Great organizations need great leaders — and they need them to stick around a little while. For years, the turnover rate in our statewide LGBT advocacy groups has been high, and in 2010, Equality Federation Institute identified this challenge as one of our organizational priorities. Committed to addressing this turnover, particularly among executive directors, we began tracking executive tenure and rolling out new programs to help ensure that state leaders were thriving.

Executive Director positions are demanding roles requiring a broad range of skills — nonprofit management, political strategy, fundraising, communications, financial management, and inspirational leadership, to name a few. It’s rare to find a candidate with deep experience in all the kinds of work state-based executive directors need to do, and organizational investment in professional development is often an afterthought in groups operating on tight budgets.  

EFI has developed several programs to help address this challenge.

First, we created our annual New Executive Director Boot Camp, which brings together a cohort of new state leaders to ground them in the skills they need and connect them to the people and resources who can help. While a two-day training can’t make someone into a great executive director on its own, we help new leaders figure out what questions they should be asking and how they can keep developing the skills they need. The boot camp also helps form a strong peer network that we’ve seen become a key resource for support. That peer learning continues through opportunities to connect at Summer Meeting, regional caucuses, and other events.

Our program staff also offers coaching calls with new executive directors, either on a regular or as-needed basis. Sometimes having a trusted ally outside their own organizations can help these leaders think through the challenges they face.

We’ve also begun working with boards to help them set up their executive directors for success. Our staff has worked closely with state organizations during the search and onboarding process, offering our experience working with successful state leaders to help boards assess what their priorities are, expand the pool of potential applicants, and choose the right person for the job. We also offer board governance training that helps get board members focused on their roles and responsibilities, as boards that either disengage or engage inappropriately can contribute to executive turnover.

While we certainly can’t claim all the credit, our efforts are paying off. In late 2011, the average state executive director had been on the job for just 18 months. As of this month, it’s up to 29 months. That’s a remarkable improvement in just two years. Encouraged by this critical improvement, we’re committed to continuing our work to build up strong and effective leaders in sustainable and successful state organizations.