Jack of all trades?
Mike Hudson provides a checklist of what makes an effective and authoritative chief executive in the voluntary sector
Chief executives are expected to be a figurehead, a politician and a manager all rolled up in one person. They have to deploy a combination of managerial, entrepreneurial and political skills. They need management skills to get everyone to work together towards achieving common goals and entrepreneurial skills to take risks and seize opportunities, attributes that are usually associated with the private sector. Another requirement is the ability to unite diverse political constituencies behind activities that everyone is willing to support – a skill that is more often associated with public sector management.
Author: Mike Hudson
Mike Hudson is director of Compass Partnership and author of Managing Without Profit. He has an MBA from London Business School and has provided consultancy services to the nonprofit sector for 25 years. Mike is currently a visiting fellow at Cass Business School.
Stephen Ross, 13/05/2009
As always, Hudson is spot on with his sound practical advice supported by case study and best practice. This reminds me it is time I replaced my well thumbed bible, whuich I found to be the most useful book for UK non-profit management, with the latest version of \"Managing Without Profit\".