Leaders who embrace their roles make all the difference in the success of a nonprofit organization and its fundraising efforts.
Board members are all Leaders of the organization. They must accept their roles and responsibilities, and if they don’t know what those are, get training quick! Board members must be willing to participate in fundraising and make a financial gift themselves.
Executive Directors should provide vision and enthusiasm for their organization. They have mentoring and coaching duties for their staff.
Here are some helpful quotes on Leadership:
Great leaders are great simplifiers. Complexity breeds procrastination. Grand ideas, plans and ventures must be broken into doable bits, understood by all. –Mike Monahan
Let your energy and enthusiasm shine when you talk about things you believe in.Your wholehearted commitmentto what you believe in will make it easier for others to drop their natural resistance. Your energy and enthusiasm, if genuine, will make it easier for others to choose to believe in what you believe in. –Doug Smart
Practice the Leadership ABCs… Attitude, Behavior, Communication. Think like a leader (attitude). Act like a leader (behavior). Speak like a leader (communication). –Donna Satchell
How very true! The insight you provide, Sandy, about this inreasingly important aspect of fundraising and agency growth is right on target. Leadership is hard work, but the actual skills needed aren’t necessarily hard or difficult to develop; you have done a wonderful job of “boiling it down” to a manageable concept.
Angelia Moon
Associate Director, Southeast Region
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
Thanks for quoting me on your blog. Doug Smart
Hi Wow what a fantastic article about Leadership Skills! Your keen insight into Leadership Skills is informative and creative. I look forward to reading other articles you have. Thanks.
James Crook provides one of my favoite quotes about Leadership – especially the type of true character it takes to be a true leader: A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.