In this episode, I take an example from today's newspapers about global diplomacy and make it relevant to managing a nonprofit where relationships sometimes get strained and responding to those situations becomes a leadership challenge, and opportunity.
After recording the last episode on what I learned from six role models, I thought of other things they taught me, and I also heard from each of them. This prompted me to record another short episode about what role models can teach you and how you can be one yourself. While this applies to mission-driven leaders, it has applications well beyond that important realm.
In this episode, I talk about what I have learned from six individuals whom I have worked closely with professionally, personally, or in the context of hobbies. These are not necessarily the most accomplished people I know -- though they have accomplished a lot -- but rather are people whose decision-making about what to do and even more how to do those things is nearly impeccable. It all comes down to how they treat other people -- with consideration which is to say with appreciation, admiration, and valuing the relationship over decades. Those individuals are Julian Schroeder, Jennifer Meehan, Howie Erichson, Norm Tonina, Bob Eichfeld and Tim Carter. To know them is a special pleasure and a unique learning opportunity if you can grasp it. I imagine each of us has people like them in their lives; bask in the joy of knowing them and see what you can learn and apply from observing them go through life.
In this episode, I share examples of how I have pushed myself at times to avoid personal and professional ruts and as a result, have accomplished more and been more satisified with my life. I underscore how this strategy can be used by mission-driven leaders in a variety of ways.
In this episode, I share a bit about my own recent feelings of despair, why occasional feelings of despair are normal for nonprofit leaders, and ten strategies for dealing with them so that you can regain a sense of energy, optimism, and possibility that helps you and your team do more good in the world.
In this episode, I talk about the inevitability of dropping the ball on a few important activities or tasks or priorities, and the importance of not beating yourself up about them -- since it is part of being a nonprofit leader -- but just get back to them when you can. I spend the rest of this episode talking about one of my strengths -- decisiveness -- and how it can also be a weakness: impatience. Learning how to maximize your strength while managing its dark side (which starts with acknowledging it in the first place) is a key leadership opportunity, and I share about how I have done so with decisiveness/impatience.
In this epsiode, I discuss President Biden's decision to end his campaign for reelection and relate it to a similar decision by President Truman many years ago, and how both of these situations relate to the opportunities, challenges, and responsibilities of mission-driven leadership.
In this epsiode, I give an example of how I asked a family member in their 90s what she had learned that she would share with a woman in her 20s if they asked her for career advice. Her response, and my reflections on the value of this conversation, make up the bulk of this short episode.
In this episode, I mine two recent exerperiences and share what they taught and reminded me about how deal with unexpected setbacks, as well as pitfalls to avoid in responding to them. And I also explore why it is risky to keep going back to the same people, over and over, who have skills, financial resources, or expertise that can help you seize opportunities or solve problems.
In this episode, I extend a theme I recently wrote about on my blog about what it means in a leadership and fundraising context to practice "extreme consideration" for others. I also discuss how being ethical when its inconvenient can pay long term dividends. As always, I try to be practical and succinct.
In this episode, I take some examples from my daily life to spotlight some invaluable qualities for being an effective nonprofit leader. These include how to manage change by valuing simplicity and being visible, how and when to vent, and why it is sometimes so important to stick around until the end of a conversation, conference, meeting, or project with ones full attention tuned in so as not to miss crucial details and nuance.
In this episode, the first in a while after returning from a book tour with 2 other authors, I discuss the difference between short-term, tactical thinking and acting, and how that compares with a longer-term perspective. Sometimes, playing for short-term advantage can undermine long-term progress, while other times it can support it. I share some real examples from my career to illustrate the synergies and tensions.
In this episode, I share about a PhD student whose praise for this podcast inspired me to get back to recording episodes, and about why self-understanding and self-improvement are important for all people, but especially so for nonprofit leaders. I give 4 examples of my life where I am trying to improve myself: in 2 cases I am making good progress, and in the other 2 I am struggling. I also explain how affirming yourself when you make even minor progress on something you are trying to improve on can help a lot.
In this episdode, I kick off the second season by reflecting on the importance of being in continual learning mode, but also on the fact that as a leader, you need to take promising practices and ideas and make them feel authentic for you and your evolving style.
In this episode, I talk about the pitfalls and opportunities in making New Year's Resolutions as a nonprofit leader, and also about the importance of setting goals, even highly ambitious ones, for a much longer time horizon -- such as 10-20 years from now. I pick up on some of the themes in my recent blog post about "Nonprofits that are Built to Last."
I consider myself a risk-taker. Some of my most important accomplishments have come from things I attempted that many people advised me were too risky to go for. In addition, some of my biggest setbacks can be traced to an instance where I took a big risk -- whether I realized it or not at the time -- and it backfired. Yet sometimes I become very cautious and risk-averse. In this podcast, I talk about my approach to risk-taking and also how our ability to assess the work required to get something done or our leverage in a negotiation is imperfect. Seeking to question your own assumptions about risk, leverage, and work requiremetns can lead to some highly valuable insights.
In this episode, I explore a few pitfalls that are common when making amends with (apologizing to) someone, or when offering feedback and criticism. Follow these 5 tips and you'll be much more effective in these tricky situations, whether with a family member or a major donor.
In this episdoe, I talk about a time when I learned that a famous philanthropist had told another person that I was the best fundraiser he had ever met, and how my reflections on that feedback led me to reconsider the role of receiving and giving compliments and praise in being an effective mission-driven leader.
When we try to cause positive change society, there are limits to what any individual can do on their own. But our conversations with others can be unexpectedly powerful opportunities to support other changemakers, who may be more open to being influenced by you -- through your affirmations, lessons, and ideas -- than you realize. So approach every conversation, every board or team meeting, and every speech as a big opportunity to create change by empowering other changemakers. In this episode, I share how I came to this insight and some ideas about how you can apply it yourself.
In this episode, I first reflect on the fact that now that I am a nonprofit executive director again (albeit on a part-time basis), sometimes I experience the kinds of sleepless nights that all leaders deal with from time to time. Then I share a recent experience about how I turned a relationship that was characterized by conflict into one of collaboration, and how this realizing this kind of transformation is an important part of mission-driven leadership -- since unlike in politics or business, nonprofits can't afford to leave many potential alliances unexplored.