Seth Kahan on Big Change

We are coming to the close of a tremendously stressful year. This has been a particular hit for the association community, which generates value by bringing people together. In that regard it has been an extraordinary year, filled with heroic efforts by many associations to make the best of the virtual environments with which we […]

Associations have a special place in this world. We reach out through society and encompass people of all political persuasions, ethnicities, gender orientations, the marginalized, and the mainstream. Our arms encompass the world. We have an opportunity to do something remarkable with our work, link the profession, trade, or cause we represent in a way

A visionary leader is one who looks into the future to identify emerging trends and support those that are consistent with their organization’s mission and benefit a larger external stakeholder group as well. I am a proud member of the American Geophysical Union, an association of earth and space scientists. I’m not an earth or

In March 2020, when the first shelter-in-place orders were issued, I leaned in hard to understand what CEOs were facing. Kicking off my 100 CEOs in 100 Days initiative, I conducted one-on-one interviews with CEOs of trade associations, professional societies, and certification organizations. I also hosted zoom meetings on specialized topics like retooling diversity, equity

I have been interviewing association CEOs since the pandemic began. Two recently told me that with all the pressure in their organizations right now, their organizations are “evolving” quickly. Both were optimistic in the next 18 months; they were going to be where they were hoping to be in five years in terms of nimble

Proactive Evolutionary Leadership builds on the past, adapts to the present, and prepares to thrive in the future. The associations thriving today are being driven by Proactive Evolutionary Leaders. Below are six tactics I see being employed by the most successful CEOs through my 100 CEOs initiative, and conversations with other expert consultants. They see

We are living in a disruptive world with tremendous pressure. Many association leaders hunkered down, figuring out how to make it back to stable ground; they are missing the boat. The most successful CEOs are doing something very different; they appreciate and liberate the stress of the moment and leverage it to create the organizations

It’s almost mid-October 2020, and the global pandemic is still not under control. Many organizations are trying to figure out how to return to serving members the way they always have. It is unlikely we will be able to do that. We must forge a new future. Finding a new way forward will require pausing

100 CEOs – I am talking to 100+ CEOs to learn about how the pandemic, the economy, and fight for racial justice shape their organizations. A significant shift in their responses began in September. During early talks – March thru August – CEOs talked about getting back to normal. Now they are talking about the

The times are changing, and they are not going to stop. Could you have dreamed that this is where we would be just seven months ago? Maybe yes, if your organization engaged in regular Strategic Foresight activities. Research shows that if you ask people what the future will be like, they take the current circumstances