Future Leaders Initiative
As a follow up to our prior research on succession planning and leadership needs, NPF conducted a series of focus groups with current Executive Directors and emerging leaders to obtain feedback on the areas of leadership development they saw as most critical for emerging leaders. We solicited input on what skills participants identified as needed to effectively manage today’s organizations and to advance in the community development industry.
We then conducted interviews with leaders in community development, curriculum and program design, diversity training, coaching and mentoring, and evaluation to assist in the creation of a comprehensive, year-long training program to increase the skills and capacities of emerging leaders with an emphasis on leaders of color.
The Future Leaders Initiative was based in part on Douglas K. Smith’s book “Make Success Measurable” and NeighborWorks America’s Achieving Excellence program based at Harvard University. In May 2007 18 participants from across Oregon embarked on a journey of leadership development that included interactive classroom workshops, peer support groups, coaching and taking on a “ Performance Challenge” in their organization or community. Read a summary of Session 1. Coaches and participants were carefully matched to ensure rapport. Coaches assisted participants in implementing ideas learned, in holding them accountable to achieving their “Performance Challenges” and in their leadership skill development. Read more about participant Performance Challenges and their final results.
The Goals of the Future Leaders Initiative were to:
- Address the CDC succession crisis by developing new leadership within the industry that has a board understanding of the industry and a grounding in the management tools needed to move with CDCs into a new stage in their evolution,
- Diversify the leadership base of Oregon’s CDC industry – recruit and nurture leaders of color, leaders with a grasp of cultural and class issues, and leaders with a commitment to and roots in rural Oregon, and
- Create a Support network among emerging leaders. Such a network will enhance job satisfaction as well as institutionalize standards for sound program design and evaluation
Read more about the desired outcomes of the Future Leaders Initiative here (link to Outcomes document)
As part of the program design, the Neighborhood Partnership Fund hired the Regional Research Institute at Portland State University to evaluate participants pre and post their Future Leaders Initiative experience. The goal was to assess the impact of the training program on individual participants and their organizations as well as to provide feedback to NPF to help inform the development of future trainings. Make sure to read the final evaluation of the Future Leaders Initiative.
Click here to learn more about the Future Leaders Program.
Read an article about the Future Leaders Initiative.
Questions? Contact Cynthia Winter.