
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.
To lead a nonprofit through changing times, remember why the organization exists and what it stands for. Be conscious of the culture that you want and use every opportunity to create and nurture it.
Culture Matters. It's your core organizational asset and establishes whether your nonprofit is just good or if it becomes great.
— Jim Morgan
Conversation Starter
A complete set of conversation starters to accompany the chapter.
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.
Throughout my career I was fortunate to be guided by strong leaders and managers, when I worked on the family farm and in the cannery,
Careful listening has always been at the core of my approach to managing people, whatever the size or scale of the organization. At Applied Materials,
Respecting and trusting your people is the foundation of all good management.
Always listen for and even seek out signs of trouble. Bad news is good news if you do something about it.
Develop “court sense” to see everything that’s happening around you, and to rapidly adjust to changes.
Commit to doing “the whole job.” Investing in organizational capacity contributes to excellence and impact.
Planning is essential but success comes from the implementation of your ideas. “Book It and Ship It.” Make a decision and manage the consequences.
To create a culture of accountability, reinforce individual ownership of problems. Always ask, “Who owns the monkey?”