Leadership

Nonprofits need to understand the dynamics of a changing landscape in the leadership of the nonprofit sector. There has been an unprecedented growth in the sector in the past several decades. Over 58,600 applications for new nonprofits were approved by the IRS in 2008 alone. (Source: Internal Revenue Center Databook 2008.) With all these new nonprofits, the sector enjoys new leadership opportunities – and faces critical challenges. But the opportunities and challenges are not just for new organizations; mature organizations gain new leaders, and veteran leaders can always add some polish to help them shine. What is clear is that leadership in our sector is needed now, more than ever before.

Effective leadership is key to nonprofit sustainability

In a 2009 report entitled, The Sustainability Formula: How Nonprofit Organizations Can Thrive in the Emerging Economy (TCC Group, 2009), the authors conclude that effective leadership is the strongest predictor of nonprofit sustainability. Whether your role is as chief operating officer of a huge nonprofit, or board chair of an all-volunteer group, your leadership is vital.

Where can you find leadership training? Many state associations of nonprofits offer leadership training opportunities especially designed for nonprofit board and staff leaders. Find your state association here. Leadership training opportunities also abound in local communities through universities, colleges, and other organizations that regularly provide training for nonprofit professionals.

• Would leadership training be helpful to you? You can use this Leadership self-assessment tool offered on the website of the National School Boards Association to conduct a self-assessment to determine what aspects of leadership training might be most helpful to you. 

Special challenges for nonprofit leaders:

• Setting Priorities and delegating duties: One of the biggest challenges for nonprofit leaders, according to the consulting firm Bridgespan, is knowing what fire to put out first. The report, Leadership Priorities – What Facets of Management Shouldn’t You Delegate?  (2010) argues that aligning staff around the organization’s strategic priorities, and developing its next leaders, should never be delegated.
• What is your  “leadership blindspot?”  We all have them. Bridgespan’s article, Beware Your Leadership Blindspots (2009), suggests tips, including getting 360-degree feedback, to help leaders ‘improve their leadership eyesight.’
• Next Generation Leadership: Resources on leadership development for "next generation" leaders are compiled at the Emerging Leaders section of the online Nonprofit Good Practice Guide hosted by the Johnson Center at Grand Valley State University (Michigan).
• Leadership Succession Read more information about both planned and emergency leadership transitions from the National Council’s resources on Administration and Management, in the Leadership Succession section.

Resources, articles and publications on leadership: There are many wonderful publications focused on the subject of leadership. The staff of the National Council of Nonprofits' and state association leaders have been reading and discussing The Leadership Challenge, by James Kouzes & Barry Posner 4th Edition (2007, 4^th ed).

The following are helpful reports and publications offering guidance about leadership issues facing the nonprofit sector today:

• What Helps Leaders Grow: highlights from the Fund for Leadership Advancement James Irvine Foundation (2009).
• Peak Performance: Nonprofit Leaders Rate Highest in 350-Degree Reviews Nonprofit Quarterly (Winter 2008).
• Boards of Midsize Nonprofits: Their Needs and Challenges,  Urban Institute (2008).
• Investing in Leadership Volume 2: inspiration and Ideas from Philanthropy’s Last Frontier This report uses case studies to illustrate a variety of leadership development methods being used throughout the nonprofit sector. Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (2008).
• Supporting Next Generation Leadership: A GEO Action Guide  This report explores the role of grantmakers in attracting, developing, and retaining next generation leaders. Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (2008).
• A New Seat at the Table: When is it time to add to your senior management team? is an article from Bridgespan that explores how to know when it’s time to add a second-in-command, what skills are needed, and how to justify the added expense (2008).
• Work with Me: Intergenerational Conversations for Nonprofit Leadership, by Kim Fellner, Terry Keleher, and Elisa Ortiz (National Council of Nonprofit Associations, 2008) is structured like a workbook, offering tips and tools for working with your staff to build a harmonious and effective intergenerational team. Contact the National Council at (202) 962-0322 for information on purchasing this publication.
• Nonprofit Behaviors and Misbehaviors – What Makes Powerful Nonprofit Leaders?  The Winter issue of the Nonprofit Quarterly (2007) explores leadership issues in the sector, including characteristics of powerful leaders.
• Nonprofit Governance - Findings on Performance and Accountability from the First National Representative Study,   Urban Institute (2007)
• Nonprofit Leadership Development – A Selected Annotated Bibliography (2007) The AED Center for Leadership Development has compiled a helpful bibliography of publications that focus on nonprofit leadership development.
• Ready to Lead? Next Generation Leaders Speak Out (2007) is the report of a national survey of emerging nonprofit leaders about their readiness to become executive directors/CEOs  produced by CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Meyer Foundation and Idealist.org.
• Nonprofit Leadership: A Sampler of Networks, Fellowships, and Workshops (2007) focuses on the status of leadership development throughout the sector. It was drafted by the National Council of Nonprofit Associations and the Leadership Working Group of the Nonprofit Congress.
• Daring To Lead 2006: A National Study of Nonprofit Executive Leadership provides the findings from a joint study by CompassPoint and the Meyer Foundation that examined leadership, executive turnover, compensation, career plans and retirement in the nonprofit sector.
• Passing the Torch: The Report from the Third Annual Philanthropy Summit (2006) summarizes key themes and challenges on transitioning to the next generation of nonprofit leadership that emerged from the 3^rd Annual Philanthropy Summit convened by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and the McCormick Tribune Foundation.
• The Nonprofit Sector’s Leadership Deficit – Commentaries explores the leadership gap facing the nonprofit sector as aging baby boomers retire and next generations leaders emerge. Bridgespan (2006).
• Up Next: Generation Change and the Leadership of Nonprofit Organizations, The Annie E. Casey Foundation (2005).