Author’s note: I wrote this blog back in April, but I couldn’t post it now and pretend like the violent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor didn’t happen, as if the Black Lives Matter protests hadn’t spread across the nation and a new civil rights era hadn’t erupted. It may seem [...]
One of Stephen M.R. Covey’s fundamental beliefs about leadership is that progress happens “at the speed of trust” — that organizational work gets done with and through people, and that trust is the basis for every transaction and relationship. I recently found myself reflecting on the speed of trust as I read "Overcoming the Racial [...]
Reprinted with permission from Boardsource. The original article was originally published on May 28, 2020 and can be found here. And it goes that when one person can focus on self and not focus on what’s wrong with the others, he can serve as a working model for others, then another, then another, and [...]
As an interim executive director, I’ve enjoyed supporting several E.D. search committees. Of course, the primary role of the search committee is to vet candidates for the long-term executive director position and make a hiring recommendation to the organization’s board. But as important as that is, it need not be the committee’s only function. [...]
The Japanese word for crisis is composed of both danger and opportunity. It is challenging in this time of crisis for the world, our nation and for the non-profit sector to envision anything but danger. Non-profit organizations and associations bring people together to solve problems, relieve stress and to develop solutions. We have been [...]
COVID-19 has given rise to uncertainty for all businesses, including the non-profits that often operate on the financial edge in the best of times. The major costs of running any business, such as rent and employee compensation and benefits, continue even though revenue may be down or the business’s operations may be curtailed. Non-profits [...]
While every nonprofit and its executive director transition are unique, these leadership transitions tend to follow seven broad patterns. And each of these types needs its own set of actions to manage the transition well. We’ll get into the types in a moment, but first, let’s look at some of the overall factors that most [...]
Reprinted with permission from The Management Center. The original article published on December 4, 2019 can be found here. When done well, performance evaluations serve several valuable functions. For staff, they provide a clear pathway for development and advancement. For managers, they help build alignment with their staff and provide a forum for sharing [...]
The grantmaking community has a saying, “Once you’ve met one foundation, you’ve met… one foundation.” I think you’ll agree that no two foundations are alike. I would argue that the same can be said about nonprofits. For example, one education nonprofit is usually vastly different than its peers – different curriculum and different approaches; [...]
Most people know the choice of a new nonprofit executive lies in the hands of the board of directors. I believe, along with many others, that the choice of an executive leader is one of the board’s most important responsibilities. But the final choice will be better informed and better accepted if the board [...]
