So it just really did come naturally. And the best leader is, in my mind, someone who actually is as interested in advancing the people around them as much as themselves. I am only as successful as my team. And that is something I have learned. I have gotten myself, personally, in a little bit of trouble over the years by saying what I believe is right in regards to the cultural policy here.
Another thing that has evolved is that I am not afraid to talk about the problems in this community regarding arts policy. And I am not afraid to talk about that outside of Houston, in a larger field. Like in July, I brought some colleagues in from large cultural affairs organizations in other cities to talk about, from their perspective, best practices in this field. One of them actually said that he was impressed that I was not afraid to bring them in because most organizations are very focused on protecting their name.
We all have it, so we can all learn from it. I think we are good at the federal level. We all tend to forget that all leaders are not necessarily flawless individuals. I think there are good people who would be great in leadership, but are terribly flawed people. So we stay fresh and continue to manage and encourage relationships with organizations outside of Houston. It keeps us in the loop with what is going on. I actually really thrive on transitions. And I find that I am a more evolved person every time I go through a transition.
When you live in a different environment, like moving to Houston, there is a whole different set of customs. Learning those has made me much more rounded and thoughtful. And as far as organizations go, I was the first person to run this organization. So it was a mess.
It was three entities that were reorganized as one, and all three of them were in bad shape. So the administration asked the board to hire a CEO to come in to work with them to rebuild this organization by rebuilding the other entities. The original vision for the organization has remained consistent.
It has evolved, has been different because of the community, the economy, funding opportunities, all of that changes. I work closely with the board, and my team of directors.
It all goes back to listening. We are fortunate in that we are a nonprofit. We are independent from City Hall. So we function as a nonprofit, we raise money; we are large enough that we can be agile. We have security that we can secure whatever money comes from City Hall. So unlike other organizations that have to fill seats, we can actually take some risks.
It works for us. Knowing that I have the ability to pick up the phone and make a change. There is this guy in my gym that got a grant from us.
He stopped me at the gym and was telling me all of the work he got done with the grant, how appreciative and grateful he was. I was literally on the treadmill while he was telling me this, and it was really great. Firstly, acknowledge and admit it. And have a solution in place. Do you have a network of peers in other similar organizations that are a resource? So that is like a built in network of colleagues from all different sectors.
You know, Houston is a pretty welcoming town. But I decided to join American Leadership Forum in part for that reason because I really needed relationships outside of the arts community. When I lived in Los Angeles my whole world was the arts. But that was okay because L. But here, I really needed to spread myself out.
And they think I am too critical. Steve Jansen is a contributing writer for the Houston Press. Contact: Steve Jansen. Don't Miss Out. Join Today.
Sign Up. I Support Learn More. Latest Stories. Groover Oct 23, In a letter to the alliance's board of directors and advisory council co-signed by HAA board chair Philamena Baird , Glus did not elaborate upon his reasons for leaving. Under Glus' leadership for more than nine years, the alliance has received numerous accolades and major federal grants that have helped make the city a national leader in the public art realm.
Baird said she had great admiration for Glus. The alliance's board and staff have a retreat starting Monday, and Baird said she was looking forward to "evaluating and rethinking who the alliance is and what we can do to embellish the arts community in Houston. The vision for the City of Houston Arts and Cultural Plan is to foster an environment in which art and culture flourish for the sharing and benefit of all residents and visitors.
Your continued input is vital. Completed a performance review of contracted arts agencies and increased transparency with a new Grants and Funding webpage. Joined a stakeholder-driven task force researching new revenue sources for arts and culture.
Featured 62 Houston-based artists and students in 20 City Hall exhibits in partnership with community groups and City departments.
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