I love to reference Mr. Chips, the beloved teacher who becomes the emotional heart of his school in James Hilton's novel. In so many minds, Mr. Chips is the beloved and iconic school leader — ever-present on campus, a philosophical and wise academic, and the living repository of institutional memory. The scope of the role could be shouldered by one central figure. That model no longer works for the large majority of schools we encounter. Similarly, in not for profits, we see organizations falter when charismatic founders transition, and when new leaders ascend to the top job without adequate preparation or a board that is ready to support them properly. The quest for scale and impact often outshines the fundamental need to build high functioning systems and capabilities in a resource constrained organization.
Today, leaders must hold a wider view that looks beyond their own organizations and beyond their own leadership. Four new realities jump out, the last of which is the key lever for success.
Shorter tenures and greater complexity mean that depending on one leader for continuity and institutional memory adds significant risk.
New unknowns and their attendant challenges require leaders to ask better questions, and have the courage to make predictions -- they must be future focused as they manage what’s in front of them.
The necessity of a broader perspective and the importance of building relationships and fundraising in sustaining the business model demand that the leaders spend more time away from the office or campus.
The increased scope of responsibility means that leaders must first and foremost be an expert in developing and deploying talent
Rather than seeing the new goal posts and asking, “How can I get there?” Successful leaders ask, “How can I help develop the talent and the capabilities we need to go the distance and address problems we can’t yet see?” Because the reality is that nothing one leader does alone will be enough.
The reality of this new job description has implications for boards, too. When a board fails to understand the new role of the leader, or communicates mixed messages on expectations, it will consistently damage the leader’s ability to fulfill vital responsibilities. Here’s a question for your next Executive Committee meeting: When was the last time we reviewed and updated our chief executive’s job description, and are we clear and in agreement on the role, criteria, and scope of responsibilities?