Golden's Rules for Association

APRIL 5, 2020

I was always someone who recognized the critical value of diligently providing for personal solitude as an element of leadership effectiveness. There is a pretty good book on this subject if you are unconvinced: Lead Yourself First, by Raymond Kethledge and Michael Erwin). But […].

Leadership 245

Leadership 245

Golden's Rules for Association

JANUARY 10, 2012

At a GWSAE Speakers Series event a number of years ago, Margaret Thatcher described consensus as the opposite of leadership. She used words to the effect that consensus is an abdication of leadership obligations; true leaders take you somewhere the group otherwise would never go.

Leadership 100

Leadership System 100

Golden's Rules for Association

MAY 28, 2012

When its leadership screws up, they do it on a truly operatic scale. Give the Metropolitan Opera credit. The Met is a nonprofit, structured in a manner not unlike many associations. There is the parent organization, the opera company, that delivers the core value to its membership (audience).

Review 100

Review Leadership Education Organization 100

Golden's Rules for Association

JUNE 30, 2011

I am thrilled and humbled to learn of my selection to receive the American Society of Association Executive’s 2011 Key Award, the highest honor ASAE offers. “The Key Award honors the association CEO who demonstrates exceptional qualities of leadership in his or her own association, and displays a deep commitment to voluntary membership (..)

Leadership 100

Leadership Organization 100

Golden's Rules for Association

JANUARY 6, 2016

I was recently invited to share one piece of advice from what I have learned in my years as an association chief staff officer on effective partnership with volunteer leaders, for a book soon to be published by ASAE. After giving some thought to the matter, for me it came down to what Jim Collins calls Level […].

Leadership 100

Leadership 100

Golden's Rules for Association

DECEMBER 14, 2012

Chances are that if you are reading this, you consider yourself an association professional and you appreciate the tremendous good that associations do for society. You are probably also concerned about some of the issues impacting associations, and maybe even support advocacy by groups like ASAE to address them. But do you ever involve the [.].

Organization 100

Organization Leadership 100

Golden's Rules for Association

MARCH 28, 2012

When I ask association leaders (both volunteers and staff professionals) what their biggest long-term governance challenge is, the most frequent answer I hear back is the challenge of bringing the next generation of leaders on board. “Young people don’t volunteer the way we used to.”

System 100

System Leadership 100