CAS Leadership Development: Characteristics of Successful CAS Leaders, Lecture notes of Communication

Download CAS Leadership Development: Characteristics of Successful CAS Leaders and more Lecture notes Communication in PDF only on Docsity! Page 1 CAS LEADERSHIP ATTRIBUTES Inventory of Knowledge and Skills Expectations Do you ever wonder what it takes to be a leader of the CAS? This Inventory of Knowledge and Skills Expectations was developed by the CAS Leadership Development Committee to respond to that question. It summarizes the characteristics that have been observed in successful CAS leaders, beginning at the Committee Chair level and progressing through the Executive Council, Board and President positions. Members who wish to assume leadership positions within the CAS can use the Inventory as a roadmap for volunteer development. Current volunteers may wish to use the Inventory periodically, to assess strengths and weaknesses. The Leadership Development Committee intends to use the Inventory to design, develop and implement a Leadership Development Training Program. The Inventory segregates leadership characteristics into three major categories:  Personal Attributes: Attributes cannot be instilled or learned, yet they are expected of every CAS leader. Personal attributes are endemic to the member’s being.  Knowledge: Knowledge is defined as (i) the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject, (ii) what is known in a particular field or in total; facts and information or (iii) awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or situation. Acquiring knowledge involves complex cognitive processes: perception, learning, communication, association and reasoning.  Skills: Skill is defined as a proficiency, facility, or dexterity that is acquired or developed through training or experience. Skills are developed through experiential learning. Skills must be practiced in order to be maintained. This Inventory is not unique to the CAS; skills identified in this inventory are also critical to CAS members in their professional development. We hope that CAS members will find the Inventory useful in charting their professional development. Leadership Development Committee Page 2 CAS LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT ATTRIBUTES General Knowledge and Skills Committee Chair Vice President Director President Elect / President/ Past President PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES Attributes listed in this section are fundamental to the CAS member’s being. These attributes cannot be instilled or learned, yet they are expected of every CAS leader. Conscious consideration of the attribute may change as the individual development in various positions, but the attribute is endemic to the member’s character. 1. Professionalism / Integrity Our profession prides itself on an exceptionally high level of integrity. As actuaries, we are called upon to look beyond what may be expedient and to do what is “right”. CAS leaders, at all levels, are each the “face” of the organization for their internal and external constituencies and must “walk the talk” with respect to integrity and professionalism. CAS leaders, at all levels, are expected to understand, embrace and advocate on behalf of the Code of Professional Conduct. 2. Accountability / Follow Through CAS leaders at all levels can be relied on to live up to their commitments. Leaders hold themselves personally accountable for ensuring that activities and goals for their area of responsibility are met (or exceeded). Leaders consistently follow-through on their assignments, seeking additional resources and skills as necessary. Where barriers/impediments are identified that cannot be corrected, CAS leaders escalate the issues in a timely manner. 3. Intellectual Curiosity / Lifetime Learning CAS leaders have a zest for learning that permeates all that they do. This intellectual curiosity is evident in the individual’s desire to explore new concepts and embrace new areas of practice. CAS leaders see every assignment as an opportunity to “learn”, both technical and non-technical “soft skill” subjects. CAS leaders are not expected to be “experts” in all areas of practice, but they thrive in an environment that provides new opportunities for insight and knowledge/skills development. 4. Fiduciary Responsibility CAS volunteers must put the good of the organization ahead of their personal and employers’ wants and desires. Page 5 Committee Chair Vice President Director President Elect / President/ Past President 5. Other Actuarial Organizations and their relationship with CAS As Committee Chairs develop in their roles, they learn about the roles/responsibilities among the North American actuarial organizations as well as international actuarial organizations. Typically committee chairs are not exposed to the broad operations of other actuarial organizations but interact on with those sections of the other actuarial organizations corresponding to the committee’s area of responsibility. All VPs need to be familiar with the roles/responsibilities among the North American actuarial organizations. Where the VP responsibilities include oversight of Joint Exams, Joint Committees/Task Forces or, in the case of ERM, joint sponsorship of the Risk Management section, greater knowledge of other organizations, their processes and “culture” is required. As VPs develop in their roles, they will also gain familiarity with other international actuarial organizations, and key initiatives of those organizations affecting their areas of responsibility. Directors are expected to have a general understanding of the roles/responsibilities among the North American actuarial organizations. Further, they should be aware of international actuarial organizations key to the mission and strategic direction of the CAS. The President and President Elect serve as the CAS representatives to CUSP and NAAC. Along with the Executive Director, these individuals represent the CAS at meetings of the US actuarial organizations, the International Actuarial Association and with other international actuarial organizations. These individuals are responsible for developing mutually beneficial relationships with the leaders of these organizations. To that end, they must understand the roles and responsibilities of the various actuarial organizations and need to be sensitive to the cultural nuances among the organizations. Page 6 6. General Business Perspective / Strategic Thinking Committee chairs are expected to be effective business managers. In leading their committees, committee chairs are expected to have a long-term view of the needs of the CAS and weigh the cost/benefit of potential projects and use of limited resources with the mission of the organization in mind. All VPs are expected to have a broad business perspective in executing their roles and responsibilities on behalf the CAS. Directors are expected to execute their responsibilities on the CAS Board using a broad business perspective. Their responsibility to set the direction of the CAS as an organization requires that they possess a strong strategic vision. The President Elect / President are expected to execute their responsibilities using a broad business perspective. With the Board, they must possess a strong strategic vision for the organization. As Chair of the Board, these individuals are expected to identify and lead the Board in discussions on items of strategic import to the CAS. Page 7 SKILLS Skill is defined as a proficiency, facility, or dexterity that is acquired or developed through training or experience. Skills are developed through experiential learning. Skills must be practiced in order to be maintained. 7. Open and Honest Communication To be effective, Committee Chairs must be able to clearly communicate the objectives of a project and the expectations for each individual associated with the initiative. As the senior management of the CAS, VPs must work collaboratively with the Board, the EC and with their committees to achieve results. It is essential that VP’s communicate openly with each other, their committee chairs, CAS Staff and with the Board. The CAS Board is, by design, comprised of members with diverse and sometimes opposing perspectives. Open and honest communication is essential in order for the Board to reach consensus. All perspectives need to be heard and considered in any Board decision. The President/President Elect are the “face” of the CAS to our publics. Whether in communication to members, with the Board and/or EC or with other actuarial organizations, open and honest communication is a necessity. The President/President Elect must also bear in mind that they speak for the organization, rather than from their individual perspectives. Page 10 12. Leading and Developing People Committee chairs are expected to recognize and benefit from the individual talents of each committee member; assignments should reflect the individual’s interests and talents. Chairs also work to develop their committee members, encouraging them to “try new things”, offering roles that challenge and support/encouragement as people grow within the organization. An effective VP leads by example, constantly searches out talent within the organization and creates opportunities for individuals to grow in their volunteer roles. Committee and VP rotations help to ensure that there is a steady stream of talent to lead the CAS. As with the Committee Chairs, VPs need to be ever vigilant in grooming their potential successors. Usually board members are elected because of their leadership skills which have already been established in previous professional situations. The Board should always lead all of the CAS membership by example, even if this type of leadership is not directly related to specific committee chairs or VPs. The President / President Elect touch most of the volunteers within the CAS and see firsthand the talents of various individuals. This perspective is useful in identifying potential leaders, in matching individuals to assignments and later, in chairing the Nominating Committee. The one- year term for these positions limits their ability to directly groom individuals. Page 11 13. Building/Nurturing Relationships As a volunteer organization, members typically volunteer (or keep volunteering) because of the relationships that they have developed with other members. Committees typically foster the strongest personal bonds. Relationship building is essential for success both within the CAS as well as with other actuarial and industry organizations. As elected representatives of the CAS, Board members typically have extensive relationships within the organization. They are expected to use these to measure the “pulse” of the organization and to to communicate Board direction/decisions. The President/President Elect typically have deep-rooted relationships within the organization. In this role, the President and President Elect are expected to forge effective relationships with other actuarial organizations; personal relationships with leaders of other actuarial organizations are essential to continued cooperation and extend well beyond the terms of the leaders. 14. Recruiting and selecting the best candidates for positions. Committee chairs are expected to match the talents of the individual to the needs of the organization. Effective committee chairs “cast a wide net” to identify the best individual for a position or task and then motivate these individuals to go above and beyond. Most of the work of the CAS is accomplished through committees and task forces. The selection of committee/task force chairs is critical to the success of each committee. VPs play a critical role in recruiting and selecting the best chairs for each committee. As members of the body that elects VPs and, on occasion, fills vacant board seats, board members need to set policy that will permit the development and identification of those individuals. Board members need to acquire knowledge of those capable taking on those positions. The President and President Elect oversee the work of the CAS committees and task forces and are asked to identify candidates for CAS leadership roles. In addition, their role on the Academy Board and Nominating Committee positions them to influence the selection of leaders for those bodies. Page 12 15. Ability to relate to the multiple generations and cultures that comprise the actuarial community Committee chairs are expected to be open in considering all candidates for their committees and are expected to be inclusive in their dealings with committee members. As the actuarial profession grows, the membership is becoming multi-generational. In addition, the CAS is becoming more global. In order for the CAS to continue to flourish, VP’s must be able to engage members from different generations and to manage volunteers from multiple generations and cultures. The diversity of the Board is one of its major strengths. Board members are expected to be open in considering the views of all. Further, in advancing the strategic direction of the organization, Board members must consider and embrace the changing demographics of the organization. The ability and willingness of the President and President Elect to span generations and cultures is CRITICAL to the organization. Since these individuals are the public face of the CAS to our members and our publics, they need to work actively to understand and represent the diversity of our membership. Within international circles, the President/President Elect are expected to reflect the global scope of our organization to the world.