Excellent Managers are not Born

Some people think that nonprofit leaders are anomalies, special people born with the skills and talents that evade the grasp of the rest of us. But excellent managers are not born.

They develop by learning: learning to identify critical driving forces in their environments; learning to build momentum by timely decision-making; learning to collaborate in a transparent and ethical manner; and learning to implement basic structures and processes in an overall climate of respect and trust.

Every person, regardless of education, training, or current position, is capable of improving their management skills, whether in a start-up, a global company, or in a nonprofit rich in passion but limited in resources.

• Can you identify some of the excellent managers within your organization?
• How did they become excellent managers?