Associations have a critical role to play in strengthening our economies, societies and political systems. To fulfil that role effectively, however, they need high-performing secretariats. According to the latest Euractiv survey, the number-one challenge facing associations today is a shortage of staff and resources. In other words, many are being asked to do more in 2026 with the same – or even fewer – means.
Regardless of resource levels, the strongest associations are distinguished by the quality of their leaders and the people within their secretariats. The relationship between the board and the secretariat can lead either to exceptional results or to serious dysfunction – and the difference ultimately comes down to people.
Based on Dober Partners’ recent report, this article therefore focuses on leadership and the individuals who make up the secretariat, arguably an association’s greatest asset.
The Seven Key Attributes of a Successful Association Leader
An association leader has three fundamental responsibilities: hiring, developing and retaining great employees. If the first is mishandled, the other two become almost impossible. It may sound obvious, but the best people produce the best work. According to McKinsey, top talent can be up to eight times more productive than average employees. Conversely, the cost of a poor hire – particularly in a leadership position – can be enormous for an association.
Overall, Dober Partners’ research confirms that the single most distinguishing factor between high performance and underperformance for an association is its leadership, or more specifically the qualities of the person in charge on a daily basis. This is hardly surprising when you think that the leader is employed (usually) full time to drive the mission and strategy of the association and is involved in all the important decisions, from hiring the best available talent into the Secretariat, to prioritizing how staff spend their time.
Dober Partners has developed a methodology to assess candidates for association leadership roles based on seven attributes which have been used hundreds of times over the last 15 years. The seven key attributes of a successful association leader according to this model are laid out below:
Please note the spider chart denotes the most important of the seven; so strategic leadership is typically most important; and while sector expertise is also important it is often the least important of the attributes. Boards tend to look first for strategic thinkers, then for first-class communicators and managers who can set strategy rather than sector experts, because such knowledge can be acquired on the job and usually exists in the Secretariat and membership.
On the other hand, authoritarian leaders stifle debate and micromanagers suppress the potential of their teams. Indeed, a bad leadership hire is one of the most expensive mistakes an association can make. The cost of poor leadership is measured not just in money, but in lost opportunities, reputation and influence -which no association can afford to waste.
Leadership transitions are riskier than most Boards realize. McKinsey research indicates “40–50%” failure rates for new business CEOs and that it often takes far closer to 6 months than the famous “90 days” to get up to full speed. Coaching is one of the most consistently recommended buffers against this risk in companies and so it should be with associations. Indeed, a global survey by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and the Association Resource Center report an average Return on Investment (ROI) of seven times the cost of employing a coach.
High Performance Secretariat Culture
As the saying goes, culture eats strategy for breakfast. A positive association culture attracts and retains top talent, and enhances staff productivity. A strong culture can also positively impact member satisfaction and loyalty. When staff are engaged and aligned with the association’s values, they are more likely to deliver exceptional results.
Dober Partners’ report “High Performance Secretariats: Mobilising Your Human Resources”, which takes an HR perspective on association leadership, can be downloaded for free here. The report also includes other predictors of successful associations from implementing AI to performance measurement.
Building on previous research Dober Partners has created a model for a High Performance Secretariat Culture laid out in the report, with the concepts of “Individual Accountability” and “Shared Responsibility” as fundamental. Typically, one finds High Performance Secretariats are led by participative minded association leaders where results and open communications are valued. It’s those Secretariats that engage in open debate that are also more likely to address critical issues, find solutions to problems, and develop innovative ideas.
Happier Staff = Higher Association Performance
According to the research there is a steady block of around three quarters of Secretariat staff who genuinely enjoy their work. They love working on intellectually challenging topics and generally enjoy relative work-life balance which is well established as a strong predictor of people’s happiness. Other frequently cited factors include job variety and learning new things, as well as autonomy.
Happiness matters because happy staff tend to produce better outcomes. As the International Labour Organisation (ILO) reports the “happy worker” hypothesis provides evidence that higher levels of job satisfaction promote productivity. On the other hand, if well-being in the workplace or in general is low as a result of high levels of stress, productivity may be negatively affected.
So, in conclusion if an association wants high performance they should hire a great leader and people, create a positive culture and keep their staff happy!