Through his experience in Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management (SPNM), Vincent Lyles, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, learned that great leaders are great listeners. And he discovered the importance of courage in decision making.
A number of my friends have attended Executive Education at HBS and they have found it to be very worthwhile. I enrolled because I was at a point in my career where I had had some success, and I wanted to build upon that by expanding my capacity as a leader and my professional network.
So much of leadership is about confidence, and I thought it was important to have the opportunity to share my thinking and get feedback from peers who were going through the same kinds of things. Whether they were in New Jersey or New Delhi, they were still going through similar experiences because being a leader is a lonely position. Leaders are expected to make decisions. And while decision making is probably my strong suit, that doesn't mean it's always easy. It certainly doesn't mean that I have all the answers, and it also doesn't mean that I can't learn something.
The biggest plus for me was the diversity of the attendees, who represented different parts of the world, a wide range of experience, and various sectors. It was great to get to know them and network with them—and discover that we all have a lot to offer and we're all trying to push the boat in new directions.
Something else I picked up during the program was the need to listen to the voice of our customers. I don't do enough of that. I'm in a youth development business, so hearing from those we serve on a regular basis is essential. But I also have to recognize that I've got different customers at different levels. For example the adults who donate to the Boys & Girls Clubs are also customers.
Another concept that the program explored is the idea of understanding something so deeply that you can describe it simply to others so that it will be understood in your absence. One faculty member suggested that our board members and donors test this at the family dinner table. That's ingenious because it helps donors to better understand our organization and its challenges and also encourages them to engage their families in our work. It's pretty impactful.
Also, we had a meaningful discussion about how critical it is for leaders to have courage—the courage to be rooted in our convictions. When I heard that, I got excited about what we're trying to accomplish—about how I can inspire my staff and my family too. So it affected me at a professional level and at a personal level.
I love the challenge. I love the opportunity to serve. I love the impact that I'm having in my hometown. I love the fact that I'm always learning something new about who I am and what we're trying to accomplish. And I love the fact that I'm connected to a national movement in terms of the Boys & Girls Clubs—and that collectively we are moving the needle.
I thought the living group was very beneficial. My group was an interesting collection of people. We had a woman from Lebanon, a man from Australia, a woman from the United Kingdom, and others from Chicago, North Carolina, and San Francisco. So it was very diverse. We had some great discussions and got to know each other, which can be hard to do in a short amount of time. The purpose was to get us together, with the assumption that each member is intelligent, has their own opinion, and can educate and learn from those around them.
Inspiring.
