The President & CEO Shadow Program (CEO Shadow Program) offers a unique opportunity for both internal team members and external participants to gain an in-depth understanding of the organization’s operations, culture, strategy and leadership practices. Through this program, participants will shadow the President & CEO, gain visibility to strategic discussions, and observe decision-making processes. This experience is designed to foster continuous learning, collaboration, and transparency within and outside the organization.

Eligibility

Individuals may only participate once per year.

  1. Internal Team Members: Open to all team members, especially those looking to gain insights into leadership and cross-functional operations or explore new career paths within the organization.
  2. External Participants: This program is open to individuals outside the organization, including partners, interns, students, and professionals interested in learning more about our remote work practices and operating model. External participants must meet specific criteria before applying.

Expectations

Individuals selected to participate in the CEO Shadow Program are called “CEO Shadows.” A CEO Shadow engagement can last three to five business days. Please remember that the President & CEO’s schedule is fluid and subject to constant change. Expectations for shadows include:

  1. Time commitment: Commit to participating at least 5-6 hours per day over three to five days
    1. The President & CEO generally works between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm CST. Typically she has 3-4 hours of non-meeting time each day (CEO Shadows are not expected to shadow during these times).
    2. CEO Shadows should plan to join meetings via Zoom with their camera on.
  2. Confidentiality: adhere to the confidentiality agreement****
  3. Participation: Generally, CEO Shadows are there to observe meetings and will not be engaged in conversation. That being said, there may be times when the CEO Shadow is asked to participate, if appropriate.
    1. Ensure you are in an appropriate space where you can be on camera and hear (and be heard) during the CEO Shadow engagement.
    2. If you are unable to attend certain meetings, thats ok! Meetings will proceed.
  4. What to wear: Formal dress is not required. Casual attire is appropriate.

Structure

Orientation

Approximately one week before the engagement begins:

  1. The Program Analyst will draft a guide to share with the CEO Shadow that gives an overview of the Foundation, our ways of working, and other tips or helpful information.
    1. CEO Shadows should use this guide to take notes, provide feedback, offer suggestions, etc.
  2. CEO Shadows will sign a confidentiality agreement to ensure that sensitive information remains confidential.
  3. CEO Shadows will be invited to all relevant meetings and will receive meeting planners with embedded agendas.
  4. The Program Analyst will ensure the CEO Shadow can access relevant agendas. The shadow may not have access to all agendas and this will be decided on a case by base basis.
  5. The Program Analyst will work with the CEO Shadow to schedule an introductory call with the Director of Operations and President & CEO for 25 minutes to:
    1. Introduce the Shadow to the President & CEO
    2. Discuss the CEO Shadow’s goals
    3. Set expectations
    4. Provide any context for specific meetings occurring during the CEO Shadow engagement
    5. Answer questions

CEO Shadow Experience

  1. Virtual Meeting Attendance:
    1. CEO Shadows will participate in various meetings remotely (generally via Zoom). These may include:
      1. Daily stand-ups
      2. 1-1s with direct reports
      3. Conversations with board members
      4. Team meetings, including weekly planning meetings, strategic conversations, grantee meetings, grant approval meetings, etc.
    2. At the start of each meeting, quickly introduce yourself as the CEO Shadow by stating your name and that you are shadowing Ellie to learn more about GTLF.
    3. The meeting should proceed as it normally would

The Director of Operations will be available to answer any questions during the duration of the CEO Shadow Program.

Feedback and Closeout

At the end of each program, participants will be asked to provide feedback on their experience. This feedback will be used to refine and enhance the CEO Shadow program.

  1. End-of-Day Virtual Debrief: A 25-minute wrap-up session with the President & CEO to discuss observations and address any questions daily.
  2. CEO Shadows will be asked to complete a feedback survey about their experience
  3. CEO Shadows should remove themselves from agendas they have been added to:
    1. Click the Share button atop the Google Doc
    2. On the resulting pop-up, click into Advanced
    3. Click the X by your name to remove yourself
    4. Click Save changes
    5. On the resulting Are you sure? dialog box, click Yes
    6. You should see a dialog appear noting that Your access has expired

Application Process

Internal Team Members

  1. Team members interested in the CEO Shadow Program must ask their managers for approval.
  2. If approved, team members should email the Director of Operations with the following information:
    1. Why you want to participate in the CEO Shadow Program
    2. Top 3 goals for participating in the CEO Shadow Program
  3. The Program Analyst will offer three potential weeks for the Shaow to occur and confirm the dates via email.
    1. The Program Analyst will add a calendar invite to the CEO, participant and team calendar for transparency.
  4. Once confirmed, team members should plan to put on hold most of their usual work and prepare others as if they were going on vacation (but instead indicate “CEO Shadow Program” when communicating with others).

External CEO Shadow Participants

  1. External partners must meet at least two of the following criteria before applying.
    1. Represent an organization or individual strongly aligned with the Foundation's mission and strategic goals.
    2. Hold a position of influence within their organization or sector, such as a senior leader, decision-maker, or key stakeholder.
    3. Are involved in long-term projects or initiatives with the Foundation, through which CEO Shadow Program can foster stronger, more collaborative relationships.
    4. Are a post-secondary student (college or beyond) in a relevant field of study.
    5. Have a strong interest in learning about the Foundation’s leadership approach, operational strategies, and decision-making processes.
  2. If the external participant meets the requirements above, they should complete this brief application form.
    1. Please note that internal team members and current partners will be prioritized when scheduling.
  3. The Director of Operations will reach out if the participant is approved for the CEO Shadow Program.

If you have questions, please contact [email protected].