“Leadership” – Articles
Quick-Start Your Board in 2013: Here’s How!
Now that the holidays are behind us and baseball’s spring training has begun, it’s time to insure the board is fully engaged in its work. For some, that means reconvening the current board. For others, it means welcoming several new board members to their first...
Show Up–Step Up–Speak Up!
My golfing buddy Brian tells me professional golfers have just three rules for their caddies: show up, keep up, shut up. Golf pros usually aren't looking for advise unless they specifically ask for it. They only want their caddy to be there when required and do their...
It’s Still Not Too late
Leaders and Board Members: Starting to feel guilty you did not prepare or update a strategic plan for your orgnanization's next 24-36 months? Even thought it is mid-December you still have time to develop a strategy and a plan. Its not rocket science and when your...
Sometimes, Singin’ Ain’t Easy
When things are going well, people usually sing loudly and really belt it out. That’s when churches echo with perhaps off-pitch, shrill, and sometimes nasal but always high-spirited and heart-felt sounds of happy people singing their hearts out. All seems right with...
It All Starts At The Top!
Leading Teams, Leadership. Values, Management
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...
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...
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...
Tough Calls Made…Easier?
I recently attended the Chick-Fil-A Leadercast one day Conference and hear Andy Stanley speak on making choices and decision making. He set up the scenario in which an important decision must be made, one that you, the leader must make...not your team. HE gave us...
Board Presidents That Don’t Bore
Over coffee with a friend who recently retired as a nonprofit board president, I learned how she kept board meetings lively and got her directors engaged right from the opening gavel. I had not served on this board so I was interested to learn her secret. Before she...
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...
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