Leader isn’t a title, rank or promotion given by an organization. It’s something much deeper and more impactful. It’s a profound level of respect earned by special individuals from people at equal, higher and lower station of the organization.
Leaders who provide vision, clarity and a propensity for always doing the right thing empower organizations to aim for and reach new heights.
There are as many different leadership styles as there are personalities. So, it makes perfect sense that there is no one size that fits all path to leadership.
We all can agree that leaders aren’t born, they are made.
They are shaped by the world they grow up in, continuously influenced by the sum of life experiences and those in their personal, professional and communal networks who touch them and who they touch.
Virtually everyone aspires to leadership and being the person in charge. But once you arrive at the destination, it can be scary, lonely, humbling and cause restless nights.
There is much that can and should be learned from research, examples of both strong and weak leaders, but in the final analysis it invariably comes down to the true essence of what’s in our bodies, minds and souls.
For- and non-profit leadership share many common characteristics. A strong case can be made that non-profit leaders face even more profound challenges because typically they need to accomplish more with less.
Eskin Fundraising Training since 2018 has enormously enjoyed partnering and collaborating with professional and volunteer non-profit leaders representing organizations of all different sizes, missions and parts of the country.
At the core of our pedagogy is the celebration of the power of a genuine learning community that thrives on the premise that no single person has all the answers, but everyone has wisdom, experience and personal insights to contribute culminating in the reward of the answers virtually always being in the live or virtual meeting room.
Through the collective wisdom gained through 250 live and/or virtual workshops and other gatherings, here are 10 lessons and guidelines for people at all stages of their careers to consider during the never-ending journey to become the very best leaders they can be.
1. What is your No. 1 priority as a leader? Success is not measured by individual achievement but rather by the accomplishments and growth of team members. Leaders do everything within their power to support the success of everyone around them by removing obstacles, candidly discussing strengths and weaknesses, and enhancing the ceaseless commitment to continuous improvement.
2. What shapes your vision of an effective leader? So much can be learned from both good and bad bosses. As I began to rise in my career, this simple advice of my wife resonates louder and clearer, “Lead team members the way that you want to be led.”
3. What is the No. 1 mistake to avoid? Don’t do or redo the work of team members. Remember, the leader’s focus is on supporting success. Everyone deserves the opportunity to succeed or fail on their responsibilities. Nothing else will more profoundly build skill sets, nurture self-esteem and confidence, and set the stage for accepting increased responsibilities.
4. How do you make sure you receive a varied flow of information? In today’s divisive and polarized society, this is becoming more and more vexing. We can and should disagree without disagreeable. The focus must be clearly on substance and issues and not personalities. One of the surest paths to widening perspectives is understanding the views of those who disagree with you.
5. How do you like to make decisions? Start by narrowing the focus to areas of agreement and then move to the contentious issues. Be sure to benefit from Input from all stakeholders with skin in the game. The best guideposts are staying true to the organization’s mission, vision and values. Length of time can be tricky — the objective Is to gather all necessary information and data, while demonstrating decisiveness.
6. Who do you unconditionally count on to tell you the truth? Truth telling is likely the most precious commodity that can be received and shared. You want to avoid hearing from team members who tell you how right you are in the so-called interest of scoring points. This is where mentors — especially from outside the organization — play crucial roles. Keep in mind that the truth might be hard to swallow and it can take time to seep in.
7. Do you recognize major weaknesses? Recognizing personal shortcomings, gaps and opportunities for improvement are vital components of stepping into leadership roles. These gaps can be filled by surrounding yourself with those who furnish missing strengths and enthusiastically participating in programs and circles of those in similar shoes who can candidly share their own experiences.
8. When your team makes a significant mistake how do you handle it? This defines strong leaders, who own both successes and failures. Mistakes happen all the time. How we respond defines character. Meet privately with the responsible individual(s) and be sure to have a keen understanding of their side of the story. Then work together to identify and implement specific processes, systems and steps to put in place to prevent similar mistakes happening in the future.
9. What is your approach to working out disagreements? Never underestimate that disagreements can be huge teaching moments. Listening to, seeing virtue of differing points of view, inevitably grows wisdom and capacity to make difficult decisions.
10. How do you want to be remembered? As much as anything else, this can and should shape leadership style and acumen. Simply put: Good and decent men, women and children make fine leaders. They share a genuine concern for improving the well-being of others and leaving the world better than it was given to them.
There are no one-size-fits-all stratagems. Just as men and women grow over time so too do good leaders. They are constantly evolving in response to the changes in the world around them. Each and every day is welcome as an opportunity to become a better person, and in doing so, mature into a stronger leader impacting family members and loved ones, workplaces, and organizations whom time is devoted to.
About Eskin Fundraising Training
After a successful career leading advancement for three institutions of higher education, Jim Eskin’s consulting practice, Eskin Fundraising Training, launched in 2018, builds on the success of more than 250 fundraising workshops, webinars, broadcasts, podcasts and board sessions, and provides the training, coaching and support services to equip non-profit leaders to replace fear of fundraising with comfort and confidence. He has authored more than 150 guest columns that have appeared in daily newspapers, business journals and blogs across the country. He publishes Stratagems, a monthly e-newsletter exploring timely issues and trends in philanthropy. Sign up here for a free subscription. You will also receive invitations to free virtual learning community programs. He is author of 10 Simple Fundraising Lessons, an 82-page common sense guide to understanding the art and science of fundraising, and How to Score Your First or Next Million-Dollar Gift, 104 pages filled with strategies, best practices and homework assignments to unlock exciting opportunities that elevate organizational impact to the next level. Both are available in print and digital formats through Pathway, the book distributor, and Amazon. Quantity discounts are available to non-profits who want to share books with teams of management, development staff, board and volunteers. Eskin is also available for customized virtual training for boards, staff, and fundraising committees. His newest Initiative is Jim Eskin’s Empowerment Upstream TV Network.
Website: www.eskinfundraisingtraining.com
Newsletter sign-up: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/36Wz1P1
10 Simple Fundraising Lessons purchase: http:// www.pathwaybookservice.com/products/10-simple-fundraising-lessons
How To Score Your First or Next Million-Dollar Gift purchase:
Nominate Your Non-Profit North Star Podcast:
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/uVpLGKk
Jim Eskin’s Empowerment Upstream TV Network:
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Jim Eskin
Founder
Eskin Fundraising Training
10410 Pelican Oak Drive
San Antonio, TX 78254-6727
Cell: 210.415.3748
E-Mail: jeskin@aol.com
www.eskinfundraisingtraining.com
