“Leadership” – Articles
How to Get Your Nonprofit Off to a Good Start in 2015
The holidays will soon be behind us and after this long, wonderful break we all are currently enjoying, it will soon be time to get to work on the goals you recently set for 2015. It’s also time to re-energize your board to ensure it is ready to fully engage in its...
Means and Ends: Who does What
One of the major causes of friction in the area of nonprofit leadership and poor nonprofit board performance, and a big reason why boards and CEO's may part ways, is poor boundary setting between the board and the CEO. For most agencies, everyone understands each...
Bully Boards-Here’s One Way To Avoid Them
Every so often, I hear about tough, demanding boards but nothing like a board I recently “met” through a friend who also serves as the CEO of a separate, very successful, well-mannered nonprofit agency. My friend told me about the rude, abrasive, unruly practices a different board had, including a confrontational, in-your-face, no-fun board style. My friend asked, “How do I keep my board from becoming like this one?
25 Ways Your Board May be Failing
Do many of these sound familiar? If so, it’s time to do something. Let me know what else you might add to this list. No strategic plan in place Poor alignment between goals and:resources, staffing, structure, budget, decision-making Infrequently monitoring financial...
“Tom-isms”, or What I learned the Hard Way…
...but you don't have to. We all learn a lot of lessons along the way. I seem to learn best by doing rather than taking someone's advice. The result is I learn by getting my nose bloodied from time to time. So in the spirit of wanting to share so others can benefit...
Yes, Your Nonprofit does Need a Board of Directors!
Absolutely, a board of directors is necessary. But, it shouldn't just be comprised of a collection of well-intended directors. Legally, you're probably required to have one anyway, but in addition, the value derived from the "right" board is immeasurable. In fact,...
Do We Really Need a Board of Directors?
There is a pretty simple way to decide what is board business (governance) and what is staff business (operations).
Put Passion back into your Nonprofit Board Meetings
If you’ve struggled to increase board meeting attendance, raise the energy level in your meetings, develop a clearer focus on your mission, or instill a fiery passion back into your boardroom, I have an answer. It is quite simple, costs nothing, and you can do it at...
A Tool to Minimize Strife on Your Board-Your Values
Military experts say once a battle begins the battle plan goes out the window. I am seeing evidence this also happening on nonprofit boards. In a couple of cases I’ve seen terrible damage done to otherwise well-running nonprofits. Yet, due to strife, however caused,...
You Need a Prickly Pair on Your Board
I love the desert, not just because that is where spring training of my beloved losers-The Chicago Cubs- practice but because of its unique vegetation. Cacti come in many different styles. Some say there are over 2,000 species of these complex living creations. One...
Team or Family: Your Choice
Leading a nonprofit is not easy. There are many interests to balance, many balls to juggle, many personalities to assuage, many clients to serve. It's been likened to herding carts. So, in order to do the very best job you and your agency can do, you need reliable...
Are You a Leader Worth Reproducing?
One of a leader’s primary duties is to grow and develop others. Just recently I began wrestling with a related question posed by a long-time friend of mine-Dave-who is in ministry.…Am I a leader worth reproducing? How about you? Are you a (fill in the blank) board...
No More Nonprofit Board Problems in 2014!
Here are a few ideas to help ministry and nonprofit leaders work more closely (and pleasurably) with their boards. Who knows, maybe everyone will actually start enjoying board meetings! Reconnect regularly with each director, one-to-one if possible, to tap into their...
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...
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