1-hour session on leadership attributes conducted for CPAs during Ohio Society of CPAs Accounting Show

1. GOING BEYOND YOUR CPA:
POSITIONING YOURSELF
FOR LEADERSHIP SUCCESS
J. Clarke Price, CAE
President & CEO – The Ohio Society of CPAs

2. What We’ll Cover
• What is leadership?
• How do you get involved?
• What’s different about leadership in non-profits?
• Trends in non-profit organizations
• How do you find the activity that’s right for you?
• What are the challenges you’ll face as a leader
in a non-profit organization?
• What should you do tomorrow?
• Questions & Discussion

3. What Is Leadership?

4. A leader is a dealer in
hope
» Napoleon

5. Leadership
• Typical definition ---- “The process of leading
or guiding a group of people”
• Leadership is NOT about making decisions for
the group
• Leadership is NOT about making your mind up
before the group starts the discussion
• Leadership is NOT about not having a personal
vision, but it does mean your views can evolve
based on the wisdom of those around you

6. Attributes of Leaders
• Integrity
• Competence
• Enthusiasm & Commitment
• Creative
• Sense of Humor
• Clear Communicator
• Perseverance
• Collaborative
• Understands the Power of Questions
• Willing to Take Risks & Challenge the Status Quo

7. Leading vs. Managing
MANAGERS LEADERS
Deal with the status quo Deal with change
Work in the system Work on the system
React Create opportunities
Control risks Seek opportunities
Enforce organizational rules Change organizational rules
Seek & then follow direction Provide a vision to believe in & then
strategic alignment
Control people by pushing them in the Motivate people by satisfying basic
right direction human needs
Coordinate effort Inspire achievement & energize
people
Provide instructions Coach followers, create self-leaders &
empower them

8. Develop the Leaders Behind You
The function of
leadership is to create
more leaders, not more
followers.
» Ralph Nader

9. Leading vs. Managing
Management works in
the system; leadership
works on the system
» Peter Drucker

10. What’s Different About
Leadership in Non-Profits?

11. Personal Investment Can Be Strong
• Resistance to change can be acute
• Historic ownership of programs & activities can
make even the smallest change difficult
• The importance of fighting the “we’ve always
done this” or “we’ve always done it that way”
syndrome
• Change takes time . . . and volunteers don’t
always have the time or energy needed to drive
change

12. Leading vs. Managing
Effective management
is discipline, carrying it
out. Effective leadership
is putting first things first.
» Stephen Covey

13. The “Time in Grade” Syndrome
• Too often everyone gets their chance to lead if
they stay involved
• Good followers and good workers don’t
necessarily make good leaders
– More often than not, followers don’t make
good leaders
• A culture to identify potential leaders & facilitate
leadership development is critical
• Leadership isn’t a “right” of being a volunteer

14. A Good Idea Isn’t Always Good
• Politeness among volunteers often means
nobody wants to say “that’s a bad idea”
• Any idea can get wings if someone says “I’ll
work on that” ---- regardless of whether it’s a
good idea
• The herd mentality can move a bad idea very
quickly
• It’s OK to disagree
– But don’t be belligerent!

15. Leadership & Activity Plan Approvals
• Activity plans can be cumbersome to get
approved
• Depending on the organization, moving quickly
can be difficult
• Leadership terms can be too short to move on
some long term objectives
– This underscores the critical importance of
strategic planning
• The challenge of leadership continuity

16. What Makes A Good
Non-Profit Leader?

17. Don’t Avoid the Realities
The role of leaders is to
make sure the realities of
today are identified and
discussed to make a
better tomorrow.
» Jim Collins

18. Leading in the Non-Profit
• Good leaders ask questions
• Good leaders draw people into the discussion
• Good leaders make the best team members
– Seek out the leaders for your team
• Good leaders analyze situations & problems
and facilitate solutions
• Good leaders want to make a difference
• Good leaders aren’t afraid of controversy

19. American Society
of Association Executives
• Leadership isn’t a static body of
knowledge & tricks you can memorize
or use over
• What worked last year or in another
organization won’t necessarily work
today or in this role
• Leadership requires flexibility &
changing based on circumstances
• Good leaders care about the
organization & want to make it better

20. Non-Profit Organization
Leadership Attributes
• Interest & personal passion
• Come to meetings prepared
– That means you’ve read the materials
• Fulfill assignments between meetings
• Don’t hesitate to ask tough questions
– Even when it’s not a popular question
• Look for ways to improve the organization
• Constantly assess your performance
– Ask yourself the question “Am I being a good
leader?”

21. Be a Change Insurgent
It’s no longer enough to be a
“change agent.” You must
become a change insurgent –
provoking,prodding,warning
everyone that complacency is
death.
» Robert Reich

22. Trends in Non-Profits

23. Current Hot Topics
• Governance
– Sarbanes-Oxley implications are still
being felt
– IRS implications
• Budgeting & financial planning
– The economic downturn makes this
critical

24. Current Hot Topics
• Streamlining Operations
– Long-standing programs & structures
are getting a hard look
• Leadership identification & development
• Strategic planning

25. Trends to Watch
• Increased reliance on staff
–Watch for this to change as budgets
face continued pressure
• Proliferation of new non-profits may
be slowing & consolidations may be
accelerating

26. Trends to Watch
• Budgets are tougher to get approved
• An explosion of volunteers is coming
–The retirement of the baby boom
generation will create a new
generation of volunteers with time
on their hands
• Volunteers may become scarce in the
near term

27. How Do You Get Involved?

28. How Do You Get Involved?
1. Pick the organization or issue that matters to you
• Your interests/passions & community or
professional benefit should be #1 influencers
2. Let leaders know you’re interested in becoming
active
3. Be prepared to write a check first in some non-
profit organizations
4. Look for their leadership training program
5. Seek opportunities to advance

29. How Do You Get Involved?
6. Follow through on any assignments you accept
7. Don’t avoid fundraising roles (This may become
most valuable and visible role in many non-profits
due to budget cuts)
8. Meet with volunteer leaders or organization staff to
discuss opportunities & your interest
9. CAUTION: Don’t over-extend yourself by taking
on too much

30. Where Do You Fit?
• What sort of role do you want to fill?
• Choose the role that interests you and grow from
there
• Do your best, but be thinking about your next
assignment
• Always make your interest in more responsibility
known to other leaders

31. The Need for CPA Leaders is Acute
• Time pressures, family obligations & retiring
baby boomers combine for a leadership void
• CPAs are in a unique position to provide
leadership for non-profit organizations
• Financial management skills are critical for non-
profit success
• Don’t limit yourself to financial management
roles ---- use this as an opportunity to grow your
leadership skills

32. Finding the Activity
That’s Right For you

33. Finding the Activity That’s Right
• The importance of feeling personal interest &
personal passion for the organization or
activity
• Weigh your employer’s interests
• Professional activities vs. civic, service & social
welfare organizations
• Consider new skills you want to develop &
how volunteering can help perfect them

34. The Challenges
of Non-Profit Leadership

35. What Are The Challenges?
• Budgets are being cut
• Learning to navigate the organization’s process
can be frustrating & time-consuming
• You don’t generally get to pick the team you’ll be
working with
• Fluid organization agendas
– Lack of strategic planning focus
• Lack of continuity meeting to meeting
• Time pressures affecting volunteer performance

36. What Do You Do To
Get Involved Now?

37. What To Do To Get Involved?
• DON’T WAIT ---- decide where you want to get
involved
• Talk with your employer ---- get their support
• Determine how much time you can commit
– Don’t forget to consider family obligations
• Be prepared for the questions “What would you
like to do?” and “Why this organization?”
• Make the call & volunteer!

38. A Closing Commercial

39. 7 Measures of Success
What Remarkable Associations Do…
• A multi-year study applying Jim Collins’ “Good
to Great” research methodology to
associations
• A great resource for all not-for-profits
• What stands out for exceptional associations?
1. A customer service culture
2. Alignment of products/services with mission
3. Data-driven strategies
4. Dialogue & engagement
5. CEO as broker of ideas
6. Organizational adaptability
7. Alliance building
http://www.asaecenter.org/Marketplace/Bookstore

40. 2 Closing Thoughts

41. It’s always better to try a
swan dive & deliver a
colossal belly flop than to
step timidly off the board
while holding your nose.
» Tom Peters

42. GOING BEYOND YOUR CPA:
POSITIONING YOURSELF FOR LEADERSHIP SUCCESS
Questions & Discussion?

43. GOING BEYOND YOUR CPA:
POSITIONING YOURSELF FOR LEADERSHIP SUCCESS
J. Clarke Price, CAE – President & CEO
The Ohio Society of CPAs
800.686.2727 x305
cprice@ohio-cpa.com