Introduction
Effective strategic leadership is one of the primary factors affecting the success of any company. Strategic leaders have multiple roles including, but not confined to defining the direction the company heads, setting, choosing the methods to achieve the established goals, and enabling the organization to change and evolve (Yukl, 2013). Effective strategic leadership is also essential for non-profit organizations as it ensures the attainment of goals, which contributes to the sustainable development of communities and the improvement of the most vulnerable groups’ lives (Golensky & Hager, 2020). This paper includes a brief analysis of the effectiveness of the strategic leadership at the National Organization for Human Services (NOHS), the challenges the organization faces, and ways to overcome them.
The National Organization for Human Services
The NOHS is a non-profit organization, representing Human Service practitioners (and future professionals in this field), educators, and students. The primary goals of the organization in question is to promote the links between the stakeholders mentioned above, to facilitate the improvement of human service delivery, promote social justice, foster comprehensive research in this area, and ensure ethical conduct in human services (National Organization for Human Services [NOHS], 2022). The organization uses such tools as advocacy, collaboration promotion, and policy evaluation. Human services can be defined as the field “uniquely approaching the objective of meeting human needs through an interdisciplinary knowledge base, focusing on prevention as well as remediation of problems, and maintaining a commitment to improving the overall quality of life of service populations” (NOHS, 2022, para. 5). In simple terms, the organization concentrates on the provision of support for human service practitioners who, in their turn, deliver various services to various groups of people and individuals to improve their wellbeing.
Strategic Leadership at the NOHS: Major Advantages
Transparency and Clarity
The NOHS strategic leadership includes the representatives of all major departments. The organization under consideration’ board of directors consists of the following positions: “the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Immediate Past President, one member at large, one student member, one Regional President, Vice President of Professional Development and Education, Director of Membership” (NOHS, 2020, p. 2). The duties and governance rules are publicly available, and the transparency of the organization’s leadership is ensured.
The President, Vice President, and Immediate Past President run meetings and carry out administrative tasks. The President is responsible for running regular and additional meetings, while the Vice President takes up these responsibilities if the President is absent. The Immediate Past President performs the tasks of the President if the President and Vice President are absent. Strategic leadership faces numerous constraints during times of uncertainty, so it is critical to make sure that the board is functional (Yukl, 2013). The clear description of executives’ roles is instrumental in diminishing uncertainty and making effective decisions. The administration of meetings is described in detail and ensures that all members of the board can be active participants of these meetings.
Representation and Diversity
In addition to the position of President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, the board consists of the representatives of other positions within the organization, which is undoubtful advantage of the strategic leadership of NOHS. The non-profit in question includes such positions as Student Member, Member at Large, Regional Presidents, and VP of Professional Development and Education (NOHS, 2020). These executives represent the perspectives of central members of the NOHS, as educators and students form the basis of the workforce at the NOHS. This kind of representation secures the articulation of all voices within the organization. Diversity and proper communication are central pillars of effective strategic leadership, as executives can develop an appropriate vision and strategic plan (Hambrick & Wowak, 2021; Yukl, 2013). The needs and suggestions of all members can be voiced and discussed, which has a positive influence on the development of the organization and its performance. Strategic leadership is in close contact with people who actually perform tasks and ensure the realization of the NHOS’s goals. This kind of communication is exemplary as it helps all employees, including executives, to remain focused and properly informed.
Diversity is also achieved by the inclusion of people of diverse backgrounds. Gender, ethnic, and age diversity is beneficial for any organization, especially the one that is linked to the field of education. Out of ten executives, four are males, and six are females (NOHS, 2022). Directors are also representatives of different ethnic and age groups. This kind of diversity is important for the board’s commitment to innovation, as people with diverse backgrounds may generate miscellaneous ideas that can potentially become an effective innovation (Hambrick & Wowak, 2021). This diversity is essential for a non-profit organization as well because the members of the board can acknowledge challenges different groups face and come up with innovative solutions that will be beneficial for the community (Golensky & Hager, 2020). It is necessary to stress that the organization operates in the field of human services aiming at fostering the development of professionals in this area. Therefore, the generation and realization of diverse ideas and projects can be achieved if strategic leadership is characterized by a plurality of contexts and perspectives.
Decision Making
Several patterns of decision-making in strategic leadership have been developed and utilized. In some organizations, the autocratic approach is used, while many companies prefer democratic methods. The NOHS’s strategic leadership can be regarded as an illustration of an effective executive team. In such units, executives enjoy a high level of autonomy in their domains but make decisions collectively (Yukl, 2013). Multiple successful examples of such teams suggest that this model can be utilized in many settings and can ensure companies’ sustainable progress.
The board of directors of the NOHS makes all major decisions collectively, although each director has certain responsibilities and supervises the achievement of the established goals. For example, the Treasurer concentrates on financial aspects and manages the allocation of funds (NOHS, 2020). Clearly, the Treasurer develops plans in adherence to strategic goals and accordance with best practices. This executive produces programs that are approved during the corresponding meeting where all members have the right to vote. Importantly, some members of the staff can become members of the board on a temporal basis, although they will be non-voting members.
In simple terms, NOHS executives make decisions collectively, which is a significant competitive advantage of the organization. No one has the final word, and the power of the majority is central. These democratic principles help in making decisions that are beneficial for all groups and stakeholders. Directors communicate and negotiate on diverse matters to come up with effective strategic plans and evaluate the organizations’ performance properly. This approach is specifically advantageous in the non-profit sector, where financial gains are less important than addressing the needs of target groups (Golensky & Hager, 2020). Executives can communicate openly and vote for the projects they find the most appropriate. They can negotiate priorities and reach compromises during discussions. Again, the diversity of the board secures the ability of all stakeholders to articulate their position and influence the final decision. The organization is committed to facilitating the development of the field of human services. The focus is on education and training effort, so in the majority of cases, no immediate strategic decisions are needed, so the democratic approach is the most appropriate model for the organization.
Transparency is instrumental in ensuring effective decision making that facilitates the development of the organization. As mentioned above, different members of the organization can take part in board meetings, which can have positive effects on the decision-making process. Although the invited member will have no right to vote, they can voice their needs, concerns, or ideas. Voting members of the board will discuss these issues and will have to make decisions based on the results of these negotiations.
Challenges the Board Faces
As any other organization, the NOHS faces several external and internal constraints. The internal constraints are associated with the development of coalitions within the board and pursuing some groups’ interests (Yukl, 2013). According to Yukl (2013), internal constraints are also possible during the period of change as many people are likely to resist change, which will cause conflicts and various issues. In the case with the NOHS, the primary internal constraint the organization may encounter is the creation of coalitions. The organization develops projects and incentives to foster the growth of Human Service professionals, so some board members may create coalitions to advocate for a specific project or direction. At that, the executive team approach used by the NOHS’s strategic leadership mitigates potential negative outcomes of such coalitions. Every executive has a vote and can voice the arguments supporting this or that decision, which makes all members of the board active participants in the discussion.
External challenges pose more severe threats to the organization’s development. As any non-profit, the NHOS depends on membership payments. The past two years have been characterized by considerable financial constraints for diverse groups of people. The education system has been affected significantly, so NOHS members (educators and students) have financial difficulties. At that, new membership incentives have been introduced to address this challenge, which led to the increase in active members in 2020 (NOHS, 2021). Another external challenge the organization had to address was associated with COVID-19 pandemics and related restrictions. The NOHS has been involved in the development of various events fostering the development of human service professionals and students. These measures often encompassed conferences and different types of meetings, which became impossible due to the imposed restrictions. Technology enabled the organization to mitigate the adverse effects of these policies as people were able to meet and share experiences without leaving their homes.
Possible Improvements
The approaches and models used by the board of the NOHS are practical, which is seen from the growth of the organization and its successfully implemented projects. However, there is one area that needs improvement, which is paying more attention to innovation. The organization plays the role of the platform for bringing practitioners together via a set of methods (conferences, meetings, promotional venues, publications). However, strategic leadership should make sure that the culture of innovation should be adopted and all members should be committed to the corresponding values (Yukl, 2013). Innovation in technology and strategies employed to address organizational goals is the key to success in the modern business world and non-profit sector (Kurzhals et al., 2020). The NOHS should include a commitment to innovation in its set of values and purposes.
Innovation must be a component in the organization’s mission statement, which will be one of the first steps to change. The NOHS’s strategic leadership should develop a modified vision and plans to promote innovation in the field of human services. Practitioners employed in this field should strive for innovative approaches and strategies, which will be beneficial for communities in the long run. The NOHS will also be able to attract more members and, as a result, reach more people.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the NOHS strategic leadership employs an effective approach that has become widely utilized. Executive teams, rather than one person making major decisions, help organizations and companies develop as this model implies diversity and collaboration. The members of executive teams share views and data supporting their visions, which leads to making the right decisions. The organization’s growth suggests that its leadership is effective, but it is still possible to improve the NOHS. The focus on innovation is what the organization is lacking, while this element is now vital for appropriate development and competitiveness. The NOHS’s strategic leadership should launch a change process to makes sure that innovation is a part of its mission and vision. The use of innovative technology and strategies can bring more members and more ideas to foster the development of the human service field.
References
Golensky, M., & Hager, M. (2020). Strategic leadership and management in nonprofit organizations: Theory and practice (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Hambrick, D. C., & Wowak, A. J. (2021). Strategic leadership. In I. M. Duhaime et al. (Eds.), Strategic management: State of the field and its future (pp. 337-355). Oxford University Press.
Kurzhals, C., Graf‐Vlachy, L., & König, A. (2020). Strategic leadership and technological innovation: A comprehensive review and research agenda. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 28(6), 437-464. Web.
National Organization for Human Services. (2020). National Organization for Human Services bylaws. Web.
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Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in organizations (8th ed.). Pearson/Prentice Hall.