Fundraising Leadership ™

Executive Coaching, Leadership Training, and Personal Development

The Power of Positive Intelligence and Dealing with Unachieved Goals

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Have you ever set a goal for yourself, worked incredibly hard to achieve it, but still came up short? It can be an unpleasant experience for some of us. Not achieving the target you set for yourself can be a tough pill to swallow. However, failing to achieve a goal can be the launching pad for future success for some individuals.

In this blog post, I’ll explore the power of Positive Intelligence and how it can help hyper-achievers deal with unachieved goals.

I hope you can learn from my recent experience, where I trained hard and aimed to win the World No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu Championships in my division but came up short. [Read more…]

Let Go of Control

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Do you create detailed plans, set goals, and schedule your days to control every aspect of your life?

Do you also find that as much as you try to maintain a sense of predictability, life throws curveballs that can leave you frustrated and unfulfilled?

A better approach is to set plans and goals while keeping them loose to be flexible and spontaneous when circumstances do not unfold as you expect. [Read more…]

On the Dangers of Familiarity and Rash Judgement

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Contrary to popular belief, the Middle Ages were not dark and ignorant. This period saw remarkable advancements, including the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg. During this time, Thomas à Kempis, a German-Dutch monk, wrote and published a renowned collection of essays called The Imitation of Christ.

Considered one of the most widely read Christian devotionals, the collection of essays has stood the test of time, captivating readers from all walks of life, including Eckhart Tolle who considers the collection one source of his spiritual inspiration.

After hearing one of Eckart’s talks, I embarked on a journey to explore the teachings of this medieval masterpiece. With a translation from 1874, I updated the English to resonate with modern readers, and I provided my interpretation and commentary on how these teachings can be applied in today’s fast-paced world.

Below is an excerpt from my new book: Wisdom from the Middle Ages for Living and Leading in Modern Times.

[Read more…]

Embracing Mindful Self Compassion

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I’ve been practicing mindful self-compassion for a while now. It’s a program based on: The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook.

This work could not have come at a better time for me.  For most of my adult life, I had a strong inner critic that was harsh and judgmental.  

At one point, I labeled this voice “Sledgehammer” because sometimes it felt like I was beating myself up with one. 

As a result of some work called Positive Intelligence and the exercises in the Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook, I’ve turned down the volume on that harsh voice.  

[Read more…]

Mental Fitness – Getting Your Mind Right

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In the 1967 Film, Cool Hand Luke, Luke (played by Paul Newman), is a prisoner on a southern chain gang. Upon his second failed escape attempt (and receiving his second set of leg irons), Luke is told by the Captain (memorably played by Strother Martin) that he is not going to need a third set of chains because he’s: “gonna get his mind right!”

As we say, “art imitates life.” [Read more…]

Emotional Intelligence – Giving Yourself a Break

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Right about now, you might be very angry about all that’s going on with the Coronavirus situation. Especially if you watch any of the cable news reporting.

I confess. I can be an angry elf! Like the one in the film Elf. More on that later.

In the book, the 15 Commitments of Conscious Leaders, Commitment #3 (summarized) is: “I commit to feeling my feelings through to completion. They come, and I locate them in my body, then move, breathe, and vocalize them, so they release all the way.” It’s a topic that Conscious Leaders come back to time and time again because they practice emotional intelligence.

[Read more…]

Managing to Retain Fundraisers

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In the marketplace for fundraiser talent, demand currently outstrips supply.  There are currently thousands of job postings for fundraisers listed at the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and LinkedIn.

In the face of this demand, advancement and development leaders often say that one of the most significant challenges they face is managing to retain fundraisers. While the economic forces of supply and demand are putting upward pressure on salaries, a common misconception about fundraiser retention is that it’s “all about the money.” That’s a management and leadership cop-out, and the situation is dire. According to a recent Association of Fundraising Professionals’ (AFP) report, half (50%) of fundraisers surveyed reported that they intend to leave their jobs in the next 2 years. [Read more…]

Dealing with VUCA. Practice #1 – Acceptance and Compassion

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The world has gone mad. Or, so it seems.

Volatility. The world is constantly changing, and becoming more unstable each day.

Uncertainty. It’s becoming more difficult to anticipate events or predict how they’ll unfold.

Complexity. Problems and their repercussions are more multi-layered, harder to understand.

Ambiguity. Not everything is black and white.

[Read more…]