True leadership is an art, not a science. What makes some Leaders typically excel, and others be prone to falter instead? There are signs which help reveal which type of leader an Executive Director of a non-profit organization is.
In the last post in this Robin Morgan series, her insights into the must-have qualities of non-profit leaders was explored. In this post today, her perspective on the must-avoid qualities of ineffective leaders are showcased.
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Robin Morgan
What are the signs of an ineffective non-profit leader? Having explored the qualities of effective, exceptional leaders in my last post, today I will address the signs of ineffective leaders I’ve observed in the Non-profit world over the years.
The key weaknesses of ineffective non-profit leaders I have observed:
- Micromanaging – Leadership that has to control and oversee every aspect of their team and the organization. For some reason there are control and trust issues. By being a micro manager, this prevents the leader from concentrating on the important areas (main areas) which will produce the best return. Micromanaging also dampens creativity and morale.
- Egocentric – A leader that is more concerned about themselves and how they are perceived. This type of leader often relies on their title or their position. This leader is not connecting or developing relationships with those that are, or could be, important to the organization’s success.
- In the Office more than Out – A leader with this weakness fails to schedule enough time out of the office to do two very important things:
1. Cultivate new relationships
2. Keep relations refreshed
The organization therefore loses ground. A leader of an organization is the best salesman of the organization. Good leaders have their feet to the pavement, selling the organization, selling the mission, and developing relationships. There is a visibility piece to a Non-profit leader’s success. To put it simply, if you are not out there, they will forget who you are and what you do.
In 2011 and 2012 I had the opportunity to work with two founding Executive Directors. They never left the office. So, I challenged both to schedule one day a week in which they would set appointments to introduce themselves and the organization to funders, organizations they could possibly collaborate with, and the community.
At the end of the day I received a call from both these Directors saying: ”This was such a great idea I need to schedule more time cultivating the community”. In a short period of time both organizations connected with new funding. One of the organizations developed a long-lasting collaboration, with a municipality, that is still ongoing.
Setting the wrong tone, by being in the office too much, isn’t good. Those around you and those who work with you follow the example you set as a leader. Therefore, if you set the tone that you want to work hard and you want to accomplish a lot, that attitude is noticed. How hard they work, and what they want to accomplish, is directly affected by the tone you set as a leader. Ineffective leaders who aren’t observed as a team player do not set the right tone; personal pride trumps the organizations.
LEARN
Robin Morgan has painted a clear picture of an ineffective leader. What lessons can you learn from her reflections on leadership?
Effective leaders:
- Are not ego–centered. They look outside of their office door to apportion credit to others.
- Are Visionaries, not Micro managers. They define the goal lines, but leave it up to their Employees/Volunteers to actually move the chains.
- Recognize that the non-profit’s Mission and Community backing are best achieved outside of the four walls of their office.
GROW
Jim Collins, in Good to Great, set out with the mission to define not good, but truly great companies. While the book highlights many great anecdotes, it goes many steps further to actually compile numerical metrics and statistics which recognize the “Great” companies. After 5 years of research, Collins compiled a list of 11 “Great” companies.
He writes that, along the way to finding these “Great” companies, we were able to formulate a definition of what he titles a Top level, Level 5 leader. Level 5 leaders: Build enduring greatness through a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will. These leaders, as Collins describes them, channel their ego away from themselves and focus on the larger goal of building a great company. And not just a great company today, but a great company which will stand the test of time – and be great far beyond the leader’s tenure.
Top leaders, the Good to Great research team discovered, are not just selfless. Beyond that, they have a ferocious resolve to produce one thing – Results. Great leaders are able to confront the brutal facts:
They must maintain unwavering faith that you can, and will, prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties, AND at the same time have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.
So Robin Morgan told you about the signs of an Ineffective Leader:
- Ego-driven
- Micro manager (A need to have control, instead of delegating)
- Inability to persuade and cultivate relationships (In the office too much)
If you aspire to be an effective leader, the three points stated in the Learn section above are a good place to start.
Jim Collins highlights that truly outstanding, great Leaders exhibit these qualities:
- Humility
- Professional Will
- Unwavering Faith
- Ability to confront reality
Harry Truman said it best when he remarked: “You can accomplish anything in life, provided that you do not care about who gets the credit“.
- What qualities do you feel make some non-profit leaders ineffective? Feel free to offer your insights in the Comment Section below.
We will share other nuggets from Robin Morgan’s non-profit journey in the upcoming months on this blog. In this post we’ve featured the must-avoid qualities which make some leaders ineffectual, unexceptional Paper Pushers. Imagine an egomaniacal Executive Director who micromanages and rarely leaves the office. Not a pretty picture is it? All of the key weaknesses of ineffective non-profit leaders are reflected in this Director.
- Our advice: Get rid of the ego and get out of the office; delegate to motivated, trusted employees.
The next post in this Series: Starting a Non-profit Organization: Doing it Successfully!
Your Outcomes Well
Better outcomes through Best Practices (Non-profit leaders)
Photo Credit: freezelight/flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Your Outcomes Well
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