Meet with the university president's cabinet. Swoop over to talk budgets with the chief financial officer. Check in with a team of busy fundraisers. Make calls to major volunteers. Block off time for long-term strategic planning.

Welcome to a day—or even just a morning—in the life of an advancement vice president. Vice presidents have complex, wide-reaching roles at their institutions that involve a broad skill set, from relationship-building to savvy communication. But, for many new VPs, the talents that helped them excel and get promoted aren't necessarily the ones they need to do well as a key strategic leader.

"Chief development officers are often selected for the job because of their strengths as fundraisers, but the role involves much more than fundraising and management of fundraisers," says Ron Schiller, founding partner of Aspen Leadership Group. "Some have told me that less than 10 percent of their time is focused on frontline fundraising work; most say that number is less than 40 percent. Yet very little in the experience of a fundraiser or fundraising manager prepares the CDO for that other 60 percent."

What does a new vice president need to know to do that well? New vice presidents need solid training and the opportunity to connect with one another, says Connie Kravas, vice president of university advancement at the University of Washington. She's chairing CASE's inaugural Boot Camp for New Vice Presidents this January in Fort Myers, Florida.

"It can be lonely at the top," says Kravas. "Together, we can benefit from the collective wisdom of one another—attendees and faculty alike—discussing what's important, what's new, what's ahead."

Kravas and two other faculty members from the Boot Camp—Schiller and Kirk Swenson, vice president for college advancement at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania—shared some of their best pieces of advice for leaders.

What's something you wish you'd known before you became a vice president?

• "I wish I'd understood how important my network would be. It's not just about finding talented professionals when you need them—it's about the sounding board, great ideas and moral support a great network can offer." –Kirk Swenson
• "Culture eats strategy for lunch." –Connie Kravas

What's the best piece of professional advice you've received?

• "It was from a board chair and it was hard to hear at first: ‘I've rarely made personnel changes too quickly and too often I've made them too slowly.' Chief development officers are fundraisers, and fundraisers are optimists, always focused on getting to "yes." So it's hard to tell someone they are not the right person for the job. But the team, and the organization, counts on the leader to make these difficult decisions and keep building toward excellence in every part of the organization." –Ron Schiller
• "No matter how good you are, you can't do it alone. Develop your team, clear roadblocks for them and get out of their way." –Kirk Swenson

What's one trait that characterizes a great leader?

• "Passion. Having a deep belief in and passion for the institution we serve—living and breathing its mission, vision and values." –Connie Kravas 
• "The number one trait for me is empathy. Empathy leads us to listen, to understand and make better decisions for our institutions, our teams and our prospects." –Kirk Swenson
• "That's easy: authenticity. In writing my book, The Chief Development Officer: Beyond Fundraising, I interviewed more than 60 successful chief development officers, presidents and board members. Authenticity came up over and over again." –Ron Schiller

New to leadership? Deepen your skills and build a strong foundation for your tenure as a vice president at our Boot Camp for New Vice Presidents, Jan. 28-30, 2019, in Fort Myers, Florida. Learn more and explore the program.

This article is from the October 2018 BriefCASE issue.