One of the biggest challenges in leadership is to know when it’s time to leave. This is a very tough challenge because typically there is no scandal, no contract termination date, and no rule book for how this works. This decision is unique to you and your organization and comes after soul searching, stakeholder input, and other factors.

Instead of worrying if someone else could be doing your job better, use your newness to your advantage. Chances are you already have the skills, experience, and instincts to do 90% of your job. Whatever you don’t know can be learned. No one is actually expecting you to know 100% of your job on day one and if they are, they’re jerks. Most problems work themselves out. For those that need your attention, you will figure it out. There is no need to stress about being an imposter. You are not an imposter. You already got the job. The experts hired you so you can’t be an imposter!!

Most professionals know that doing any two things at the exact same time probably means you aren’t doing either very well. I am not saying that every task or project must be solved before a new one is begun. It’s perfectly OK to have 10 tabs open on your browser and multiple files open on your computer. We all have our own little tricks for staying on top of our responsibilities. But we must not confuse having multiple assignments with multitasking. We all can balance numerous responsibilities and multiple systems on the same day. The problem with valuing multitasking is cultural. We think the best way to communicate skill or value is by looking really really busy.

I remember hearing a podcast once where a business consultant was chastising a big telecom company for wasting money doing “research” to find out what their customers thought of them. The consultant said, “Why spend a million dollars hunting this down? You have a hotline where you are getting free feedback on your performance every day. People are yelling at you online and on the phone daily. This is free data!”

Who doesn’t love BINGO? OK maybe a handful of you have gambled your life savings away, but most people really like BINGO. It’s a fun, competitive, and wholesome game for any large group occasion.

"Executive Director Boot Camp: From Cautious to Confident in Less than 10 Hours."

Learn the skills and knowledge necessary to run a non-profit org

Build your confidence (In areas like operations, finance, HR, technology, compliance, fundraising, board relations, and more!)

Get better pay and better jobs

Put this course on your resume!

Failure doesn’t come because people intend to fail. Failure comes because people fail to plan and protect. Yes, it’s really that simple. Here are four warnings to be aware of that will help you be one of those success stories.

Nonprofit leaders don't get effective training in management, especially executive directors. It's also particularly acute in nonprofits to not fire people because of a host of reasons. Check out my blog post and share with your friends. Then join us for the webinar on "Common Executive Director Mistakes...and How to Avoid Them" mentioned at the end of the blog post.

So why is it so hard to grow an email list? Well, it’s hard to build something from nothing. The organizations that grew the biggest lists began doing so after already having a good size list, or because they made dedicated marketing investments in order to grow.

We only have the attention of others for a moment. How do we get our message out in the time it takes individuals to “swipe right” or between the mailbox and the garbage can? We must learn how to break through. Luckily, there is evidence of a tactic that works: storytelling. Stories are powerful. We remember them more than facts, statistics, or websites. Nonprofits should be better storytellers.

It goes by lots of different names, but an executive session is the time during a non-profit board meeting when the board excuses the Executive Director (ED) and staff so they can talk among themselves. I don’t know who created this practice or why it is allowed to continue. It is universally despised by executive directors, and many board members privately admit that it feels a little bit icky. Yet through inertia, it persists.

Too often, nonprofit organizations (especially white-led) take an approach to diversity that is a tad lazy, sloppy, uninformed, filled with bureaucracy, and even inauthentic. Don’t get me wrong, it may be well-intentioned, but it’s not working.

All people could benefit from media training, but nonprofit leaders should make it a priority because getting covered accurately in the media is essential to growing your organization. Two essential things I learned early on have stuck with me. First, even though a reporter may be interviewing you, you are not talking to them. You are talking to their readers, viewers or listeners. When you know this, you will be far more effective at getting results. Second, don't answer the question asked of you. Respond with what you want to say.

Immediately after the election of Donald Trump as President, many people were worried about potential restrictions on civil liberties for LGBTQ people, women, immigrants, communities of color, and certainly Arab and Muslim populations.

The word “capacity” is nebulous for many people. It’s like saying “organizational infrastructure” or “intersectionality.” It can seem like jargon; it may be hard to define but you kinda think you’d know it when you see it…maybe. For folks newer to these terms, or afraid to raise their hand to ask, “what exactly do you mean by ‘capacity’” here’s a list!

It is very common for people to cringe when asked to raise money from others. The act of asking for money brings up discomfort and anxiety. There are two big reasons for this: 1) the asker doesn’t want to impose a burden, and 2) the asker thinks they are asking for a favor. This is rubbish and we need to eliminate this way of thinking.

What I mean by this, is that things may not appear as they seem. Let's say you are prospecting a foundation you have never heard of before and the funding guidelines on the website clearly state the three things they fund your issue or project is not one of those. So do you close the tab and never think of that foundation again? Or you get creative?

One of the biggest mistakes I made as a first-time executive director (ED) was getting too cocky. I knew I was a strong fundraiser and I was on a very good streak in my first 5 months on the job. I took over after a multi-month gap with no executive director and the organization was losing money. It was also in debt and then the national economy collapsed around me. This was August of 2008.