The Characteristics of Today’s Successful Association Leader
Leslie Hortum and Lynn Olman
February 2009
More than a venue for networking and sharing best practices, associations today typically have highly focused advocacy and legislative agendas and aggressive programming goals. Shattering the status quo, many are also expanding internationally and programmatically as they strive to enhance their value proposition to members.
As member expectations for associations have grown, so too has pressure on association CEOs. Association boards are demanding sophisticated leaders who can lead the organization and its program offerings to new levels of excellence. They are also holding CEOs to higher standards of accountability in meeting these goals. Based on their experiences recruiting CEOs for the nation’s top associations, Leslie Hortum and Lynn Olman share the traits that associations view as most critical for success in the evolving and increasingly complex role of association leader.
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