Go Ahead and Pass the Ball, We Got Next

July 30, 2007 | Leadership, Next Generation Leadership, Now Generation Leadership, Professional Development, Social Media

“We need to find our own leadership, but we also need current leaders to afford us the space to lead.”

- Lisa Rose Starner, NP2020 Keynote Speaker and Executive Director of Mixed Greens

NP2020: Issues and Answers From the Next Generation wrapped up in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Saturday afternoon. There were about 100 attendees, mostly from the Midwest/Mchigan area, but also included folks from Arizona, Minnesota, Nebraska, Indiana, Oregon, Kansas, South Dakota, Illinois, and Wisconsin to name a few. I think I was the only attendee from DC, and surpisingly, I don’t remember meeting anyone from New York. 80% of attendees were female, with an average age of 30.

The conference was filled with young leaders as well as a handful of baby boomers that came together to talk honestly and openly about the issues facing the transition process for the next generation of nonprofit leaders. An open space format was used to facilitate discussion using an open agenda and a blank slate for anyone to lead a session on a topic of their interest. Both Friday and Saturday’s open space discussions brought about 30 total sessions led by the participants themselves on issues of leadership, nonprofit management, diversity, and cross-generational relationships. Through the innovative open space process, a generation of leaders who don’t normally get to speak up were given voice, shared valuable knowledge and ideas, and brainstormed next steps for the sector. At NP2020, the future of the nonprofit sector was reaffirmed:

Given the right support, there is no doubt that the younger generation is ready and willing to assume the thousands of leadership positions baby boomers will be vacating in the coming years.

I had the opportunity to lead a session concerning several issues I write about on this blog: What do we need to lead? How can baby boomers address these needs? What came out of this session were some myths aboout what young leaders need and solutions that will prepare us for the next level.

Myths:

Our supervisors should provide mentoring and professional development for us.
Mentoring is a formal process.
Young leaders need the technical skills and training to do our jobs.

Actual Solutions:

To be successful, we really need to take responsibility for own own professional development and seek out the specific things we need.
Mentoring can be formal or informal, as well as personal. However, if we want mentoring, we need to be willing to mentor each other as well.
We don’t need technical skills, young leaders already have them through higher education and our comfort with technology. What we need are the “trade secrets” and help with relationship-building, the kind of specific problem-solving skills that we don’t learn in a class or university program.

Discussion during the open space agenda were consistent with the updated results from the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network survey shared by Lillian MacEachern. According to their research, to prepare for top leadership positions at nonprofits, young leaders need:

Job experience
Coaching and mentoring
Peer learning

What does this mean for current leaders who want to ease the leadership transition within our sector? The two recommendations from the YNPN research encourages baby boomers to:

Mentor your successors
Help potential leaders take on tangible leadership responsibilities right now

For those who are worried or concerned about the state of our sector, I assure you there is no need to fret. Looking around the room on the last day of the conference listening to so many smart and passionate young people eager to develop and stay in the nonprofit world, I was in complete awe of our potential for social change as a sector in transition. Don’t worry baby boomers, it’s okay to go ahead and pass us the ball. Teach us how to slam dunk our way to changing the world we live in. We got next and we’re ready for this new and exciting stage of the game.

I know you wish you were there. Be sure to check the conference wiki for notes from NP2020!

Also check out more NP2020 conference coverage from Upside Down Bananas!

Photo by Flickr user Hometown Invasion Tour

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Tags: Leadership, Nonprofit Leadership Pipeline, nptech, Professional Development

Maria

Rosetta, it was great to meet you in person! Thanks again for your contributions to NP2020 both before and during the event.
Michele Martin

Hi Rosetta--sounds like you had a great time at the conference!

I was really pleased to see that your group identified as one of the myths that they need someone else to look out for their professional development. One of my pet peeves is how so many people see learning as something that's done TO them. Too often I see people making excuses for not developing their skills by saying it's someone else's responsibility to make sure they're trained.

As you point out, professional development is firmly within our own personal control and something we can and should seek out, regardless of what anyone else may be giving us. Worst thing that happens? We take those leadership skills and start our own game. :-)

Great post!