Picture this: After a full day sitting at your computer, you’re finally putting the finishing touches on a major presentation when — BAM! — your machine makes a whirring noise and the screen goes dark. All your effort has been wiped out, and you wonder what to do next. We’ve all experienced similar moments of dread. We rely on our …
What Tampa Bay Nonprofit Leaders Say They Need to Succeed (and How NLC is Responding)
Walt Disney once said that his iconic brand has continued to move forward, open new doors and try new things because its leaders are curious. At the Nonprofit Leadership Center, we’re relentlessly curious. We care deeply about what nonprofit leaders need and want — where they’re struggling and where their success can uplift others. We’re hungry to explore new ideas …
Your Nonprofit Guide to Retaining Staff
Ask any nonprofit leader what’s keeping them up at night, and chances are retaining staff is high on their list. Although 87 percent of employers say improving employee retention is a critical priority, more than three in four nonprofits (81%) lack a formal retention strategy. Creating a robust employee retention plan may seem daunting, but there are steps you can …
Celebrating Our Female Leaders
In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8th, Team NLC is thrilled to introduce you to four outstanding women leaders who will be bringing you inspiration and practical action steps to increase your focus and lead with purpose during our breakout sessions at the 2019 Leadership Conference on May 22nd. We have a deep and diverse talent pool for …
Tuning Into Your Future
We’re thrilled to bring you the first guest blog post from our 2019 Leadership Conference Keynote Speaker, Simon T. Bailey. “The biggest risk is not taking any risk…In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” – Mark Zuckerberg Have you ever had an idea or dream but for some …
3 Ways Leaders Make Emotional Connections
When I first started working in then-Big Six consulting firm Coopers & Lybrand, the partner I was assigned to was a gentleman named Chris Abramson, and he had an enormous scale of responsibility. Yet whenever I talked with him, which was not that often, he gave me his undivided attention. He talked with me about my goals and my development …
Beware the “Culture of Nice”
It was important to Melissa* that she create an inclusive culture where all voices were heard. Yet, as a chronic conflict avoider, she was unwittingly building a “culture of nice,” where getting along was valued over getting things done. (*Names have been changed to protect identities.) Neither extreme is helpful. But Melissa failed to see how her culture of nice …
Reinvent Your Personal Brand
Like so many of you reading this blog, my “to read” stack is piled halfway to the ceiling. Some books and longer articles that I want to read, and others, that for one reason or another, I need to read. Add to that stack the deluge of emails, daily periodicals, and of course, blogs like Forbes and Harvard Business Review, and I sometimes …
Find the Reverse Leaders in Your Midst
You’ve likely seen reverse leadership in action. It happens when someone not in a formal leadership role demonstrates great leadership ability: when a field service agent steps up with a solution to a persistent problem, for example; when a customer service rep inspires her colleagues through her exemplary customer-centric behavior. When someone on an account team improves dramatically after being …
New Manager Mis-Steps
Robert* was making Janice* crazy. He hired her for her research skills but then delegated only menial tasks, and kept her out of the loop on the most strategic projects. He invited her to join him for a conference presentation, but then expected her to watch him present rather than present with him. Robert kept promising a pipeline of interesting …