Ever wondered what unleashing your inner second grader could teach you about leadership? And fundraising?
It turns out quite a bit!
When we become adults, we want to look good and avoid looking bad. We become complex. We move away from who we were as children.
But children offer raw and unfiltered perspectives. They offer authenticity.
And those traits can profoundly shape our approach to leadership. In this episode, Margaret and David explore the invaluable lessons we can learn from unleashing what’s still unfiltered and raw about us . .
Introduction to Authenticity:
- The conversation starts with a discussion about how our egos and personas protect us. At the same time, they also create barriers.
- They ponder, how might the qualities of uninhibited and authentic be valuable in professional settings?
Lessons from Second Graders:
- David shares stories from his wife’s classroom (she’s a second-grade teacher). David took a page out of one of her student’s book. That kiddo described putting his Crocs into “sport mode” for recess. That in turn inspired David to wear his own Crocs in “airplane mode” while travelling.
Challenges of Inauthenticity:
- Margaret recounts an incident where her son’s innocent question about someone’s weight, though awkward, was entirely genuine.
The Lifeboat Exercise:
- Margaret and David discuss an exercise called “lifeboat” from their own leadership training. In this exercise, participants must authentically pitch why they should be saved in a hypothetical survival scenario.
- From this exercise, they learned what happens when adults try to be chosen. They witnessed how the adults masked their true selves to avoid looking bad. That led to inauthentic interactions. And such interactions make us less compelling.
- The exercise demonstrates how inauthentic behavior can lead to failure. Authenticity, on the other hand, resonates and compels others.
Authenticity in Fundraising:
- They discuss their program, “Being a Mega Gifts Fundraiser.” The course teaches fundraisers to be genuine, which exponentially enhances their effectiveness.
- Sometimes fundraisers tend towards over-calibrating to seem smart or be overly pleasing. These traits often come off as insincere.
Practical Applications:
- David and Margaret encourage fundraisers to express themselves more genuinely. Some examples of being more genuine might include cracking jokes, being honest about limitations, and showing enthusiasm.
- Margaret shares a personal story about a donor asking a provocative question. The response from her meeting companion was stiff and not really true. A straight answer would have gone better, and it was a missed fundraising opportunity.
Encouragement:
- The speakers advocate for training board members and fundraisers to embody authenticity and tap into their “inner second graders.” This is a way for board members to be more confident and willing fundraisers.
- They emphasize that being playful and genuine can lead to more successful and fulfilling interactions.
Conclusion:
Much like the uninhibited nature of second graders, authenticity is crucial for building trust and compelling others in professional settings.
David and Margaret urge listeners to listen to their own inner urges more often.
You can tap into your natural, child-like enthusiasm to enhance your leadership and fundraising efforts.
There are four listening 
Nonprofits were sent into a tailspin during 2020 and 2021, thanks to the global pandemic and resulting quarantines. As a result, foundation and corporate funders also pivoted to meet overwhelming needs. 
The following is an excerpt from Brock’s bestselling 2020 book