Copyright 2012 Mallary Tytel,
All rights reserved.
Published in eBook format by Gold Canyon Press
Converted by http://www.eBookIt.com
ISBN-13: 978-0-9821-1126-0
To contact the author with comments or to inquire about speaking, coaching or consulting, write to her at: [email protected]
The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher. The author has represented and warranted full ownership and/or legal right to publish all the materials in this book.
Author’s Note: The narratives in this book reflect actual events. The names and genders of those individuals cited in these stories have been changed for reasons of privacy.
Cover Photo © 2009 JupiterImages Corporation. All rights reserved - used with permission.
This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Gold Canyon Press
P.O. Box 2223
Apache Junction, Arizona 85217-2223
U.S.A.
To Stephen, Jessica and Bradley, who matter most.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
It is with great appreciation and affection that I recognize and express my thanks to those individuals who provided their time, energy and wisdom to making this book a reality.
Glenna Garcia, for her sincere candor, her proficiency in guiding the book through production and for being there;
Leah Shepherd, for her expert editing, her crisp comments and her thoughtful advice;
Royce Holladay, for her creative brilliance, her solid grounding and her vast editorial know-how;
Cathy Perme, for her keen abilities, for bearing witness and her honest friendship;
Gail Champlin, for her exceptional capacity to give, her incisive ability to listen and her gift for grasping the big picture;
Kelly Walters-Kennedy, for her strength, her own far-reaching vision and for believing;
Dr Glenda Eoyang, for her genius, her unbounded passion and her steadfast commitment to asking questions;
The many small business and nonprofit professionals and colleagues who shared with me their own stories and lessons learned; and
The enormously talented and dedicated individuals it was my honor to work with side-by-side every day.
INTRODUCTION
The First Day on the Job
“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”
John Wooden
Within the space of two weeks I left my position of seven years working under contract for the Department of the Army; helped clean out and organize our house in Maryland which was being sold; found and rented a temporary apartment in Connecticut; packed an assortment of my personal and professional belongings; drove 280 miles to my rented apartment; and prepared to start a new job.
On a holiday Monday at noon, Roberta, my new assistant, met me at the office. Going over many housekeeping details, she handed me a set of keys and took me on a brief tour of the facilities. While she and I walked around the floor, her husband, Keith, and my husband, Stephen, were left to chat. When she and I returned and they left, I asked Stephen what the two of them had talked about. “Nothing,” he said. “He was afraid to say the wrong thing. After all, you’re the new boss. You hold their future in your hands.”
I thought about that for a long time. Me? Of course I was aware of my responsibility and authority. Upon hiring, my mandate from the board of directors was to “(re)position the company for the future” as the current CEO was stepping down.
I knew I’d have to make more difficult decisions than easy ones, plan and carry out more complex tasks than simple ones and implement significant change in an environment that was deeply rooted in the past. I was also prepared at any moment to be held accountable for everything. Well, it goes with the territory.
However, the truth was that he was only half right. We each held the others’ future in our hands. Throughout my entire tenure at that organization I never forgot that. It was not them or me, though there were times when it seemed like it. It was us. Lesson No. 1.
* * * * *
The purpose of this book is to offer a kaleidoscope of snapshots into the everyday workings of leading and managing small organizations. This book is not simply about one particular assignment or environment, but the learning, development and growth that emerge from small-business management experiences, particularly in the nonprofit sector. Every organization is different. Yet the skills, talents and wisdom that are necessary for success are common to all enterprises.
Being a CEO – or even upper-level officer or manager – is often a larger-than-life position and filled with questions that aren’t answered in an MBA education. Every challenge has multiple solutions, each of which can be right and wrong in a given situation. Therefore it is the questions and context we must pay attention to, and more often than not, that is where our learning comes from.
Let me assure you that your craziness in the job is under-stood; there are others out there who share your angst. For example, I recall during the first months of my tenure as CEO I harbored a nagging suspicion that at any moment the CEO-police would come crashing into my office, pointing at me in indignation and shouting, “Out Imposter!” I took it upon myself to become quite knowledgeable about the imposter syndrome and learned that (1) I was not alone; (2) this phenomenon is thought to be more common among women; (3) it seems to affect individuals who are actually successful rather than those who are not; and (4) it passes. This turned
