nonprofits

This is point #3 in Nonprofit Leadership.

I am a member of the Founders Club.  I’ve started three schools and I’m proud of the changes I was able to make in people’s lives.  In two instances I made the decision to leave rather than gain Pyrrhic victories in a battle of egos.  I’m not sure I would have wanted to work for me.  I was so mission-focused that the touchy-feely stuff  some adults seemed to need from me just wasn’t there.  That was me.  There are a host of reasons you should run screaming from a job offer to replace any founder who intends to remain active in the organization they started.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said “Every institution is the lengthened shadow of one man.”  That can become a good thing or a bad thing.  I have experienced both with founders I have encountered.  One thing I do know is that I will never work for/with another founder and I would not recommend it for anyone who is looking to make a difference in their nonprofit work.  If you are bold enough to venture forth anyway, get a contract and factor in some sort of additional compensation into your contract for the pain you will inevitably experience.

The qualities that were responsible for launching the founder’s vision can often end up being the same qualities for which the founder eventually becomes despised.  A pioneering spirit turns into ego-centrism and dictatorial decision-making.  The board of directors is often ineffective in this kind of a setting.  When new board members, not under the thrall of the founder, try to make changes, the scene is set for a terminal battle.  The only hope at this point is probably an organizational coach with the skills of King Solomon.

If you end up working for one of these people, know that a lot of your time will involve as much ego-stroking as client work.

This is a book review of The Nonprofit Marketing Guide by Kivi Leroux Miller. If you are a decision maker at a nonprofit -- particularly a small one -- this is the only guide you’ll need. You should also check out Ms. Miller’s website..

I have been able to get something useful from all the other books in this space that I have read but I could’ve saved a bunch of money if I had waited for this book.

P.S. I think I got the lighting right this time. I just wish that microphone cord didn’t look like it was going to disrobe me!
P.P.S. -- I’m going to continue the “11 Tips” for nonprofit leaders with a post later this week.

Just a few notes:

I left integrity out of my list of qualities that I mention in the video -- it belongs at or near the top.

Once you get clear about your moral boundaries and the things you are willing to fight for -- DON’T SHARE THEM!. Your enemies and your putative allies/friends will attempt to use this against you to gain your position and presumed power.

You probably won’t find yourself in a debate about different moral codes or concerned about moral relativism. It will more likely be your code on one side and the absence of any code on the other. Hopefully, that will make your Rubicon clearer.

Finally -- yes, I do know what a “fill light” is and I promise to do better next time( I choose not to blame this on my 9 year-old camera man).

In the words of Emile Zola, whatever you do, “Live your life out loud!”

This post contains a few of my reflections on nonprofit leadership challenges. My caveat is that while these are mostly general observations, they are mainly flavored by my experiences. In setting down these observations, I hope to provide offense only to those who deserve it – i.e. the Quislings and sycophants who, along with their feckless masters, took advantage of my evolved consciousness You know who you are!!

The best audience for this piece is people who are thinking of moving into nonprofit leadership or who have been on the job for a short time. Two really good books on the topic are “Leadership on the Line” and “The Leadership Challenge” (not affiliate links).  Some of these observations are unique to my experience. They will be the subject of a book on my nonprofit adventures and the interesting characters who populated them. I tried to start this out as a Top Ten list but more and more reflections intruded, so here goes:

1. Decide what kind of leader you are going to be before you start.
2. Expect ingratitude – from my experience, ingratitude is mainly a male trait.
3. Do not join an organization where the founder is still active – unless you are prepared to be merely a spokesperson.
4. Develop your network before the big job so that you can bring in your own team.
5. Get a guarantee that you can bring in your own team.
6. If you are Latino or African-American and board members start telling you how articulate you are, start looking for another job.
7. Get a contract.
8. Avoid working for a board that has a majority of members with too much time on their hands – or too many lawyers.
9. Provide well-structured feedback immediately – whether it is positive or not.
10. Hire for loyalty, passion, intelligence, courage, and sense of humor.
11. Don’t let sympathy get in the way of getting rid of the “dead wood” as soon as you can.

In future posts I’ll provide more details, insight, and cautionary tales.  If you’re doing it, or thinking about doing it and want to get in touch for sympathy, to rant, or feedback, please contact me.  For those of you in the nonprofit trenches, I’d love to hear your additions to my list.