The following is an excerpt from my new white paper "What's Leadership Got to Do with It?"  The complete document can be found in the Articles and Research section of my firm's website.

Many nonprofits ask me, “What does it take for us to get noticed?” “What do we need to do to make an impact in our community?”  Smart, effective organizations know that there’s more to success than simply delivering promised services or programs.  They know that it takes a certain quality for a nonprofit to truly stand out, especially in a nonprofit sector as extensive and diverse as the one we have here in the Washington, DC region.  I am talking about leadership, and not just leadership by individuals, but leadership demonstrated by organizations as a whole. 

For the past several years I have served as chair of the Selection Committee for The Washington Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management, which is managed by the Center for Nonprofit Advancement in Washington.  And through this work I have come face-to-face with many extraordinary organizations here in our region.  I’ve been able to learn about what makes them distinctive and what makes them stand out among their peers.  But some recent experience with the Award, including a close review of this year’s semifinalists and finalists, as well as last year’s finalist organizations, has given me new insight into this topic of organizational leadership.

What does it mean to be a leader in the nonprofit sector?  What attributes should we aspire to espouse in an organization?  I suggest that it comes down to three basic concepts: Self-Awareness, Self-Confidence and Selflessness.

Self-Awareness

Leading organizations know a great deal about themselves.  Self-awareness is knowing about yourself, your strengths, abilities and capabilities.  It means that these organizations understand the broader environment in which they operate while at the same time understanding the passions of those individuals who make their nonprofit run each and every day.  Organizations arrive at this point of self-awareness from many directions.  One semifinalist organization uses storytelling as a way of connecting themselves and each other to why the work matters to them.  Their personal stories give them a way through which they deepen their understanding of their identity development.  They learned that storytelling can strengthen relationships among the staff and volunteers, which in turn makes them better equipped to build relationships with other stakeholders.  Another organization uses a personality profile evaluation system for both staff and board members to deepen their knowledge about themselves and to learn how to work effectively with each other to accomplish their goals.

Self-awareness is also about knowing one’s limitations. Nonprofit organizations are often challenged with the choice of whether to be all things to all people or to work with other organizations whose competencies complement their own. Every one of this year’s semifinalists, as well as the finalists for this year and last, list numerous ways through which they collaborate with other nonprofit organizations in the Washington region and beyond.  Many of these organizations spoke of a strategic effort not to duplicate services provided by other nonprofits in the area.  They understood that their clients or participants could, in many cases, best be served through a collaborative relationship with another provider.

Self-Confidence

Robust organizations have nothing to hide.  They have confidence in their beliefs as an organization based on research, experience and an understanding of the issue they address. They understand the benefit of evaluation as a way both to prove their work’s effectiveness and also as an essential management decision-making tool.  They have a track record of accomplishments or accolades or a combination of both such that they had an authentic leadership voice in the community.   This self-confidence leads them to a desire and the ability to advocate for their cause, educate others about their issue, and encourage other nonprofits and community leaders to join them.  These organizations are as much about creating a movement as they are about effectively delivering their services and programs.

Many of these organizations are active in dynamic coalitions that are focused on critical issues such as homelessness, the arts, workforce development or aging, for example.  Others engage with government agencies and political leaders to keep these issues in the front of their minds, with staff and volunteers active in numerous local, regional and national networks related to the cause.

These nonprofits lead by example through their community involvement, but with many of these organizations leadership is also an organizational value that informs their internal practices.  Everyone involved at these organizations is encouraged and supported to find ways to be engaged in the community. They are provided opportunities to sit on committees, volunteer with other organizations and share their expertise.  They are given the chance to develop professionally, enabling individual employees and volunteers to build their personal self-confidence as a member of the team.

Selflessness

The more I read about these organizations, the more I am struck by their generosity. Leadership means standing on your own but not by yourself.  Throughout the applications I saw references to sharing and to their being a “go-to” organization.  They realized that they had more to gain by sharing their model or by making themselves available for replication. All of these organizations have robust fundraising programs and sound financial practices.  None seemed to be concerned that they were revealing “trade secrets.”  They were happy to share; they felt it was their duty to share.  This openness and generosity have led them to opportunities and recognition that has resulted in partnerships, funding, board members and other things of lasting value.

One organization this year specifically cited their belief that they had an obligation to share their perspective in “meaningful ways with others in the sector.” Last year’s winner encourages other organizations to “steal our model!”  They are open to any who want to learn more and are excited when organizations come to them with interest in learning or in a possible collaboration.  Through these and other exciting collaborations, these organizations strategically and generously give back to the community and broaden their impact even further.

Reflection

If you are with a nonprofit, take a moment at your next staff meeting or at an upcoming board meeting and ask yourself, "How self-confident are we?" "How selfless have we been in advancing our cause?"  "How much do we really know about each other and what drives us to do this important work?"  From your answers, engage in a lively conversation that will likely lead to your examining a number of your management practices.  And with that simple step, you can set yourself on a path toward excellence and leadership.