June 14, 2011 | Read Time: 1 minute
When Luisa Schumacher became executive director of the West Michigan Center for Arts and Technology, in Grand Rapids, at the age of 26, the number and diversity of people she had to work with as her organization’s top executive was a big surprise.
“It’s not just about running the organization,” she says. “It’s about interfacing with all different kinds of people.”
She suggests that other first-time leaders find a mentor or coach to prepare themselves for new social interactions with employees, program participants, foundations, and donors.
See what Ms. Schumacher and other new leaders advise in this video and share your best tips below.
