Next Gen Leaders Need Next Gen Organizations

When they’re not catalyzing change, measuring impact, or breaking down silos, the social sector’s next favorite and most buzzed about activity is cultivating the “next generation” of leaders.  And there’s no shortage of really thoughtful individuals writing about these generational shifts like Rosetta Thurman and Allison Jones – and organizations who are focused on supporting rising leaders and their development in the sector, like the Independent Sector’s NGen Program.  Thank goodness these programs and outlets exist as they are helping CEO’s and managers alike demystify their seemingly undecipherable Millennial employees.

Even so, while there’s so much talk of creating the next generation of leaders – there’s something we’re not giving as much thought.  What happens when these technologically savvy and  overly transparent next gen leaders come up against the stodgy, hierarchical and dare we say archaic nonprofit? A culture clash that is not uncommon as we’ve discussed here on Social Citizens before.

But now, a new report by CompassPoint sheds some light on how institutions and organizations should be adapting to better align with  the rising generation’s leadership style.  By identifying a set of nine characteristics that demonstrate how next generation leaders are transforming their organizations to operate in a fundamentally different way, CompassPoint helps shift this conversation.  This is especially important as nonprofit groups increasingly compete with business and government employers to attract young workers.  Many people in their 20s and 30s are pressing nonprofits to improve salaries, offer greater opportunities for career development, and do more to promote the diversity of their work forces. While these trends tend to be more external factors – there’s much more that can and should be happening within organizational structures to help set the foundation for the next generation of nonprofits.

Being careful to note that their list of characteristics is not comprehensive and a next generation organization will not necessarily embody each of these, the study details the following nine traits:

  

• Impact Driven
• Finance and Business Savvy
• Continuous Learning
• Shared Leadership
• Wired for Policy Change
• Multicultural and Culturally Competent
• Ambiguity of Work-Life Boundaries
• Constituents as Thought Partners
• Boards as Value Add  

These are themes we will be picking off and exploring here on Social Citizens in the coming weeks.  In the meantime, I hope you’ll share with us your thoughts about how your organizations are meeting or falling short of these characteristics. CompassPoint even offers an opportunity for you to take an organizational assessment to see how your nonprofit fairs as a next generation organization.

As you look across the nonprofit sector who’s getting this right, and where are folks falling short? We’re excited to launch into this conversation with you and highlight those organizations that are taking the necessary steps to keep up with the changing times.