Posts by theim
Titles Matter to Donors By John Curtis
What Titles Matter to Donors? Russell James, Ph.D. at Texas Tech University has recently completed a study of the Effectiveness of Fundraiser Job Titles. “His findings should give your Development Department reason to pause and, perhaps, move away from organization-centered titles to more gift-focused titles… his research shows that titles DO matter.” In the past,…
Read MoreStrategic Alignment By Tom Okarma
The Significance of Strategic Alignment What does strategic alignment have to do with impact and outcomes? If you stop to think about it, leaders can significantly increase the impact of their nonprofit agencies without spending an extra dime. Say what? Let’s say your agency has: Experienced leadership-CHECK A clear and compelling strategic plan-CHECK The respect and support…
Read MoreStewards of Information By Mark L. Vincent
Let’s be better stewards of information! We all receive lots of information and grow tired of repeated phrases. In addition to the way overused “sit back and relax and enjoy the flight,” an overused one I hope remains retired is “a heartbeat away from the presidency.” With grave respect for the ways in which people pass away…
Read MoreBig Picture Focus By Rick Dunham
The Challenge of Keeping the Big Picture in Focus One of the most important—yet hardest—things is to keep the big picture front and center. It’s just so easy to get sucked into the immediate… respond to the stuff that screams for our attention… and to be overwhelmed by the flood of things that come our…
Read MoreYour Gift to the Next Generation By Andrea Buczynski
What’s your gift to the next generation of leaders? Every leader has something to offer the next generation. Two different colleagues come to mind, neither of who would say they develop others. The Vision Caster One, a superior vision caster and networker, put his thoughts together on casting vision in a short video. He then…
Read MoreThe Impact of One Decision By Scott Rodin
The One Decision Leaders Make that Drives Everything They Do In my work as a consultant for not-for-profit organizations, I ask one question to start almost every consultation: “How do you define success?” I have found that this question more than any other helps define an organization’s mission, values, and motivations. The same is true…
Read MoreReady or Not, Here Comes Change! By Alan G. Weisenberger
Readiness for Change is up to you! Unless you’ve been asleep like Rip Van Winkle, you know that change is a constant in today’s world. But just because it’s constant doesn’t mean we’re good at it. It would be easier if we all viewed it the same way. But inevitably, while some are clamoring…
Read MoreThe Art of Strategic Thinking By William A. Horton
What is strategic thinking? In Becoming a Strategic Leader, the authors state that strategic thinking can be defined as, “The collection, interpretation, generation, and evaluation of information and ideas that shape an organization’s sustainable competitive advantage.” Similarly, T. Irene Sanders in Strategic Thinking and the New Science, says thinking strategically involves a combination of an…
Read MoreShalom Leadership By Zenet Maramara
A Steward Leader Pursues Shalom Leadership The steward leader approach is closest to shalom leadership. Bakke Graduate University describes shalom leadership where the leader pursues reconciling relationships between people, people and God, people and their environment, and people and themselves. The leader works toward the well-being, abundance, and wholeness of the community as well as…
Read MoreCultivating Relationships By Howard Rich
Leadership is About Relationships As a leader, we influence best through relationships, not through position. Without them, leaders cannot effectively and consistently address the issues of leadership development, ethics, fiscal responsibility, stakeholder relations, and stewardship practices. Leaders deal with people; therefore, the best way to deal with issues is to learn to work well with…
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