Cynthia Mills With The Leaders’ Haven

Intro: [00:00:00] Public broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for association leadership radio. Now here’s your host

Lee Kantor: [00:00:16] Lee Kantor here, another episode of Association Leadership Radio, and I’m joined today with Cynthia Mills and she is with the leaders haven. Welcome, Cynthia.

Cynthia Mills: [00:00:28] Thank you so much, Leigh. It’s great to be with you today.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:31] Well, I’m excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us a little bit about the leaders haven. How are you serving, folks?

Cynthia Mills: [00:00:37] Absolutely. Well, I put the leaders haven together. After about 20 years of serving in the CEO spot, I found that I really enjoyed working in the areas of strategy, governance and leadership, including executive coaching. And so my my work tends to go in those those three areas. But I also do a lot of book writing and I also do a lot of speaking and webinars and those sorts of things as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:02] So now when you say leaders Haven, what does that kind of mean?

Cynthia Mills: [00:01:09] Well, there is nothing more difficult, I think, particularly in the 2020s then being a leader, and I’m very pleased that we have people who are willing to step in to extraordinary variables in the transformational twenty twenties. And so I wanted to create a place where boards and individual leaders could feel like they could really explore the uncertainty of the times that that we’re in and to realize that there’s no playbook that we have the freedom to design into this experience that we’re in and to create possibility, but to do so in a way where people feel emboldened to do that and not overwhelmed by the environment we find ourselves in.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:52] Are you finding that leaders today are more open to? Sharing their vulnerabilities and their challenges with the group and then forming partnerships rather than saying, I am, you know, I’ve got this all figured out, just follow me. You know, I I have all the answers.

Cynthia Mills: [00:02:13] Yeah, I think the short answer to that is yes. In general, there’s certainly some who are struggling to to get comfortable with that. It’s certainly a very different leadership style than, you know, of decades before. What I’m finding is that leaders who understand their their roles really well and are allowing boards and staff to be able to play those roles well, be entrepreneurial and change leaders, but engage in this as learning organizations and not in the blame game. A pilot and test mentality As we begin to identify opportunities and and build more enterprise types of models, it’s really important to allow people to run with that. And that requires vulnerability and people being willing to say, Hey, these are the mistakes we learn. These are the the lessons that we learned out of that. Now we’re going to build in an even more bold way. And I think when we can get there and have that perspective from volunteers, boards and staff, we have an opportunity to do some pretty remarkable things right?

Lee Kantor: [00:03:23] And I think at the heart of that is that vulnerability, that ability to, like you said, to kind of test, learn and iterate rather than I know everything. And this is how it’s going to play out when everybody is really just taking educated guesses and we got to be OK with, you know, Mrs, because you can’t really, you know, find the edges unless you’re really pushing you. You can’t do tomorrow what you did yesterday and expect the same result.

Cynthia Mills: [00:03:54] Absolutely. And you know, one of the things that I had the opportunity to do in 19 end of nineteen was to speak before a number of CEOs. And I had put together what I usually use to sort of scare boards a little bit before strategy. And what I mean by that is it’s it’s not uncommon for leaders to be so focused on where they’re headed to not see a lot of other complex variables that are that are coming together. And I felt like that was part of what was happening at the end of twenty nineteen. And what fascinated me about it was after people said nice things, it was followed by one sentence and everybody said the same thing. You scared me to death. And what was interesting to me about that was that was before the COVID of the last couple of years before the elevation of social injustice, conversations to today’s levels and diversity, equity, inclusion and polarization to the level. We’re in those sorts of things. And so if we can have open conversations about all of those variables, be vulnerable about it, but also be respectful. I think one of the things that I find a lot of time is being spent on as people reach out to me as the is, how do I design those conversations, right? So so people may be open to being vulnerable. But by the same token, the expertize to design those conversations is something that I’m finding that that both seasoned and aspiring CEOs are really, really struggling with as well as boards. And so it’s one thing to say Let’s be vulnerable. It’s another thing to say, Well, how do we have the expertize to do that well and then come up with something that is also something we can execute on?

Lee Kantor: [00:05:40] But isn’t that an opportunity for consultants and people that have the kind of the outsider perspective with fresh eyes looking at something where they can help elegantly have these conversations with folks that may not have the skills that they do, and they can also take some of the heat and some of the pressure off of these boards and these people that are working in these organizations.

Cynthia Mills: [00:06:05] Oh, I think that’s absolutely true. And one of the things that the elements around that, you know, is this idea of what what people wish they were actually saying to each other. And so, you know, I hear things like the pace is not sustainable, and we talk a lot about the idea of, well, how do we put a reasonableness test in place when we’re in a design process where two or more are gathered, we can come up with things to do. But what are the most important strategic priorities that that we need to identify? And then how do we do that in a way where the pace is sustainable? And that is one of the places where someone from the outside can come in and bring that up as an issue, whereas, you know, that’s sometimes tougher for staffs or a CEO to say. Well, wait a minute, we we can’t just keep adding on. You know, and so I think what we have to do is be able to help them learn how to say no to some certain things, learn how to help them really create strategic breakthroughs by focusing priorities. And, as you said, taking a little bit of that heat so that at the end of that, we have really high structured strategic frameworks that people feel comfortable operating within. And then we’ve got all the people who have been engaged in the design, ready to go and work together. And if there’s anything that needs where he needs to be taken, that that’s left where the consultant was and not within the group of people that need to jointly execute together, right?

Lee Kantor: [00:07:39] And because that’s ultimately the goal of the consultant is to leave the organization in a better place. It doesn’t matter who takes the credit. You know, you’re just trying to help them get there.

Cynthia Mills: [00:07:50] Yeah. Being being a consultant is definitely not about taking credit. I think the thing that that thrills me the most is when people exceed their own expectations of themselves. There is nothing like that moment when you get to watch people own it and watch them get excited about the future they they have created. You know, I always think about if I can, if I can come along beside a group of people or an individual and help them with the ideas of how we build people, how we help them lead dynamics effectively and then align everything with strategy so that they’re exceeding those expectations. I’m a more than happy person and just thrilled to get to watch them fly as a result of that and thrive.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:38] Now is there a typical point of entry for you and your firm? Is there a pain that these organizations are having where your team is the logical solution?

Cynthia Mills: [00:08:48] Well, I would. I would answer your question by actually saying people come to me for a variety of reasons. You know, all of them around things like, how do we maximize our strategy? How do we use our resources? Well, how do we create the dynamics in governance that allow us to both design strategically and lead well? And then, you know, certainly how do we help staff teams to thrive? And so the leadership development around that, as well as helping them understand how to implement strategy and partner with boards? Those are certainly areas that that I think everyone is seeking. It’s that it’s that focused strategy with new models because our models are changing and our are needing to change. And then lastly, how how do we function well and in our careers really continue to build ourselves to to match the need that’s going forth. But sometimes that comes in as a strategy assignment requests. Sometimes it comes as an executive coaching. Sometimes it comes in as a Hey, can you come work with the leadership team? All of those are around. How do we build people, create dynamics and align strategy, you know, to thrive?

Lee Kantor: [00:10:02] But there are things that are happening in the organization that may be symptoms or breadcrumbs that are like, something’s amiss here. It’s time to get kind of another perspective.

Cynthia Mills: [00:10:14] Yeah, I think I think one of the things that I saw through the COVID experience was organizations that had really clear roles established between their board and their staff. Their board and CEO partnership was really, well intact, and that didn’t change because a crisis hit. They still allowed the CEO to see opportunities to fill gaps to to run with that inside of an overall strategic framework. You know, those organizations really continued to thrive and adjust to the crisis. The cracks were where there were political things that had always been in play and and that crisis situation exacerbated that. And so in those circumstances, you get you get brought in to either do conflict and negotiation management within groups or you’re you’re brought in to do more development around appropriate roles and communication and those sorts of things. And that’s certainly one one place that the experience of the last two years showed up things. And then I think secondly, we went through a strategic cause for a little while as people were doing crisis leadership. And so then there came another pain point, which was, Whoa, you know, we can’t continue to be on pause. We’ve got to accept the dynamics that are here and now we need to design strategy, knowing that there are a wide variety of variables that are continued to sort of bat us around. But we’re going to take control of that and take control of our destiny and be proactive, not reactive. And that that was another place where if you’re completely staying in the reactive mode, you’re going to need some help to shift your both your mindset as well as your practices into a more proactive. Approach and scenario approach going forward.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:01] So what’s your back story? How did you get involved in this type of leadership and working with organizations specifically?

Cynthia Mills: [00:12:08] Well, if you want if you want the real initial story. My mom called me 20, some 30 some years ago and said, There’s this job and it sounds like you. And and that’s how I actually wound up as the assistant executive director for the National Association of College Auxiliary Services. So I came straight in as the number two into a national organization and had an extraordinary mentor in the CEO there who was really behind me and my development. And I worked in a variety of organizations, you know, led six organizations C three, C four and and did that over like a say, a couple of decades and really realized that that my sweet spot was in the those areas around strategy, governance and people development. And so I decided that I had run businesses and I had reported to boards and partnered with strong staff and board teams. And I really wanted to be able to take all of those lessons learned and skills and be able to help more organizations than going from one organization to another at a time. And so I put all of the sort of track track and infrastructure in place, starting back in two thousand six and then in twenty fourteen end of that year, step full time into the leaders haven and have never looked back and have never been happier and considered a tremendous privilege to walk beside organizations as they as they find their future and make incredible contributions to our world.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:46] What trend excites you the most about these kind of associations and organizations?

Cynthia Mills: [00:13:53] I think that there was there was a NASA meeting a few years ago when I arrived and thought my word, it was like the page had been turned and the next generation had showed up in mass, you know, excited and hungry about leadership. And the Delp program that NASA had was was developing leaders. And it it it was that moment for me when I went, Wow, you know, all of the people that helped raise me up when I was at that space, you know, they were in later years in their career, and it just excited me so much to see how people were taking hold of designing both the profession and also being very excited about the contributions they wanted to make and leadership and all of these organizations. So I’m really excited to continue to watch how emerging professionals, young CEOs, aspiring C-suite leaders continue to develop both the profession and also make contributions that impact the world every day. So that’s the thing I’m most excited about and happy to support their their their work.

Lee Kantor: [00:15:11] Now is there anything that you could share with the listeners a piece of advice or something that’s actionable today that you think would kind of give a big impact for them tomorrow? Is there some action that they could take that can maybe at least open their mind to moving to a new level?

Cynthia Mills: [00:15:31] One of the most exciting things that I’ve watched being integrated into developing strategic framework is the idea of storytelling. And, you know, that’s certainly something I work with with clients on when we when we’re doing that, I like the model that Steve Denning developed. He says if you’re going to be a change leader, you have to be able to tell the story of the past. Y the past won’t work anymore, the story of the future and the bridging story between them. And I have found that clients who are utilizing that template to write that initial story think about the multiple audiences that they need to tell their story to and adjust the story based on that can can go tomorrow and do that without going through a new strategy exercise. But if they will do it more than once, they will find that the story gets refined. The clarity that that brings in boards and staff being able to communicate well with each other. And then for all of them to be ambassadors for what they believe in and what they’re trying to accomplish, I think is a critical skill set, but it’s also a discipline that you can return to to make sure that everyone has the same. Understandings of what you mean by mission, vision and strategy as an organization and align align your strategy with that story.

Lee Kantor: [00:17:05] Yeah, I think it’s really important for people to understand that true north, because like you said, there’s at the C-suite, they might think there is clarity and they may all be speaking the same language, but it may not be trickling down all the way to the volunteers and the kind of the boots on the ground.

Cynthia Mills: [00:17:24] Very, very true. And it can it can show up in something as simple as sending an email. And you think you’re being clear only you get something very different in the instructions and and I learned those sorts of things. The hard way is that communication is. And I mentioned earlier the idea of designing conversations. We have gotten to the point where we are so busy that our work can become, you know, checking off tasks instead of thinking about our communication and what we’re doing. I mean, we’re communicating whether we’re being intentional and purposeful about it or not. And so if we will take the time one interaction at a time to do that? Well, not only will we thrive in our organizations, but I truly think one interaction at a time that we can not only design meaningful work, but we can really change the world if we do that well.

Lee Kantor: [00:18:17] Yeah, if you can bring that level of mindfulness into every interaction, you know, whether it’s your job or your house, you can change the world, that’s for sure.

Cynthia Mills: [00:18:27] Absolutely. And you know, one of the things that I think we have to remember is, you know, leadership is really a moment by moment earned position and in its granted to you by others because of their belief, trust and evidence gathered that you have their best interests at heart. And I think sometimes we forget people are always gathering evidence and in in gathering that let’s have them gather the story and then the behaviors that support that story, that that ingrain in trust and everything in our organizations, which will in turn really help us have strong engagement and keep the momentum going. And all of us need that participation and excitement around our missions. And so I think that’s a critical leadership skill at this point,

Lee Kantor: [00:19:17] Right, to create that congruence where what you’re saying is matching what you’re doing is critical for that belief and to get the people to do that above and beyond that, you need them to do to reach the next level.

Cynthia Mills: [00:19:32] Absolutely. And and how how incredible it is to be able to watch that happen regardless of the environment around us. You know, we can either be reactive to our environment and get batted around like a ping pong ball or we can be proactive and take control of our destiny. And that’s what I love watching with boards and staffs and CEOs is is watching them take control of it and then just make things you never thought could have happened, occur. And if you can stay in that positivity, regardless of the environment, it’s pretty unstoppable.

Lee Kantor: [00:20:11] Now, do you mind sharing a story, maybe the kind of like you described earlier, maybe kind of the challenge they were having where you came on board to help them? And then, you know, maybe it’s around helping them dream bigger to help them get to a new level, like you said that they maybe not even could imagine.

Cynthia Mills: [00:20:31] Yeah, you know, I think the the interesting thing is the first thing one has to do is to give them permission. One of the the everybody walks into the room, figurative or literal and and they carry with them the experiences they’ve had, you know, of the past and one of the most powerful moments I had when I kind of had sort of a dull moment as a as a CEO was, I realized that the group that I was was leading in that way at the time, they weren’t process people. And so it didn’t matter what facilitator but I brought in. They didn’t want to engage in process and I had to help them, then subsequently let go of what their traditional thinking was around what strategic planning or building a framework looked like. And they then gave us permission, funnily enough, as staff to do the initial dreaming based on the expertize of that particular staff and to come back to them with the start of a framework. And you know, that’s that’s kind of backwards to what a lot of us get taught that we’re supposed to do in terms of how strategy gets built. But in that particular situation, that’s what that board really wanted to see happen. And we did. And. Is so exciting to watch them once we sort of gave each other the the opposite permissions to be something different to, to see what then happened when we all came together with these amazing ideas and the board wound up being emboldened to do something in that particular industry that at the time nobody would have ever imagined.

Cynthia Mills: [00:22:22] And they wound up putting a variety of accreditation and credentialing programs in place that fundamentally transformed that industry, and they even began to call it the transformation of the industry. And I was very privileged to be part of that and then got an opportunity later on to watch all of the words and the storytelling that we use to talk about where we were headed. Watched it all, then flood back to me a couple of years later and I realized they had owned it. And so that was a real lesson to me that I’ve carried into being a consultant that the first thing you need to do is really listen to the client and the participants around how they want to do work and to let go of traditional thinking about either roles or planning and those sorts of things in order for something new to show up in that space. And in that case, that organization has gone on long since I left and leveraged success over success, and it’s been a joy to watch them.

Lee Kantor: [00:23:27] Yeah, the impact is real. It’s amazing how, you know, kind of you were there when they needed you to be there and your impact really left the mark. I mean, that’s fantastic. Congratulations.

Cynthia Mills: [00:23:42] Well, thank you for saying that. Well, they’re still very dear in my heart and and and it’s just wonderful to get to to watch an organization take hold of a future that you know that they had a right to have, you know, and then step into it. And I think again, back to when I said, you know, I love watching people exceed their expectations of themselves. Unleashing that in in a group of leaders is is a real privilege and a real joy to me, right?

Lee Kantor: [00:24:11] And that’s and I think I really wish and hope more people are bold enough to dream bigger and to put things in place to aim higher and to partner with the right people. So you can kind of exceed expectations and go to places you didn’t even dream were possible.

Cynthia Mills: [00:24:29] Yeah, they’re very exciting people to to work with. And I think one of the things that that we have to remember in in this moment in time that we’re in is we we truly do get to design what comes next and nobody’s going to do it for us. And so we’re the ones that have to show up and say yes and and then take that on and then try, you know, we won’t always get it exactly exactly right. And that’s what adjusting and learning together is all about. And and that’s that’s not a bad thing. It’s a good thing to be able to continue to to build together, to learn together and to challenge each other in positive ways.

Lee Kantor: [00:25:10] Well, Cynthia, congratulations on all the success. If somebody wants to learn more, get a hold of you or your team. Is there a website they can go to?

Cynthia Mills: [00:25:19] Absolutely. It’s the leaders Haven leaders Haven.

Lee Kantor: [00:25:24] Cynthia M.. Our leaders Haven Dotcom. So THG Ltd., E.R.s, HIV, CNN.com. Thank you. All right. Cynthia Mills, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Cynthia Mills: [00:25:40] Thank you so much for the opportunity to be with you.

Lee Kantor: [00:25:43] All right, this is Lee Kantor. We’ll sail next time on association leadership radio.