January 20, 2005 | Read Time: 2 minutes
The Not-for-Profit CEO: How to Attain & Retain the Corner Office
by Walter P. Pidgeon Jr.
This guide to becoming a successful nonprofit leader is written as much for the student considering a career in the nonprofit world as for the charity executive seeking advice on how to excel in the position.
Walter P. Pidgeon Jr. draws on his experience as chief executive of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance-U.S. Sportsmen’s Foundation, as well as interviews with nonprofit leaders and research conducted in collaboration with the American Society for Association Executives on how to attain the top spot at a nonprofit group.
Becoming a chief executive requires a combination of formal education, job experience, and personal skills, writes Mr. Pidgeon. He provides students with information on what coursework will benefit them most in their nonprofit work, and suggestions on how to develop the communication, leadership, and management skills that trustees seek in a nonprofit executive. The author also provides advice on developing a balance of financial, volunteer-management, and program-related experience.
Interviews and the findings of “The National Study of Not-for-Profit CEOs” provide the framework for Mr. Pidgeon’s analysis. Twelve nonprofit executives reflect on how they attained their current positions and used their job and volunteer experience, networks of colleagues and friends, and even their job interviews to best advantage. The study, meanwhile, asked more than 100 nonprofit leaders to evaluate their career paths, with a plurality citing “past experiences” as the top reason they were tapped for their jobs, and their ability to set and meet goals as the personal skill that has helped them the most in their positions.
For people further along in their career paths, Mr. Pidgeon offers suggestions on how to optimize the first six months in a new leadership position and develop strong relationships with staff members and trustees. Other tips include evaluating when and how to move on to a bigger and more influential organization, and how to keep in touch with fellow chief executives.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 111 River Street, Hoboken, N.J. 07030; (877) 762-2974; http://www.wiley.com; 309 pages; $39.95; ISBN 0-471-64875-2.
