Newsletter &
Blog

Weekly inspiration for building your nonprofit leadership skills.

Collaborate Successfully

When I review my proudest achievements, both in business and in the nonprofit sector, collaboration with partners was almost always part of a successful outcome. A lot of senior executives talk about

There are some people who value success but don’t care whether they receive praise or validation from others. They can work fine on a team led by an ambitious extrovert. But multiple ambitious extrove

Organizational Culture

Nonprofit leadership must establish robust organizational cultures aligned with institutional purpose and values.

Accountability vs. Victims

When things aren’t going well there is a tendency for staff to personalize their anxiety and frustration and create “villains” and “victims.” This illustration shows the difference between an organiza

Good News, Bad News — and Decentralized Decision-Making

We had a saying at Applied Materials that became well-known both inside and outside the company. Good news is no news.No news is bad news.And bad news is good news—if you do something about it. Of cou

First Assistant

It’s useful to think of yourself as “first assistant to” your direct reports. You want people at every level to understand the organization’s goals and objectives and make decisions that align with th

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