Tag Archives: leadership

Most associations tell me that innovation is important to them, and I, of course, agree. But the overall track record on innovation in the association community is not that great. Twelve years ago, some fellow consultants and I wrote a short book titled, We Have Always Done It That Way: 101 Things About Associations We Must Change. Two years ago ...

Creativity is a muscle that you need to work out and strengthen into a tool that can build something unexpected. For artist and founder of the Frontier Project Noah Scalin, that meant taking a familiar object – a skull – and presenting it a new, creative way every day for a full year. Scalin spoke at the TSAE’s New Ideas ...

TSAE has announced the keynote speakers for its first Women’s Summit, which will take place October 25 at the AT&T Conference Center in Austin. MJ Hegar, a former US Air Force Combat Search and Rescue helicopter pilot, will kick off the day by revealing how to be a catalyst for change, be it in your career, at home or at ...

Theresa Parsons, CAE, CMP 2018-2019 TSAE Board Chair Executive Director Texas Council of Administrators of Special Education (TCASE) I was on a plane heading to Washington, D.C., to join a handful of board members on a lobbying trip. After working for another organization for a year, my association lured me back, and this particular morning was just my second since ...

Go ahead. Google the words “association advocacy” and see what pops up. I recently did the same which resulted in over 87 million hits. American Association for Justice, Muscular Dystrophy Association, National CASA Association … thousands of associations that prominently include the word “advocacy” on their websites. But what does advocacy mean? Is it something handled by your governmental relations ...

Never say no is one of the main rules of improv comedy. While you can’t never say no in your organization, you can still create a culture of yes. Galen Emanuele with Shift Yes used the five main tenets of improv comedy to show attendees how they can build a culture where all ideas and people are respected in “Create ...

At the TSAE Board of Directors annual retreat in early June, Christopher Williston VI, CAE, executive vice president, Independent Bankers Association of Texas, was installed as the 2017-2018 Chairman of TSAE. Williston has been a member since 2006 and served on the board since 2012. He has volunteered in a variety of capacities, including chairing the Magazine and Budget & ...

Many associations today are experiencing or anticipating leadership transitions as long-time CEOs/executive directors reach retirement age. But not all organizations are doing the succession planning they should be. “No one really wants to have the conversation,” observed David Martin, managing partner with Sterling Martin Associates, an association CEO search firm. If the CEO brings up the conversation, the board might think the ...

Let’s face it, no one likes to have difficult conversations because, well, they are difficult. Unfortunately, putting off important conversations only makes them more difficult and can often damage relationships in the process. One of the most important jobs of an association leader is to give employees coaching and feedback. And while not always pleasant, a well-planned conversation can go a ...

I can’t believe it’s been 15 years since I read Jim Collins’ book, “Good to Great.” I remember being very impressed by the book at the time, both the concepts and the depth of the research that went into it. A lot of the ideas resonated with me, and it was satisfying to know there was correlational research to support ...