The unspoken truth in nonprofit organizations is there is often at least some measure of tension between the Board and the ED. Why? Because as businesspeople Board Members view the organization through the lens of industry, which means they feel like they are the best equipped to make key strategic decisions related to its future. Simultaneously, as seasoned […]
Read More… from Who Matters More – The Board or The Executive Director?
Turnaround Executive Directors are brought in for various reasons, the most common of which are to fix an ongoing cash deficit, revitalize ailing programs, or pivot the organization towards a new mission. But, when you are faced with making decisions about how to turn the organization around, you need to first ask if you even should. […]
Read More… from Should You Hire a Turnaround Executive Director or Sunset the Organization?
Are you a good leader? Of course, every leader wants to think so! …But would you know if you weren’t? As nonprofit consultants we work with some of today’s most dynamic organizations (and their world-class leaders) every day. As a result, we have seen plenty of examples of what makes a great nonprofit leader. Today […]
Read More… from What Would a Nonprofit Leadership Assessment Reveal about You as a Leader?
Have you heard your Executive Director or CEO say any of these things? These are all statements I have made throughout my career, and that I have heard echoed from my peers in nonprofit leadership. And that’s a problem! Each of these statements point to an unspoken issue that should concern a board of directors. […]
Read More… from Nonprofit Compensation: The Danger of Underpaying Your Chief Executive
Should your organization have centralized leadership or use a distributed leadership model? With all the buzz today around distributed leadership for nonprofits (also known as “shared leadership” or “co-leadership”), it’s easy to get caught up in the trend without fully analyzing the needs and implications associated with this kind of leadership model. But while distributed leadership may work well […]
Read More… from How to Select the Right Nonprofit Leadership Model
In a nonprofit organization which responsibilities belong to the Board of Directors, and which belong to the Executive Director? And how can both avoid stepping on each other’s toes? This is one of the most contentious topics in nonprofit leadership! Trying to determine where the board ends and the ED begins is one of the most common […]
Read More… from Where does The Board Stop and The Executive Director Start?
As any mother will tell you, “You don’t always get what you want.” But then again, popular song lyrics will also tell you that in those times, “You’ll get what you need.” Growing up, whenever I asked my mom for a new toy or the trendy jeans of the time, her question back to me […]
Read More… from Nonprofit Executive Recruiting: Getting what you Need and Want in your Next Leader
The best nonprofit organizations work to solve some of society’s biggest problems, but they can’t do that without asking the right questions. Why? Because questions help us to understand problems. They allow us to relate to others better. Questions forge solutions. Asking questions helps drive everything from program offerings and fundraising initiatives to the organization’s […]
Read More… from How Can Nonprofit Leaders Ask Better Questions?
A nonprofit’s board of directors is essential to their success at every stage, which makes the ability to assess their performance a critical task for ensuring the organization’s healthy growth. So, if you had to give your board a grade, what would it be? Every nonprofit leader hopes they’re working with an A+ board, but how does […]
One of the most important relationships for a nonprofit organization is the one between the Executive Director (ED) and the Board. Unfortunately, too often organizations learn this lesson the hard way. While organizations can vary on where they place their power, it’s common to notice an imbalance of power between the ED and the Board, […]
Read More… from How to Improve the Relationship Between an Executive Director and the Board