The Steward’s Role in Preparing an Organization for Future Leadership

Leadership Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
Leadership Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Ari Betof (Ed.D.) is a Boston-based consultant who has assisted numerous organizations in achieving measurable results when it comes to improving organizations. In his recent Medium article “Stewardship & Optimizing Organizational Capacity,” Dr. Ari Betof brought focus to the unique qualities that make up a good steward, including restraint and drive.

As he describes it, the steward is “relentlessly mindful of the Goldilocks principle” that the porridge should neither be too cold nor too hot, but just right. In real-world terms, this involves ensuring that the organization navigates the current fiscal year without depleting reserves in a way that also promotes long-term viability.

This involves a fundamental understanding that the leader has a temporary role relative to the entire organization, and that a key goal is to ensure that it outlasts his or her tenure. The stewardship role involves actively preparing for a future in another leader’s hands, with the understanding that organizational health takes precedence over personal plaudits.

Unfortunately, this balance eluded the leaders of the American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro, North Carolina, an international boarding school that reportedly ran in the red from 2006 to 2017 and hemorrhaged $22.7 million from 2015 to 2017 alone.

False Optimism Issue for Independent Schools amid Enrollment Declines

Ari Betof
Ari Betof

Based in Boston, Dr. Ari Betof (EdD) is a respected educational consultant who provides actionable advice when it comes to results-driven organizational leadership. Having recently attended the NAIS Annual Conference 2019, Dr. Ari Betof wrote about his experience at the National Association of Independent Schools event in a Medium article.

One major insight was that data showed 73 percent of schools experiencing moderate to high enrollment declines. In that context, one-third of school heads surveyed reported feeling very concerned about whether independent schools could remain competitive and relevant moving into the future. At the same time, only one-fourth of school heads expressed these same concerns when it came to their own schools. From Dr. Betof’s perspective, this represents both the donning of “rose-colored glasses” and a reluctance to acknowledge weakness when it comes to one’s own institution.

Dr. Betof has explored this topic in depth in the another Medium article entitled “The Seduction of False Optimism,” in which he maps out the dangers inherent in forecasting too much from metrics such as enrollment numbers.

Rapid Prototyping and Analytical Tools Drive NAIS Conference Buzz

National Association of Independent Schools
Image: nais.org

A respected Boston professional, Dr. Ari Betof (EdD) serves as founder and president of Organizational Sustainability Consulting and works closely with senior executives at nonprofits. In his article “Three organizational sustainability takeaways from NAIS Annual Conference 2019,” Dr. Ari Betof brought focus to his experience in Long Beach at the flagship event of the National Association of Independent Schools.

One current buzzword is “rapid prototyping,” a concept most commonly associated with 3D printing and the efficient creation of scale models of physical objects. The use within an NAIS context involves incorporating flexibility and speed into program development and organizational design.

One “large-scale paradigm shifting initiative” incorporating this approach is the Mastery Transcript Consortium, which brings together high schools in creating school transcripts that better reflect each learner’s specific strengths, skills, and interests.

Another take home was that, while data analytics-driven initiatives and tools are coming online such as DASL Databook and Marketview, many schools do not have the capacity to make best use of their insights. The ability to make data-informed, mission-driven decisions is only possible if school leaders can access platforms and if the underlying data is sound. This is not yet possible for a number of smaller and under-resourced institutions.

Fortunately, designers are making efforts to create products that better meet the needs of end-users. At the same time, associations such as NAIS are creating a sense of common purpose that enables smaller schools to catch up.

Membership Organizations Benefit from Expert Consultants Too

Ari Betof
Ari Betof

Nonprofit membership organizations serve their member institutions by providing expert advice and support. But these organizations benefit from expert consultation too. As president of Organizational Sustainability Consulting, Dr. Ari Betof advises, consults to, and facilitates expert workshop sessions for membership organizations in addition to his consulting work with other nonprofits. In the past year, Ari Betof served as a senior advisor for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and completed projects for several other membership organizations. Experienced in leadership development and governance, Dr. Ari Betof recently completed a data analysis project about board chair and head of school succession for the Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools (ADVIS).

Dr. Ari Betof also regularly speaks at industry events, including two recent presentations for the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools (NJAIS). The first presentation was a panel discussion on challenging in a competitive marketplace and the impact of antitrust laws on nonprofits at the NJAIS Finance Officers’ Conference. Several weeks later, Dr. Ari Betof lead an extended workshop session on managing up, organizational savvy, and influence without authority at the NJAIS Admission Officer’s Conference.

Since its founding in 1958, NJAIS has worked to foster and advance the educational capabilities of private schools in New Jersey. In addition to advocating for member schools at the local and federal level, NJAIS provides professional development opportunities and promotes best practices. Moreover, the organization operates a rigorous accreditation program.

Ari Betof has has served as a two term trustee of the Friends Council on Education. He has been a faculty member for the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) School Leadership Program as well as a working group member for several NAIS strategic projects. Dr. Ari Betof has presented at multiple international and national conferences, including the NAIS Annual Conference and the Enrollment Management Association Annual Conference.