Learning to Lead for Impact
leadership insight from Tom Okarma
the latest and greatest…
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...
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...
Every Director can Fundraise (Really!)
Probably the most frequent problem Executive Directors and Development Directors face are directors that do not help with fundraising. This complaint is always number 1 or 2 when I ask leaders about...
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)...
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...
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...
leadership
Retaining High Capacity Directors
Paraphrasing an old joke- QUESTION: Know how to get a few good directors" ANSWER: Start with a lot of good directors. A couple of nonprofit boards I am somewhat familiar with are in the process of losing some good directors by their own personal choice, not due to...
Be Golden in 2013
Successful leaders are always looking for ways to increase their effectiveness and the impact of their organizations. So whether you are running a small or start up organization or if your firm had a tough 2012, now is the time to reboot and set yourself up for...
Challenge Your Team!
Leaders have a lot of responsibility-no doubt about it-yet some of the most important actions they can take can be boiled down to a few key actions that can have immeasurable impact. As we turn into final stretch of planning for 2013, what are the most important...
Gimme The One With A Limp Every Time!
I'll take a leader with a limp any day. How about you? Can there be a more effective leadership hire than someone who has been through real trials, who has been tested-perhaps bloodied and beat up a bit? We all learn through our mistakes and I've learned a lot through...
Are You the Sage on Stage?
One of a leader's most important responsibilities to the organization and its staff is the development of subordinates. How do you handle this? Do you give others a chance to grow, to work on something a bit above their pay grade, to struggle with a complex issue? Or,...
Who Picks the New Directors?
I've been reading a lot about the recruitment of new nonprofit directors lately. It can be a controversial issue and unless your Board Governance Documents cover the process, it can lead to anything from hurt feelings to animosity. ED's and board presidents: How does...
board development
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Engaging Gen Y
One comment I hear executive directors make with some regularity is how they wish they could figure out how to expand their volunteer and donor base to include younger people. I notice, though, that in practice these same executive directors continue to do the...
The Toughest Kind of Change
Back in January I posed these questions and asked you to consider them…“If I were creating my organization TODAY, what is the best way to set it up? Are we organized that way? What is getting in the way of our ideal envisioned structure?” Today, I’d like to take this...
Best Practices
Smart leaders are always looking for ways to manage their expenses better, increase revenue, or work smarter, especially during these days of uncertainty. In this environment, looking for ways to do things better has to be job one! One overlooked tool that can...
Your Greatest Asset
When nonprofit agencies think about risk management and protecting themselves, they usually think in terms of someone slipping and falling, auto accidents, insurance, etc. But they fail to address what may be their most critical off-balance sheet asset-their...
Helping Today’s Clients
I’ve been thinking about how one’s perspective heavily influences his or her opinions, decisions, and actions. Just ask a Chicago Cubs fan about the White Sox, or a Yankee fan about the Red Sox. Now baseball may not be a matter of life and death (OK, I stand...
Managing Out Poor Performers
Nothing spreads faster in an organization-or possibly could be more damaging to one-than when a leader tolerates unacceptable performance from an employee. Word gets around fast. It weakens the leader’s influence, “demotivates” top performers, and can put overall...
Give ’em a Chance
Remember early in your career, just before it really took off, and before you had made a name for yourself? You probably were in some lower-level position just doing what you were told as best you could, and trying hard to be a good team player. Then, one day your...
Got Talent?
In a previous work life I had the privilege of getting to know and learn from a world class consultant-Dr. Ram Charan. His specialty is leadership and strategy and he consults with many of the most recognized companies in the United States. He has written many books...
Danger in the iPass Lane
Do you have iPass in your state? It is an electronic system to automatically pay tolls on a highway as you zip through the tollgates without stopping…without even thinking. Hold that thought. I don’t know about your nonprofit organization, but the ones I see have been...