The Future Leadership Challenge

Abstract

When we manage the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors in these crisis-centered times, the focus often is “of the moment.” Keeping up with what is directly in front of us can be all-consuming. However, as difficult as it is to step off the typical daily treadmill, if our sector is ever to advance beyond the crisis du jour, its future also needs our immediate attention.

Where is the next leadership cohort coming from? What are we doing to advance the next generation of those who will teach our future workers, heal our illnesses, entertain and uplift us, support our natural areas, and care for the people who fall through the holes in our frequently overburdened social services safety-net?

As the baby boom generation currently in leadership positions across these sectors begins to retire, the need to identify and equip future leaders becomes critical. Pathfinder Solutions, Inc., a Colorado-based organizations, which specializes in providing research to foundations, has estimated that as many as 70 to 80 percent of nonprofit senior leadership may exit the sector in the next decade, resulting in the national need for 640,000 new leaders.

Although the 2008 economic recession slowed the executive exodus when individuals deferred their retirements, the large number of those approaching retirement age combined with the significant role nonprofits play as employers in Southeastern Pennsylvania strongly indicates the need for a proactive approach to preparing for the inevitable vacancies.

Are we, as a sector, ready? Are we doing all that we can do to not only identify but also to equip future leaders with the tools so essential to success in the fast-changing world in which we operate?

I think not.