New study profiles executive directors in trying times
Hawaii Community Foundation, CompassPoint Nonprofit Services and The Meyer Foundation have released Daring to Lead 2011: A National Study of Nonprofit Executive Leadership. More than 3,000 executive directors nationwide, including many executive directors from Hawai`i, participated in this study which examines the career paths, well-being, challenges, and professional development needs of nonprofit executive directors.
“Our third Daring to Lead report in 10 years comes at an extraordinary time to be the executive director of a nonprofit organization,” the authors write. “Since our last report in 2006, powerful forces have influenced the requirements of – and the possibilities for – embodying the role well. On the challenging side, executives are daring to lead through a deep recession that resulted for many in fewer resources and for all in profound shifts in when and on what terms individuals and institutions invest in their organizations.
“Moreover, executives leading the effort to respond to the economically disadvantaged are facing a relentless demand for services far beyond their capacity to respond. On the positive side, the comparatively progressive policies of the Obama administration and nonprofit-led progress on various social movements mean that executives leading critical social change efforts are experiencing greater opportunity and organizational growth.
“And with respect to the practice of leadership itself, five years later we know more about how the sector is experiencing the generational handoff, about what works in developing future leaders, and about which executive and governance practices are most associated with sustainable organizations. This report is organized around three key findings and concludes with corresponding calls to action.”
The report highlights three key findings related to turnover, the recession, and well-being:
- Though slowed by the recession, projected rates of executive turnover remain high and many boards of directors are under-prepared to select and support new leaders.
- The recession has amplified the chronic financial instability of many organizations, causing heightened anxiety and increased frustration with unsustainable financial models.
- Despite the profound challenges of the role, nonprofit executives remain energized and resolved.
Additional briefs – Leading through a Recession, Inside the Executive Director Job, and The Board Paradox – will be released over the next few months. Click here to download the complete report, or go to the Daring to Lead website for more information.
