Growing the Leadership within Your Nonprofit
Wake up. Get coffee. Drive to work. Stare at a screen. Drive home. Have dinner. Watch Netflix. Go to bed.
Repeat.
We all get stuck in ruts. Organizations are no different! By encouraging and developing leaders in new ways within nonprofits, we can improve the impact they make on the philanthropic missions. Here are a few key ways to better your leadership today.
Expand the knowledge of your board. I’m not talking about signing every board member up for a one-day seminar. Nonprofits have boards to advise and strategize for the future of the organization, so why do so many boards appear to be clones of each other in terms of the people serving said boards? Leading with Intent’s 2017 study found that only 16% of board members are people of color. It’s not just racially-diverse backgrounds boards should be eager to include. Educational, socioeconomic, and age (amongst other defining characteristics) are also important aspects to consider.
Why is board diversity important? Because it’s so very unlikely that all those people your organization serves are look, behave, and live same way. By making your board as diverse as your nonprofit’s clientele, your organization is equipped for the future through informed decisions from a “place of understanding.” More on why board diversity is so important (including some amazing statistics to bring back to your organization) here.
Encourage innovation. There’s a saying some of you may have read before. “The most dangerous phrase in the language is, ‘We’ve always done it this way.’” The phrase is attributed to computer scientist Grace Hopper, and even outside of its technology-based original context, nonprofit professionals could learn a lot simply by thinking of this phrase in the context of their own philanthropic organizations and actions. If your organization has always sent paper mailers as its primary fundraiser, try an online fundraiser. If the organization doesn’t assess itself regularly, try implementing client and staff satisfaction surveys. New ideas and programs may not be perfect on the first try, but what’s learned from doing such innovations is what is truly key here. Innovative leaders will push their organizations for the better, and innovative, rising leaders will emerge and flourish to better support the organization.
Related, don’t settle and become complacent. Too many times organizations are okay repeating the same monthly or weekly meeting with the same staff and same opinions. Don’t be afraid to invite a teacher to your meeting for your K-12 project. Have your junior or associate team members join strategy meetings and other discussions.
Schedule time to check in with grantees about their projects and have that time be more than a quick email to the grantee organization. You can also bring fresh ideas to your team through field-related readings and discussions. By challenging the complacency, we are stimulating organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Fresh ideas, whether your organization pursues them or not, will also spark discussions and cause leaders to be more well-rounded through more experiences.
If you take nothing else away, I wish to leave you with this: growing and developing your leadership is imperative for the health of your nonprofit. Knowledgeable leaders with a plethora of experiences, connections, and willingness to learn will be the pinnacle of tomorrow’s top philanthropies. Are your leaders confidently leading your nonprofit into tomorrow?
