Learning to Lead for Impact
leadership insight from Tom Okarma
the latest and greatest…
Surviving in Crisis: 10 Ways to Help Your Nonprofit
Last week, I shared some lessons learned while leading a company through Y2K. It was a rocky experience...Nothing like the virus threat we face today, but threatening in a different way,...
Nonprofit Leadership in Times of Crisis
The last few weeks have felt like living in a whirlwind. It's only gaining speed, with more and more questions surfacing every day. It can be an incredibly difficult situation for all leadership,...
Want a Better Board of Directors?
Start with incredible board members. Having a reliable board of directors is key to a well run agency, and I'm often asked what makes a high-value board member. This question usually comes...
Nonprofit Management: 3 Keys to Success
3 Things That Will Help You Master Nonprofit Management Many people think that great leaders are born, not made... And sure, I believe some people may be born with some of the key character...
Leadership Development: Important vs. Urgent
Going through the motions of Leadership Development. When I first became a CEO, my biggest surprise was the speed in which important issues came to me and had to be addressed. This sudden load of...
Nonprofit Resources: 3 Free Downloads to Make Your Agency Better
Managing nonprofit resources can be one of the most difficult and yet rewarding experiences for a leader. There are numerous demands on your time, and some days the problems and challenges can seem...
leadership
Surviving in Crisis: 10 Ways to Help Your Nonprofit
Last week, I shared some lessons learned while leading a company through Y2K. It was a rocky experience...Nothing like the virus threat we face today, but threatening in a different way, nonetheless. Leading a nonprofit through turbulence like this can be incredibly...
Nonprofit Leadership in Times of Crisis
The last few weeks have felt like living in a whirlwind. It's only gaining speed, with more and more questions surfacing every day. It can be an incredibly difficult situation for all leadership, but especially for nonprofit leaders. When uncertainty and a lack of...
Want a Better Board of Directors?
Start with incredible board members. Having a reliable board of directors is key to a well run agency, and I'm often asked what makes a high-value board member. This question usually comes from a board chair or CEO who has or anticipates having one or more...
Nonprofit Management: 3 Keys to Success
3 Things That Will Help You Master Nonprofit Management Many people think that great leaders are born, not made... And sure, I believe some people may be born with some of the key character traits of a leader... But I firmly believe that great leaders can be...
Leadership Development: Important vs. Urgent
Going through the motions of Leadership Development. When I first became a CEO, my biggest surprise was the speed in which important issues came to me and had to be addressed. This sudden load of problems can be extremely daunting and overwhelming. It seemed that...
Nonprofit Resources: 3 Free Downloads to Make Your Agency Better
Managing nonprofit resources can be one of the most difficult and yet rewarding experiences for a leader. There are numerous demands on your time, and some days the problems and challenges can seem endless. Today I want to help make your life easier, by providing...
board development
5 Reasons Why Board Training is Critical to Nonprofit Success
Why is it some boards demonstrate a culture of excellence year after year while some seem to struggle just to get a majority of directors to show up for meetings or to make important decisions? Why do some nonprofits seem to show up everywhere in your community while...
5 Reasons Why You Need a Board of Directors (Besides the Obvious)
More often than not, I can tell when an executive director is preparing for a board meeting. He or she is usually a little on edge and short on patience. The team may be a bit "amped up" with people running around creating reports, copying documents, preparing talking...
10 Ways to Deal With Difficult People in Your Nonprofit
On the surface, leading a nonprofit might look like a piece of cake. You assemble a group of people passionate about the mission, point them in the right direction and get out of their way. For the most part, there are no ego problems, no hidden agendas, and no one...
Better Board Meetings: 5 Questions to Better Engage Your Board Members
Who likes nonprofit board meetings? Please raise your hands... Board members often have a full-time job. They put in a long day, then skip dinner with the family so they can have cold pizza and room temperature soda, gathered around a conference table. You and your...
5 Things Every Board Member Wishes You New
Whether you are a board chair or an executive director, leading a nonprofit is a special calling. It’s exciting, unnerving, challenging, and fulfilling. It’s a role most of us wouldn’t give up for anything… We've all been there. You find yourself sitting at the head...
Improving Board Effectiveness: Why Isn’t My Board Better?
Why Isn't My Board Better? Keeping up with the Jones’ is about as American as Apple Pie and baseball. I sense it is alive and well in the nonprofit world, too. Specifically, I hear nonprofit leaders often whispering, “Why isn’t my board better?” “Why can’t we do the...
strategic planning
Where is Your Nonprofit Going?
Understanding the key role Mission, Vision, and Values play in moving an organization forward. These elements are probably some of the most important in your organization, yet they are often the most overlooked. They help guide decision-making, budgeting, and...
Even “Perfect” Strategic Plans Usually Overlook This Component
One of the most frequent assignments I am asked to take on when asked to work with a nonprofit board or its CEO is to help them get back on track, to help them get things going again. They contact me because they feel bogged down and unable to break through the...
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...
3 Reasons Your Nonprofit Board is Having Problems: How to Overcome 3 ICK FACTORS of Board Leadership
There are several reasons why certain nonprofit boards struggle and I believe the top three reasons override almost everything else. Fix these three problems and you will see your board soar to new levels of impact and success. ICK FACTOR 1: POOR BOARD CANDIDATE...
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...
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...
everything…
Ready for Change: The Role of a Board of Directors
The role of a Board of Directors has remained the same over the years...for the most part. A board sets the direction, raises funds, provides financial and program oversight, and ensures all laws and regulations are followed. However, what has changed is the level of...
Nonprofit Leadership: The 11 Characteristics You Need for Impact
Is Your Nonprofit Leadership the best it can be? In my experience in working with leaders, there are a few characteristics that I have found to set a great leader apart from the rest, as well as predict their likelihood of success. I call these the 11 Characteristics...
Great Nonprofit Leadership: Do You Have What it Takes?
Great Nonprofit leadership comes into play in every aspect of your day, as it's essential to your team's success. When I took on a role as CEO, it seemed my team frequently faced some important and complex matters. Many of these involving our clients, team, or...
Step 1 in Leadership Development: Know Yourself
When we think Leadership Development, we often think of others first... But sometimes we over look a critical element -- knowing ourselves... When I first became the CEO of an organization, I was very excited and confident. I knew what needed to be done and was quite...
2020: New Year, Bigger Nonprofit Impact
Will 2020 be a success for your agency? With 2019 quickly coming to an end, most of us are tying up loose ends and putting the finishing touches on our 2020 plans, goals, and budgets for nonprofit impact. Maybe you're even making a couple of last minute phone calls...
Are Giving Trends Changing?
I recently read an article about giving trends in Giving USA stating that 2018 donations fell by an inflation-adjusted 1.7% over 2017. Without a doubt, $427.71 billion is still a whole lot of money for charity. However, no one wants to see backsliding in our levels of...
Nonprofit Governance: What Is It and Why Does it Matter?
Why are some nonprofit agencies so successful, how do they run so smoothly, and how does the board and staff work so well together? It begins with mutual appreciation and respect for one another, as well as excellent communication within the agency. In addition, the...
Is a Board of Directors Really Important?
Board of Directors Role: What Exactly Should Your Board Be Doing? Throughout my time with nonprofits, I’ve noticed that a board, along with its directors ability to fulfill their roles and responsibilities can be the difference between a high impact agency, a low...
Does Your Leadership Style Matter?
If you're like most nonprofit leaders, you've likely gone through your fair share of leadership skills training such as marketing, budgeting, goal setting, etc. However, you may never have made it a priority to look within...