Leadership’s Key Drivers

There are so many Jewish organizations, it’s enough to make one's head spin.  From international organizations like the World Zionist Organization or World Jewish Congress to national organizations like Jewish Federations of North America or AIPAC to the local JCC or synagogue, there are literally thousands of organizations all in need of Jewish leadership.  

But what makes for successful Jewish leadership?  Why is it that certain organizations are so well known, so successful?  Is it their leadership, their purpose, their community building efforts?  What makes one synagogue stand out from another? Is it their rabbinic or lay leadership, their community programming, their religious school, or some combination of all of these?

Leadership is the key to successful Jewish organizations - regardless of size or scale.  It provides the fuel - both human and capital - to continue to fulfill their missions. And luckily for us, it can be boiled down to five key ingredients.

·         Passionate commitment to purpose – Jewish organizations are purpose driven.  Successful leadership keeps everyone’s focus on a singular purpose and doesn’t get side-tracked by the breakdowns that are part of everyday life.  When leaders lose sight of purpose, the organization begins to take a path of self-destruction.  Create your purpose.  State your purpose.  Live your purpose.  Ignite others through your purpose.

·         Set unachievable goals – Or at least very high goals.  Goals that are set to meet success are set too low.  Leaders understand that organizations need inspiration in the form of stretch-goals.  Stretch-goals create membership excitement, passion, commitment and momentum.

·         Bigger picture perspective – Leaders hold the big picture while adjusting the tactics necessary to move forward.  Leaders have the ability to see the underlying challenges,  hold the ever increasing amount of data points, and understand the ramifications of action and inaction.

·         Self-confidence balanced with self-awareness – Too often leaders implode because of they lack self-awareness.  The ego runs amok because of the lack of one’s own moral compass.  Leaders need strong enough egos to be self-confident as they head into the winds of challenge.  And successful leaders have a high self-awareness as well.  Often this awareness comes over many years of breakdowns that ultimately lead to greater understanding of who one is as a person.

·         Balance of intelligence with emotion – The greater the emotional capacity, the greater the chance of leadership success.  Rational intelligence is necessary; it is the cost of entry.  And emotional understanding and connectivity are what leap-frog one into successful forward moving leadership.

Remember: Leadership is the most important component for your organization.  The challenge every organization faces is to make sure they have the right leadership in place for the times. Making intentional choices both around professional leadership and lay leadership is a great step on the path of a successful Jewish organization.