Learning to Lead for Impact
leadership insight from Tom Okarma
the latest and greatest…
Should You Start a Nonprofit?
The Critical Things You Need to Know to Make a Better Decision Should You Start a Nonprofit? According to the 2016 Nonprofit Trends Report nonprofit growth is climbing at a staggering rate. Some of...
Is Rising Employee Turnover Hurting Your Nonprofit?
7 Ways To Help Reduce Nonprofit Employee Turnover In compiling the 2016 Nonprofit Trends Report, we discovered hiring at US nonprofits is at an all time high. Great news for all those needing a job...
The 25% Solution: How to Work Smarter as a Nonprofit Leader
Executive Director. CEO. Board Chair. No matter the title, if you're in a position of leadership in a nonprofit, your real job (no matter the size of the organization) is Master Plate Spinner....
Is Your Board Missing The Most Valuable Ingredient?
Board development is critical for building (and maintaining) a high-functioning board. Year after year, best-in-class nonprofit organizations have an amazing impact in their communities. Their...
Are You Leading For the Future?
5 Powerful Questions for Nonprofit Leaders As an executive director, I suspect you often feel like you are caught up in a virtual whirlwind. From the time you walk into the office until the time you...
Are There Too Many Nonprofits?
Nonprofit Growth Rates Are at a 5 Year High New nonprofits are being started today in waves not seen since 2010. In fact, at the current pace, there will be over 1.6 million registered nonprofits in...
leadership
What is Your Nonprofit Leadership Style?
Most of us (nonprofit leaders) have either taken courses or read a lot about the basic meat and potatoes leadership skills we need to effectively do our job. I’m talking about strategic planning and goal setting, budgeting, communication, the solicitation of major...
How to Solve Those Tough Problems You Face
Leaders deal with problems all the time. That's why we get the big bucks, right? Every so often though, we'll face a very challenging, complicated, and maybe a "touchy" problem. You know, the ones that eat away at you and consume your energy, your sleep, your passion,...
How Can You Solve Problems and Avoid Ugly Confrontations?
I talk to a lot of nonprofit leaders (Executive Directors and CEO'S) and it is interesting to me that so many are experiencing a variety of problems due in large part to the same issue--avoiding a tough conversation with someone--often, a director or the entire board...
Presenting at CLA 2015 Outcomes Conference
Last week I led two workshops at CLA's Annual Conference in Dallas and was one of the authors signing books in the book store. It was a "kick" and I am grateful to CLA for putting on this event and allowing me to be part of it. I spoke with a lot of members about...
Why Your Nonprofit Board May be a Huge Disappointment
After leading a comprehensive process to identify and recruit new board members you found your best candidates and they agreed to join your board. You looked forward to working with them and six months ago you could not have been more excited as they were installed on...
Why I Believe Leading a Nonprofit is Harder than Leading a Business!
When I became involved with nonprofits—starting with volunteering, then board service, and finally board chair—I thought it would be an easy transition from my previous business leadership roles. I have been a small business owner and the president and CEO of an...
board development
Read It and Reap!
I recently re-tweeted an interesting short article based on management guru Peter Drucker. The more I thought about it, though, the material is worth far more than a simple re-tweet. When I led a for-profit business and came across stimulating written materials, we...
Board Meetings That Don’t Bore!
Tired of ineffective board meetings and directors that show up unprepared? Have you had it with board members that sit around at meetings like so many potted plants? Maybe you have trouble just getting enough directors to show up to have a quorum! I don't like wasting...
Equipping Directors-101
For new board members, lead directors, and board presidents, I recently came across an excellent book. I’d consider it a “must read” and it applies to any board: for profit, nonprofit, secular, faith-based, public, private...whatever. I remember my early days on my...
The First 100 Days
Leaders have very little time to set a new tone, to begin installing a new DNA into an organization. The popular take on this is 100 days...give or take. That’s why I really like the way Theo Epstein and his new crew of leaders have literally torn into the Cubs...
Your New Best Friend-Governance
It seems to me almost all nonprofits whether faith-based or secular think if they can just hammer out a good Mission/Purpose Statement (What It Does), Vision Statement (What It Will Become), and Values Statement (What It Believes), then they have pretty much got...
7 Keys to the Right Kind of Board-Part 2
Last week I introduced this discussion about my friend having the right kind of board serving her organization. Briefly, I told her it depended on where her organization was in its life cycle and what it needs to succeed. Today, in part two I share more of my...
strategic planning
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My Recent Trip to the Twilight Zone!
There must have been a full moon out recently. I had back-to-back meetings two weeks ago with two different nonprofits and thoughtI had entered the Twilight Zone. At my first meeting, members of a nonprofit board were complaining about their CEO's not doing what the...
Your Greatest Enemy: Today’s Success
Vijay Govindarajan is one smart cookie. He is the Earl C. Daum 1924 Professor of International Economics at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. I was fortunate to participate in a retreat he lead for our company when I was in the business world a while...
Every Director can Fundraise (Really!)
Getting directors to fundraise; how reluctant directors can get started
Maximize Your Nonprofit Board’s Performance in 2014: Here’s How
Time to set the tone for the new year. Your budget and goals may be set, but how about your board? Unless you want the board to simply roll into 2014 and repeat its (good, or average, or poor) performance from 2013 you'll need to do something to "up their game"....
True Confessions in the Board Room
Are your board meetings getting a bit routine and boring, especially as you negotiate through next year's goals and budget? Do you wonder if you are getting full and complete feedback and "best possible" thinking from your board of directors? Here's a quick way to put...
Electrify Your Sleepy Directors
Fall is planning time for most nonprofit executive directors and board CEO'S. Two questions you may be asking yourself are: How can I get more out of our current board next year? Or, How can I re-awaken and fire up those solid directors who "checked out this past...
5 Unspoken Thoughts of Your New Board Members
With the end of the calendar/fiscal year approaching, many nonprofit boards will be undergoing important change. New directors are coming and term-expired directors will be leaving. Thank you to both groups for your service. Change is never easy but it is necessary...
Transformational Thinking on Board Recruitment
On a trip out west recently I visited a nonprofit organization that just blew me away. I have written in the past about the importance of strategic alignment and impact in the past and this organization has it all--and then some. I thought I'd share some information...
Harvesting a Team of New Key Partners
I recently met with a board president and Executive Director wanting to rebuild their board, generate new "buzz" around their brand, and increase the number of strategic partners. They had been operating "very thin", of late. The agency needs a shot in the arm with...