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| Path: Main Street : NewsWeek : Archive : Leadership in Focus : Article |
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Leadership in Focus: Ruth MacKenzie
By Elisa Birnbaum
January 7, 2008This month in our Leadership in Focus series we feature Ruth MacKenzie, president of Volunteer Canada. Having joined the organization in 2001, Ruth quickly ascended the ranks, becoming part of its senior management team by 2003, and president in 2007. Prior to Volunteer Canada, Ruth held other nonprofit positions but also spent some time in the private sector, running her own business in Nova Scotia. In fact, so successful was her adventure into the for-profit world that she was selected Entrepreneur of the Year. With 15 years of dedicated service to the not-for-profit sector and an abundance of business acumen, Ruth MacKenzie is bringing a unique and exceptional flavour to Volunteer Canada’s Ottawa headquarters.
Charity Village: Do you think a leader in the nonprofit sector faces challenges that differ from those faced in other sectors?
Ruth MacKenzie: I think it’s a bit of a yes and no answer. As part of my background, I actually ran my own company for a few years so I have some experience in the private sector, although the vast majority of my career has been in the voluntary sector. And so I think I do have a bit of a unique perspective. When I think of the roles of both, I see lot of similarities in terms of the need to be really multifaceted in what you do, the need to be a big picture thinker, but also willing and able to roll up your sleeves and unpack boxes or wash dishes. When I think of it in that context, I think there are many similarities.
Generally speaking, a nonprofit organization has fewer resources - both financial and human - higher expectations, and a higher ethical standard due to a higher level of scrutiny. Also, human resources is more complex because, when it comes to financing, it’s so multifaceted since you’re dealing with government funders, private donors, corporate partners and membership. The other layer that is unique is working with volunteers. That also makes human resources more complex because you’re dealing with a cohort of paid staff, but you’re also working with a cohort of individuals who are involved because they are committed to your mission and your organization. There’s a unique psycho-social blend between the two facets of human resources that are involved in an organization.
I also think the board-president/CEO/ED relationship is unique in the nonprofit sector. You may have shareholders in the private sector but their interest is much more focused than the interest of a [nonprofit] board.
CV: So, how would you say those challenges impact a leader’s ability to fulfill his/her mission?
RM: I think there’s a real need to be a roll-up-your-sleeves manager and leader, particularly because the vast majority of the voluntary sector is made up of small organizations with very few staff and resources. So, as a leader or ED, you need to be managing staff well, you need to have a good sense of financial management, and you need to be good at managing relationships and volunteers. Then you need to be a visionary, with a strategic thinking lens. The nonprofit sector is primarily values-driven and that just creates a different environment to work within.
CV: Do you think leadership, or lack thereof, impacts volunteerism?
RM: Yes, absolutely. As the organization that strives to be the leader in voluntarism in Canada, what that means for us is there is a real need to understand the bigger context in which volunteerism exists in our country and in our communities. We need to understand the current realities - social, political and economic - and how volunteerism is affected by that or plays a role in that. And we need to understand volunteerism historically and in the context of social change, because volunteers are so intrinsically linked to social change. The one example I hearken back to is the environmental movement. Twenty-five years ago the Sierra Club of Canada was considered the lunatic fringe. Today they are complete leaders and drivers of the environment movement, which Canadians, in the broadest sense, are concerned about.
So what is that cadre right now that is engaged in something that will be the next social movement? That is key to what volunteerism is all about. And that’s our role at Volunteer Canada: to try and understand how people are engaged, how it plays out in different age groups and demographics, and to think about the impact longer term so that we can work with organizations who engage volunteers and make sure they are being considerate of that. For example, there’s a lot of work right now engaging baby boomers. They are very different than any age group before them; they want different things in their volunteerism. They are highly committed but want to make a contribution that will leverage their skills because they want to make a difference. They want project work that’s going to contribute very clearly to the bottom line of the organization. In terms of being leaders, I think we play a key role in understanding that bigger social context, both historically and into the future.
CV: How is Volunteer Canada encouraging leadership in volunteerism? Is it one of its priorities?
RM: We’ve done some work around volunteer job design, which really is about designing volunteer positions that can be very clearly linked to the mission of the organization. It’s something that’s really important and volunteers are looking for that now. I think of Volunteer Canada’s Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement, which, when introduced in 2001, was really a values-based approach to involving volunteers. It targeted its messaging at boards and CEOs to ensure they understood the value of volunteers to their organization and could articulate that value and ultimately make a commitment to provide the necessary resources - human and financial - to maintain a strong volunteer program. It takes real structure, infrastructure, support and skill sets to manage volunteers and to do it well. And that’s what the Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement is all about.
Also, for a couple of years now, Volunteer Canada, with funding from the Muttart Foundation, has been engaging in public policy work to try and build relations with the government at the federal level to ensure volunteerism is on the agenda in public policy discussions. It’s relatively new work for us and one of our key strategic objectives. It’s going to be key to the work that we do because I think we need to get away from the apple pie concept of volunteerism. Using that type of analogy detracts from how critically important [volunteers] are, in that our communities would collapse without them. But it doesn’t just happen. The infrastructure needs to be there; it needs to be promoted and nurtured.
Then there’s the role of volunteers centres, our intrinsic partners. Organizations at the community level have the potential to be the most important organizations in their communities. To be able to support volunteer centres to ensure that they are relevant to their communities, that they are responding in ways that address community needs and priorities is really critical.
CV: Are there specific traits that make leaders great?
RM: I think the ability to see opportunities and problem solve, finding ways to be creative in terms of opportunities. Individually, self awareness is pretty important because no one has all the skills required. So, to be self aware of what your skills and strengths are so that you can leverage those strengths and, more importantly, so you can bring in others on your team who have the strengths that you are missing. Then to be collaborative and step back and ensure that the people you brought on for those skills are able to do their job. The other important trait is listening and being able to dialogue with others. I also think it’s really important that we create platforms where we can dialogue with people whose opinions we may not share because that helps us understand a broader perspective and also helps us sharpen our own ideas and convictions.
CV: What should the sector or individual organizations be doing to encourage young leaders?
RM: It is only my first time at a president level and I’m midpoint in my career, so I still feel I have a lot to learn from others who’ve been there longer than myself. But if I think in that context, what’s been helpful to me is opportunities to be exposed to broader networks, to existing networks within the sector. If you recognize someone has interests and skill sets, you can create opportunities for them to step outside their comfort zone so that they can build their own skill base. And creating a forum where you celebrate failures as learning opportunities, I think that’s really important too. It’s not always about getting things right and achieving; it's about messing up once in a while. I think you need to create a forum where that’s okay. 'This didn’t work out but what did you learn?'
CV: What practical advice on leadership would you offer others?
RM: This really resonates with me because I’m the sandwich generation. I think having your priorities straight and understanding the context in which work is important and also the context in which life outside of work is really important - recognizing that really strengthens you as a leader. It’s not taking time away from work; it’s making you more of a whole person, and that impacts your ability to lead an organization.
CV: What leaders have inspired you over the years?
RM: There are so many. What really inspires me is people who’ve been out there and challenged the status quo, who’ve been leaders or real agents of social change. Stephen Lewis comes to mind. He hasn’t been afraid to be critical and to put himself and his reputation on the line. I think that’s really respectful. And I think of Elijah Harper too, someone I really respect in terms of speaking up. Bill Drayton from the Ashoka Foundation also comes to mind. He shows real leadership in identifying social entrepreneurs and the potential impact they can have in solving serious social issues internationally. And Dick Pound, chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency. He’s someone who was able to put themselves on the line and speak up. All of these people recognized an issue and have been real agents of social change. That, for me, is what volunteerism is all about.
CV: What books or resources about leadership would you recommend?
RM: Governance as Leadership – it’s an interesting take on boards and the leadership role of boards of directors. I’ve also recently read and been really inspired by Getting to Maybe. It’s a really neat book on facilitating social change and how you do that. It’s theoretical but is also applied in stories, which are great. And How to Change the World, I really loved the book. It’s about people who facilitated social change and there are really inspiring stories. I also read Fast Company every month. It’s a business magazine, but I always find a gem in there that I can apply in the nonprofit context and I find that interesting.Elisa Birnbaum is a freelance journalist, producer and communications consultant living in Toronto. She can be reached at: esbirnbaum@gm ail.com.
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