Collaboration is Key: Interview with Non-Profit Leader Mark Redmond
I recently went one on one with Mark Redmond. Mark is the Executive Director of Spectrum Youth & Family Services, Vermont’s largest nonprofit organization caring for homeless, runaway, and at-risk youth, including those in the criminal justice system, foster care, and addicted to drugs and alcohol. Mark has spent 40 years in the field, the last 18 at Spectrum.
Adam: Thanks again for taking time to share your advice. First things first though. I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
Mark: I have worked in the nonprofit field for 40 years almost to the day, and I wanted to be an executive director, the leader of an organization, for quite a while. In 2003 I got my chance and am the ED of the largest nonprofit in Vermont caring for homeless, runaway and at-risk youth. I learned a great deal in the prior years, from 1981-2002; I looked at every executive director for whom I worked and learned from both the things they did well as well as their deficits. The setbacks I have encountered are many. I had a staff member who worked for me stabbed to death by a homeless youth high on crack cocaine. I had a staff member shot and killed by an off-duty New York City police officer. A staff member set my office on fire. I had twelve stitches in my nose due to an altercation with kids in the middle of the night. I’ve been through several riots. But I persevered and learned from each failure and setback. Were there times I was ready to hang it up, and go back to my career on Madison Avenue? Sure, but I hung in there, and I am incredibly glad I did. When I heard about the executive director opening in Vermont, I applied, was one of 36 candidates and got it. I quit my job, my wife quit hers, and we drove up here in minus 30-degree weather with our three-month-old son. I was greeted during my first week by the reality that we were likely to not make payroll, our banker was threatening to move us to Work-out status, and one of our staff had enabled the sexual abuse of a minor and the local media was doing a story about it. And that was only week one. And yet six years later I was at a ceremony on Capital Hill in D.C. when we were named Agency of the Year by the National Network for Youth.
Adam: What are the best leadership lessons you have learned from leading a non-profit organization?
Mark: It’s hard to quantify the best ones, but I will try. From the classic Good to Great by Jim Collins, “Be a Level Five leader,” meaning always give credit to those around you, never claim it for yourself. I once had a philanthropist in to see our organization and he kept saying, “You’re doing a great job here,” and I kept saying, “I have an excellent team,” and he finally turned to me and said, “Will you at least take credit for hiring that excellent team?” I laughed and replied, “Okay, I guess so!” But I do believe Mr. Collins is spot-on with this leadership advice, as was Scott Sinek when he wrote his book, Leaders Eat Last. I follow that as well. On the other hand, when things are rough and help is needed, a good leader jumps in as needed. Just today an all-staff email went out from the person who manages our shelter for homeless teens because like almost every other employer in America right now, we’re having a tough time finding workers. “We may need people to work the overnight shift and weekend shifts,” was the plea, and I was the first one to email back, “Count me in.” That sends an important message to every person in our organization, that there is someone at the helm willing to pitch in and do anything when it’s necessary. Another lesson is this: to value loyalty. A few years ago I had a person working for me who was very talented and smart, so I promoted her several times and gave her substantial salary increases. More than one person warned me, “Don’t trust her, she’s out for your job,” but I didn’t want to believe it. My board president finally took me aside and gave it to me straight: “This person is not on your side,” and he insisted I hire an executive coach. I did so begrudgingly but it was one of the best things I have ever done, this man helped me to see through the manipulation and coached me through terminating her employment. One of my biggest fears was that if she went, others loyal to her would go as well. Guess what? They did, but not all at once, and I ended up hiring others in their place who turned out to be even better managers. Today I have an excellent crew who work for me, and my only regret is that I waited as long as I did to make the moves.
Adam: What are your best tips for fellow leaders of nonprofits?
Mark: First tip, you may not have been trained in accounting and finance, but if you are a nonprofit leader you need to understand the finances of your organization, including cash flow, what your defensive interval is, how much your payroll is every two weeks, etc. Second tip, surround yourself with “lieutenants,” people who will be loyal to you but also level with you and give you the straight scoop.
Adam: What advice to you have on how to lead a turnaround?
Mark: I’ve had to lead several turnarounds, including in my present role where I have been for the last 18 years. There is no one way to do it because each situation is different, but I would say these are the common denominators. First, be friendly, but don’t “make friends” with the staff who are there when you are leading a turnaround. Some great advice I was given from a mentor was, “Everyone there has an agenda, something they want you to do for them or a score to settle, so be wary.” Second, be present. Be seen. Let people know you aren’t a leader who is going to hole up in his or her office. Get out there and find out what’s happening on the ground level. You may have an MBA but you really need an MBWA: Management By Walking Around. Third, don’t minimize the problems you face. Level with people. “These are the problems we are facing,” but then lay out how you plan to tackle them, so you give people hope.
Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?
Mark: I saw an interview once with the actor Alec Baldwin when he was asked, “What makes for a good director?” and without hesitating he answered, “They make decisions.” And the next question was, “What makes for a great director?” and he answered, “They make the right decisions.” And this is all true. An effective leader gets input from the staff they trust, but in the end a good leader makes decisions, does not waffle, and does not abdicate responsibility by delegating the tough decisions to someone else. In terms of getting to the next level, as mentioned earlier I greatly benefited from an executive coach and would encourage that.
Adam: What are you three best tips to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders?
Mark:
The details matter, but don’t get immersed in the details. Your job is to stand up tall and look out ahead for both the icebergs in your path as well as the opportunities.
Don’t hesitate to ask peers for advice on an issue. I am frequently emailing other leaders in my field, “How are you and your organization handling Covid response/sabbaticals/health insurance/etc.”
Collaboration is key. No one organization can do it alone, look for partnerships where appropriate and logical.
Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading and managing teams?
Mark: It’s so important to be organized when leading a team. Meet at a regular time and keep it to that. Send out an evite ahead and then send out the agenda in advance. You lead the meeting and set the tone. (I’ve been talked into the “why don’t we each take a turn leading the meeting?” approach and it doesn’t work, it dilutes leadership.) Go through the agenda, encouraging people to participate. Feel free to ask individual members, “What do you think of this problem and the proposed solution?” Phones down and enforce that. When all the agenda items are done, ask if anything else, and if not, go around the table and ask each person for a brief update on their area. Before you end, ask for a wrap up on “To-do’s” so it’s clear who is doing what on all issues.
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Mark: I had taken over the leadership of a residence for homeless teens in Brooklyn and by all accounts had done a good job in transforming it and setting it on the right path. But it was a fairly small program, and when I applied for and was selected to run a residence in Westchester County that was about four times the size, both in budget and number of staff, the person who had supervised me in Brooklyn asked, “How are you going to make this change?” “I guess I will work harder and longer hours,” I replied, to which he said, “That won’t work. You’ll exhaust yourself. You need to find and hire people there who think like you do and have the same values you do, and then you work through them. That’s how this is done.” Great advice.
Adam: What should everyone do to pay it forward?
Mark: Keep an eye out in your organization for people who have leadership potential, people who remind you of yourself earlier in your career. Encourage them, mentor them, provide them with training, and then promote them when they are ready and there is an appropriate opening. That’s the way to pay it forward. All sectors, not just the non-profit one, desperately need capable, qualified, trained leaders. Play a part in that.
Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.
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