The NAS team heads Sundance, Utah next week for our final convening of The Chief Executive Program, The Summit at Sundance. This event was created to allow program participants time to look for solutions to the issues most challenging to them as they strive to strengthen the cultural sector. Over the course of the convening, we will investigate problems around governance, organizational structure and culture, engagement and communicating value.
We’re lucky to work in a field with a bounty of creative and interesting thinkers. In the cultural field, casual conversations can lead to some inspiring and innovative ideas, but these ideas can sometimes get lost in the bustle of our daily work. So often, cultural organizations find themselves stuck executing the same programs and following the same processes they have used for decades. In an under-resourced and highly demanding environment, we often devote our energy to putting out the fires and can have hard time thinking past our immediate needs. So the cycle repeats. What if you could instead take those thought-provoking ideas and use them to change your organization? Read the rest of this entry »
National Arts Strategies will presentLeading InnovationJuly 19-20 in Nashville, TN. Leading Innovation is a two-day seminar in which your team will work together to clearly define innovation and its role in your organization, to examine your environment for new approaches and to develop specific insights that can be used to integrate innovation into your overall strategy.You’ll explore ways to create effective and innovative ideas by leveraging all of your organization’s talent. The seminar, taught by Vanderbilt professor Dr. David Owens, is a highly interactive, hands-on experience involving class discussions and team exercises incorporating tools that can be shared and re-used for years to come. At Leading Innovation, you will develop your skills to:
Analyze constraints on innovation in your organization, foresee obstacles and opportunities and develop a shared vision
Develop a process to manage the demands of multiple stakeholders, shifting priorities and the uncertainty inherent in new initiatives
Create a culture for innovation and risk-taking that generates new perspectives and challenges existing practice
Create a strong customer focus for your organization that anticipates customer needs
You can name your own price to attend this seminar, and travel support is also available.
Understanding our customers’ challenges and needs is critical to designing and delivering the best possible National Arts Strategies programs. We are conducting some research to better understand the current environment and the issues facing leaders in arts and culture organizations, and to collect some feedback about our current programs and pricing model. We are asking leaders who would like to include their opinions and thoughts in this research to please complete a quick, 15-minute survey. Answers won’t be made public, but they will be invaluable to helping us think about how we can best serve leaders like you.
Many wonderful teams will be joining us for upcoming presentations of Strategy and Managing People. Teams hail from all over the United States and represent a broad mix of disciplines and budget sizes. Congratulations to the accepted teams—we look forward to working with you!
From October 12-17, 2013 the Salzburg Global Forum for Young Cultural Leaders will once again bring together fifty dynamic young cultural leaders from around the world in Salzburg, Austria for an intensive leadership development program. Following a successful first year, National Arts Strategies and Salzburg Global Seminar are pleased to invite young cultural leaders to apply for the second event of this multi-year series.
Held in Salzburg, Austria, the Forum will help young practitioners improve their leadership skills to enable them and their organizations to thrive in a field characterized by rapid change, uncertainty and limited resources. The program will encourage international understanding and cultural exchange and help strengthen the cultural sector worldwide through a vital global network of young cultural leaders. Through a series of panel discussions, group conversations, informal networking and skill-building sessions, fellows will expand their thinking on what it means to be a cultural leader and explore ideas for how they will serve the field.
This sentiment is one commonly expressed at executive education programs and among business leaders to convey just how important culture can be to organizational success. Developing an organizational culture that supports your mission and drives your strategy is a task that goes beyond the human resources department. It is the responsibility of leaders across the organization to think about how to create a structure and environment that allows employees to thrive in their roles and ensure that you meet organizational goals. Read the rest of this entry »
The International Society for the Performing Arts has honored National Arts Strategies President and CEO Russell Willis Taylor with their International Citation of Merit. The award was presented January 16 in New York in recognition of Mrs. Taylor’s work. Read more »
The International Citation of Merit is presented to leaders in the field for their “unique lifetime achievement which has enriched the international performing arts” and for “distinguished service working within the profession.” The entire NAS Team heartily congratulates Mrs. Taylor on this honor!
National Arts Strategies has lots in store for 2013, starting with our first Business of Arts and Culture seminar, Strategy. Strategy, presented March 7-9 in San Francisco, provides an opportunity for you to work with your leadership team under the guidance of leading management professors Violina Rindova and Rob Wiltbank. Read the rest of this entry »
At National Arts Strategies, we love hearing from participating teams about how attending our seminars has impacted their work. For The Loft Literary Center, attending Strategy was not only educational, it was a true working session that was instrumental in helping the organization move forward with its plan to offer online learning. As a result of the work they did at Strategy, The Loft was able to engage staff and board to quickly fund and launch their new initiative.
The complex issues involved in leading a cultural nonprofit today can challenge even the most skilled management team. Using our first-hand experience in the arts and working with faculty from leading business and graduate schools, we deliver executive-level programs that help you find new opportunities, manage your resources and lead your organization toward its mission.
