Does Your Arts Organization Have a Linchpin?
I’m reading Seth Godin’s book Linchpin right now and it has my brain spinning about small, non-protit arts organizations and how those with a linchpin are successful and how those without one, are not.
A Linch Pin (from Wikipedia) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lynch-pin.jpg
A linchpin in this case is a key person in an organization who holds things together so that it thrives and is successful. You could even think of it as someone who keeps the wheel from falling off, though they are much more inspiring than how that sounds.
Non-linchpins (most people) often think little organizations can simply be run “by the book” and that everyone is replaceable. In 25 years working in the arts, I have never once encountered an arts organization or small group that has been run successfully “by the book” (except for the really boring ones, and for those, who cares?).
A successful organization, even if it has only a few people, comes down to having at least one linchpin somewhere in the organization who can move mountains, inspire, push, rebel, fight, speak and essentially, LEAD.
Succession planning…
Though well intended, I’ve often heard from funders that succession planning is lacking and that if only these organizations put in place principles and plans, they would be successful. Bah, not a chance. It’s a nice idea and lots is paid to consultants to show how it can be done. They often use models of large organizations or government to show how systems can be put in place to ensure success.
The trouble is, little non-profits and artistic companies work differently than large ones and it always comes down to one person: a linchpin. And that’s the way it should be.
Find the linchpin in your volunteer organization and 90% of your battle is won. If you hire staff, hire a linchpin and let them do their work, and 90% of the battle is won.
Small non-profit arts organizations are not for the world of the bureaucrat.
Yes, linchpins may make mistakes. Yes, linchpins will have failures, but the failures aren’t nearly as “sure” compared to when you try to submit everything and everybody to yet one more strategic planning session and develop a manual for who comes next and what procedures are to be done all as if you run a 19th century factory.
From what I’ve observed, small arts organizations thrive when its leader and those who care about their organization, act like linchpins.
If your organization is in the doldrums, I’ll bet you have no linchpin. They either left the organization or if you were once the linchpin yourself, maybe you just got bored. Whatever the case may be, find the linchpin in your organization or your community and get behind them and cheer them on. If you can’t find one, pack up shop now.
I’ve always been an excellent cog. Time to be a linchpin!
But what would we do without cogs? ha ha. Harriet, you have been a stealth linchpin. I know, I worked with you.
yes a linchpin or an artistic director – as most arts organizations live or die with the vision and leadership skills of this person and hence transitioning leadership can be very hard as the identity of arts organizations can be bound up with the founder or director, in my experience……
Dean, you are sure right about how hard it is for most organizations to transition. I’ve often thought that the “Executive Director” of many organizations also needs to be a bit of an “artistic” director in a different way, but often they aren’t.
Yes true small organizations the role is played by the same person and this works if the organization is small enough where that person is in almost a daily contact with their artists and staff – once that stops happening (ie the organization has grown too big) you kind of need one person in each role me thinks…..