Learning to Lead for Impact
leadership insight from Tom Okarma
the latest and greatest…
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...
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...
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,...
Four Ways Board Training Can Help Your Nonprofit
Why do some boards demonstrate a culture of excellence year after year, while some seem to struggle with getting directors to show up for meetings or to make important decisions? Why do some...
Dealing with Problem Board Members
Leading a board would be so fulfilling, so rewarding, and so cool if it weren’t for those problem board members, right? True confession time: You’ve definitely had these thoughts. I know you...
I’ve Written a New Book!
IT'S HERE!! It is with great excitement that I announce the arrival of my second book! This book focuses solely on nonprofit leadership, with the ins and outs of how to successfully achieve and...
leadership
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...
Four Ways Board Training Can Help Your Nonprofit
Why do some boards demonstrate a culture of excellence year after year, while some seem to struggle with getting directors to show up for meetings or to make important decisions? Why do some agencies have a waiting list of board candidates, while others (maybe yours)...
I’ve Written a New Book!
IT'S HERE!! It is with great excitement that I announce the arrival of my second book! This book focuses solely on nonprofit leadership, with the ins and outs of how to successfully achieve and maintain a leadership position. I really wanted this book to be different!...
10 Characteristics of Effective Nonprofit Leaders
It’s no secret we’re living in a world of increasing turmoil. Violence is escalating. Hate is rising. Lines are being drawn and redrawn every day as portions of our country band together to oppose others. Culturally and politically, we are as divided as we ever have...
6 Things Nonprofit Leaders Learn the Hard Way
If you're like me, the best lessons you learn are the ones you learn the hard way. • Cutting corners usually comes back to bite you • Eating a big breakfast so you can cut down on your lunch and dinner-not so much • Cramming for a test the night before-good luck with...
board development
15 Things Non Profit Board Members Should Be Doing
You've Got New Board Members, Now What? New non profit board members are often confused, uncertain, and unclear on exactly what their responsibilities are once they are on the board. They are eager to help, but recognize they may not have historical or institutional...
11 Easy Ways To Start a Board Training Program For Your Nonprofit
Speed of the leader, speed of the team. No organization can succeed, let alone thrive, with weak or untrained leadership. The same holds true for nonprofit boards. One of the most prevalent problems I run into when I speak with executive directors or accept a new...
Making Tough Calls On Difficult Nonprofit Board Members
Leading Nonprofit Board Members Is Not Always Easy Sooner or later, every nonprofit leader has a problem with a board member. How this issue is dealt with separates the successful leaders from the rest of the pack. You may find certain nonprofit board members are...
Nonprofit Board Training: 23 Unwritten Rules Your Team Needs To Know
Take Your Nonprofit Board Training To The Next Level New board members typically receive some level of orientation when they step into their role. A more experienced member or agency leader will tell them about their fiduciary responsibilities, the Duties of Care,...
How Joining A Nonprofit Board Boosts Your Professional Development
Why Serve On A Board? Many individuals and businesses miss a valuable opportunity for professional development. They also miss a great opportunity to give back and make their community a better place to live. I know this because I used to be one of these individuals....
Recruiting Board Members: 12 Profiles For A Superstar Team
Who Should You Put On Your Board In 2018? Every organization is a reflection of its leaders. The more capable and committed any leadership team is, the more successful the nonprofit. Recruiting board members is a crucial step in cultivating a leadership team that...
strategic planning
A Bad Idea that Won’t Go Away
Board Chairs, Directors, and Executive Directors: Heads Up! I am pretty familiar with a substantial nonprofit that I think is making a big mistake. I see this happening from time to time in both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. And the results of their doing...
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...
Governance Part 2: Board Composition
What would be the ideal composition of your board? What skill sets should you have represented by board members that you can therefore leverage to your organization’s advantage? What does your board development committee look for in a board candidate? I’m currently...
Lencioni’s Four Keys To A Healthy Culture
At the Chick-fil-A Leadercast conference last week, Pat Lencioni identified 4 keys to a healthy organizational culture. Like so many other tips, they are easy to understand and accept, but they can be so hard to execute. Pat says the keys to a healthy organizational...
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...
Form Follows Function
Working with a nonprofit recently, I asked to see a copy of its organization chart-you know, the chart depicting how things are organized. As soon as I saw it, I became leery. The chart listed the names of people, rather than the departments they lead. This is often a...
everything…
6 Things Nonprofit Leaders Learn the Hard Way
If you're like me, the best lessons you learn are the ones you learn the hard way. • Cutting corners usually comes back to bite you • Eating a big breakfast so you can cut down on your lunch and dinner-not so much • Cramming for a test the night before-good luck with...
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...
Want Your Agency to Make a Bigger Impact?
Create a Tighter, More Focused Strategic Plan Have you ever asked yourself, with all the hours and hard work your team puts in each week at your agency, why you don't have more to show for it? More progress, more impact, more revenue, more client successes? Or worse...
How to Set Up Your Nonprofit Board for Success in 6 Easy Steps
As a young boy, I always enjoyed watching parades in “The Loop”, the heart of downtown Chicago. Bright colors, shiny instruments, and a snappy pace. So impressive and memorable. If you’ve seen the movie The Music Man, you know what I mean. I was so impressed every...
Want to be a Better Leader?
Switch to this type of Leadership. Leadership used to be simple and straightforward. The boss decided what had to be done, told someone, and that person or committee got working on it. Clear, simple, quick, and efficient. It was called top-down, or positional...
Could a New Strategic Plan Make This Year Better?
Does your agency really need a Strategic Plan this year? You might be on the fence about dedicating the time and energy needed to formulate a strategic plan for your nonprofit. Like most organizations, you have limited time and resources. So it's important to make...
How to Make Better Decisions
Decision making season is here. We're closing in on the end of 2018 and that can only mean one thing. For better or worse you probably have some tough decisions to make. Are there changes you need to make in your organization? People you need to let go, or new ones...
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...
Will End-of-Year Fundraising Be Risky For Your Agency?
Nonprofit leadership is challenging. And it's no secret that fundraising -- especially end-of-year fundraising - can easily top the list of stressors. Can you really count on all those pledges to come in at year-end? What if they don't? It's Fall of 2018 and once...