From four miles up, the perspective of the world is quite different. The biggest home looks tiny, the nicest ride is a pencil point on a ribbon of a road.
From up here, the ‘who is next at MHI’ topic takes on the perspective of the high flying leaders for whom such choices are common place, and thus easier.
No less than ten pros not named in our last column on who follows Thayer Long as President of the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) are being floated in offices and on conference calls. Most of those named ‘in the hunt’ are men. Some have served at MHI before.
Some are being discussed as possible interim leaders. Such a move would allow more time and discussion on the ‘permanent’ successor to Long at MHI.
Among Industry pros, the common noted concerns MHProNews hears include NOT going ‘outside’ of the Industry for a replacement this time for a ‘white knight’ to save the Industry. Jim Collins’ corporate study, Good to Great, reminds us that 90% of the time, the right person is a ‘Level 5 Leader’ from within the ranks. The Lee Iacocca’s of the world often ride out with a bust as big as the bang as they arrived.
That said, word has it that MHI plans to have someone in place before Thayer’s departure at the end of this month. The leadership wants to stay inside the Industry too. There may be no ‘search committee’ per se, just a desire to identify and install the right person in the right spot right now.
Another common concern heard is that MHI’s recently published priorities do not include an Industry turn around plan. Perhaps ‘the right’ candidate will have something to say about that topic. Industry Defense (protect) is important, but so is promotion (offense: scoring points in terms of rising, not falling, new home shipments).
To promote and protect, while offering education that is internal as well as external, these are the drill downs for all successful associations.
That’s the Masthead view – now writing from 6 miles up – where if you look carefully at the photo below, you can still spot a manufactured home community from this high in the sky. #
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L. A. ‘Tony’ Kovach
MHProNews.com
