Fundraising Leadership ™

Executive Coaching, Professional Development, Training, and Career Advancement for Nonprofit Leaders in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

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.

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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.  

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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.

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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.

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Have You Heard? They’re Ending Gossip. No Way! Way.

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Gossip–The practice of sharing information about people who are not present in a “casual or unconstrained conversation [that] typically involves details not confirmed as being true.”

We are all familiar with it. Every organization seems to be infused with it, and many leaders in the nonprofit world with whom I work believe it’s a good thing. They mistakenly believe that it helps grease the wheels of communication and that it will somehow serve as a source of valuable information that enables the organization to function smoothly.

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Why Some Frontline Professionals Struggle as Leaders

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This scenario plays out frequently at many nonprofit organizations: top-performing professionals gets promoted to lead a team but has never been trained to lead or manage. This is often a disaster—results suffer, people head for the door, and the new manager flames out (and may even get fired).

There are a few key reasons why some frontline professionals struggle as leaders and others do not.

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Honor is Dead! (Long live the Honorable)

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Sidney Mathias Baxter Coulling III, the retired S. Blount Mason Jr. Professor of English at Washington and Lee University died in February of 2016 at the age of 92. I had the distinct privilege of being taught Old English Literature and Poetry by Professor Coulling in 1981 as a freshman at W&L. It was the toughest “C” I ever earned (one of only two as an undergraduate). How I made my way into a sophomore level course (also taken by many juniors) is a testament to my naiveté–an error that only a greenhorn first-year student can make. [Read more…]