LIVE UNITED

Here is Video from my speech at our United Way Annual Meeting this year. The main idea is that we can only solve community problems by uniting around the work.

The Broadfoot Three

During a recent panel discussion I moderated for our Chamber of Commerce Leadership Southside Program, the participants heard from Danville's Chief of Police, Phillip Broadfoot, among others. The theme of the discussion was leadership through crisis, and all the panelists had a great deal to contribute.

I asked each to define leadership in their own way, and Chief Broadfoot's concept of leadership was one that stuck with the group throughout the rest of the day, and into our afternoon review of the film "Apollo 13." His description of leadership became known to us the rest of the day as the "Broadfoot Three," and it is quite simple, but lent itself to the day's design. I'll summarize:

Leaders fall into the following three categories:

1. Those who get out in front and say, "Follow me, I know the way."
2. Those who stand beside the team and say, "Let's find the way together."
3. Those who stand back and encourage the team, saying, "You can do it. I trust and believe in you."

The greatest leaders, he went on to add, know when to display each of those types. There are times when each of those three is appropriate.

This is a refreshing view of leadership, as it proves that leadership cannot be encapsulated into any one definition.

Stimulus

I still do not understand the government stimulus package. But I know that whatever small pieces of it that are discretionary need to fall into the right hands. For United Way and other worthy organizations to seize opportunities to manage some of those funds to advance the common good seems plenty sensible. It is doubtful that our local United Way will play a role in that, unless some of the state stimulus funds are regionalized and include some of the work we are doing. We will see.

In the meantime, my thought is that we not wait for the government stimulus package to save the day. Our work must be more meaningful and impacting than ever. So the question I am asking myself is, what can OUR United Way do to stimulate the economy? But that doesn't quite sound right either. Let's try this one.....What can our United Way to minimize the damage being done by the economy in our community while building systems that will help avoid future economic crises for our citizens? I am more satisfied with that question, but now the real challenge -- finding the answers! There is certainly more than one right answer, and in the board room this year, we need to spend time finding those answers. But as always, we cannot limit our search to the confines of the boardroom. We have to convene. If ever there was an opportunity to deliver on our value proposition as a community convener, this is it!

Some ideas:

1. Reach out to our state legislators to offer help deciding how any trickle-down state funds can be used to strengthen our region.
2. Consider basic needs for individuals as a higher priority in our program allocations.
3. Frame our impact work around short and long-term economic solutions, from early childhood education to financial stability and wellness.
4. Without being idealistic, inspire confidence. Sell aspiration, not desperation.
5. Customize the campaign message in the workplace to inspire people to GIVE in tough times.
6. Accelerate efforts to broaden the resources through grants.
7. Accelerate efforts to establish our 10-year community goals and frame work around those goals.

This is just a start, but we HAVE to start!

Problem Solving

RANDOM THOUGHT:
Leadership is about problem solving as much as anything else. How leaders respond to problems that arise within their organizations is very indicative of their overall qualities as a leader. While leadership requires making decisions, some leaders are too quick to react to problems by making rash decisions without involving those eventually affected by those decisions. Shutting down efforts when problems are present is not usually the answer. Leadership requires dealing with situations as they arise, and respecting others that are involved in the effort. The bottom line: Collaboration demands communication, and issues demand adequate time and deliberation before major decisions are made. If every piece of our work got closed down every time some glitch manifested itself, we would quickly have no work to do. Just something for United Way leaders to keep in mind as we work with other organizations through various initiatives.

National Professional Council

I am honored and excited to be selected to serve on United Way's National Professional Council (NPC). I will begin a three-year term January 1, 2009. The NPC is a group of around 60 United Way CEOs who provide thought leadership, guidance, council, and direction for the system. It is not a governing board, but it is the best link and liaison between the local "field" and United Way of America.

As I enter a term on the NPC, I am certainly excited to be a part of such a respected group of leaders. I know some of them already, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for their talent and dedication. The success records of the United Ways they lead speak for themselves. I hope to contribute to the work of the NPC. I hope to contribute my own leadership. But most of all, I hope (and expect) to learn from these community leaders. I consider this appointment to be in the best interest of United Way in Danville, as well as for the entire system. I am a believer in our movement, and a fan of United Way of America and the leadership they provide to the system.

Serving on the NPC may be one of the best career builders a United Way professional could leverage. But my approach is two-fold:

1. Serve and Strengthen the System - I believe one gains as one contributes. The United Way system (sorry for the overuse of the word "system") has served me greatly. I can thank the resources of the collective movement for my current job, my knowledge of community impact, my boldness to lead, my ongoing opportunities for personal and professional development, and the support resources, models, and best practices we have used to build a better United Way in Danville. I owe the system whatever I can give back to potentially create value for other leaders and their commmunities.

2. Learn and Implement - I am lying if I say that I do not have selfish hopes for my NPC experience. I do indeed see it as an opportunity to bring even more strength to our local United Way. I believe United Way of Danville-Pittsylvania County is one of the leading organizations of our size across the country. I am openly proud of the work we have done to build a more viable model for our community. But I have led with a strong support system at my disposal. I have employed the thoughts and best practices of some of the organization's finest leaders. I have no intention to change my approach to that. Serving on the NPC will undoubtedly expose me to more ideas, greater clarity of thought, and inspiration.

3 Things Different

I was recently asked a very good question by our interim city manager here in Danville:

What 3 things would people notice are different about United Way since the time we developed our new community impact model and culture?

Here is the answer:

1. Allocations more accountable and not membership based
   We still raise money and give it to non-profit organizations. But we do not do so on an entitlement basis, and we require outcome measurement and greater accountability for results in the areas deemed critical by the community in our impact agenda (Education, Health, Youth & Families, Stronger Neighborhoods, and Crisis Assistance).
   
   We no longer have "member" agencies. The organizations/programs we support are considered partners in the work of creating impact in our community.
   
   
2. More hands on in the work of impact
   We would not have dreamed ten years ago that United Way would be either a lead or a key player in a number of the collaborative initiatives we see today. We have not only created these initiatives, we have branded and co-branded them as change catalysts for our community.
   The bottom line is that we are doing much more than just funding programs. Here are some highlights:
   
   - The Dan River Center for Voluntarism
   Here is the only physical, full-service volunteer center in Southside Virginia. It is housed and supervised at United Way. It is funded by AmeriCorps, through a grant written by The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research and United Way. Its strategic plan is developed by the community voluntarism committee of the Chamber of Commerce.
   
   - The Neighborhood Leadership Institute
   This initiative was created by members (including United Way) of a business leadership program out of our local Chamber of Commerce (which is one of only 4% of all local chambers with a 5-star accreditation from the US Chamber). It is funded by United Way, and the curriculum is designed and delivered by Virginia Cooperative Extension. The facilities are provided in kind by the City of Danville and the County of Pittsylvania. Its purpose is to foster grassroots leadership, create more neighbor-to-neighbor engagement, and provide technical assistance to neighborhood leaders in the areas of neighborhood association formation and capacity, and more
   
   - The BEST (Building Economic Success Together) Coalition
   United Way pulled this coalition together, wrote and secured a grant for over $600,000, and turned leadership over to The Community Action Partnership. The coalition is composed of United Way, Community Action, Virginia Legal Aid, and The Caswell County Senior Center. Its purpose is two-fold: 1) Increase the number of residents claiming and receiving the Earned Income Tax Credit (a federal benefit for low-income families and individuals) and 2) provide financial literacy training and capacity in the areas of asset building, etc.
   
   
3. Seen as a leading convener and agent of change
   A recent assessment of our region's economic environment conducted by the Corporation for Enterprise Development names United Way several times as an organization poised to be a change and impact catalyst in our region. It cites the Neighborhood Leadership Institute mentioned above as one of high-potential initiatives in our community.
   
   Community Leaders are calling more and more on United Way to be a part of critical conversations, and in many cases, convene and facilitate those conversations.

Journal Entry # 29 - Catching Up

Wow! It has been a long time since I updated this blog! I have a lot of catching up to do documenting the direction and accomplishments (and failures) of our local United Way. It won't happen here in this posting, but I will summarize some things that will be forthcoming:

• LIVE UNITED - Our board has adopted a tweaked version of our model to align more closely with the national branding and goals. Our board feels very good about our latest tweak, and our endorsing partners (more on that later) find that "Advancing the Common Good" around education, income and health resonates with them.
• PRODUCTS - What exactly defines a "product" for United Ways? I had an engaging conversation with a mentor of mine in the system that has me thinking -- she has always been able to do that to me! How does she do it? Her name is Susan Eckert. She is President/CEO at United Way of Lancaster County in Pennsylvania.
• HOW DEEP CAN WE GO? - Leading a small United Way has it's challenges (and benefits). We have done well to build a new United Way culture here in Danville. But now it's time to dig in deep and do the difficult work our new model requires of us. As we grapple with our capacity to do the work, how can we manage risk -- risk of burnout, risk of losing focus, risk of getting in over our heads, risk of failure?
• WHAT ARE THE THREE THINGS PEOPLE WOULD NOTICE ARE DIFFERENT ABOUT OUR UNITED WAY TODAY? - This question was posed by a city official in Danville. I was thrilled to answer him. My answer will be here later!
• CAMPAIGN ANALYSIS - How does Danville perform against the rest of the country when we factor in all the variables (economy, job index, community size, etc.)?

These are just a few things I will be discussing here soon!

LIVE UNITED

Well it just makes perfect sense. I was a bit reluctant at first at the thought of yet another change in branding. But LIVE UNITED resonates. It is a call to action. Give. Advocate. Volunteer. More later, but the idea that together, we can advance the common good -- ensuring that everyone in our community has access to an EDUCATION that leads to gainful employment, an INCOME that can sustain a family through retirement, and GOOD HEALTH with which to enjoy life -- is invigorating!

Major Step Toward Community Impact

Danville Regional Foundation

Big stuff. This is a major milestone for our United Way and the work recorded in this journal!

Sad Day for United Way

My predecessor here in Danville, Bill Kantz, passed away this week. It's a sobering thought on many levels for me. My prayers and thoughts are with Kelly and the United Way family in Fredrick, MD. The Danville Register and Bee has the story HERE.