Lessons on Leadership in the Nonprofit Sector

Nonprofits have a bad rep when it comes to professional development and career growth. It’s a source of frustration for many young professionals in the sector. Having experienced their own challenges throughout their careers, Trista Harris and Rosetta Thurman published Nonprofit Rockstar: 50 Ways to Accelerate Your Career to help the next generation of nonprofit leaders.

This past weekend they facilitated the Nonprofit Rockstar Leadership Intensive in DC to provide participants with the opportunity to hear from leaders in the sector and reflect on their professional growth.

This three-day event was packed with engaging sessions, interesting speakers, and interactive activities, all organized based on the six segments of their book: Practice Authentic Leadership, Plan for Balance, Develop Valuable Expertise, Establish a Great Personal Brand, Build a Strong Network, and Move On Up

There were three sessions from which I gained the most insight:

Lessons on Authentic Leadership

According to Robert Egger of DC Central Kitchen , we can choose to be one of three nonprofit leaders:

1. The type with their heads down and singularly focused on getting through “right now” without paying attention to the external environment;
2. The type who sees what’s coming their way and braces themselves, basically holding on for dear life; or
3. The type who spends time thinking/reflecting, builds and marches out into the future, embracing what’s coming their way.

Which one do you think he advised us to strive to be?

Lessons on Developing Valuable Expertise

ProInspire’s very own Monisha Kapila lead a discussion on the three most important ways to develop valuable expertise in the sector. Inspired by Lisa Lazarus’ strategy of using famous individuals to demonstrate examples, Monisha told the group to follow the lead of Will Smith, Oprah Winfrey and Phil Jackson.

• Channel Will Smith: Develop a versatile skillset because in the nonprofit sector you will be called to do many things and contribute to organizations in many ways.
• Channel Oprah Winfrey: Focus on self-awareness and learning because emotional intelligence is critical to your success as a leader.
• Channel Phil Jackson: Be a coach because being a good manager is about creating the right environment for success rather than telling people what to do or knowing the right answer.

Lessons on Personal Branding

This is a topic that makes many people uncomfortable. The idea of “packaging” oneself into a brand or a false image is often what comes to mind. However, personal branding is about understanding others’ perception of you and managing your reputation. At the end of the day, you have a brand. Whether you decide to use it to your advantage is up to you.

• Consistency – Is what you’re saying about yourself consistent with what is being said by others? This is what makes your brand more credible.
• Clarity – Does what you’re saying that you bring to the table make sense? It’s not to your benefit if nobody understands your brand.
• Authenticity – Does your brand match who you really are? As Rosetta said during training, there’s nothing worse than finding out that someone you admire is nothing like what you thought they’d be like when you meet him in person.

I think this Dan Schwabel’s quote perfectly states the ultimate benefit for young professionals: “Brand yourself for the career you want, not the job you have.”

Overall the event was a rewarding experience. Not only did I appreciate the content presented, I also enjoyed connecting with the other participants. I look forward to participating in future professional development opportunities organized by Rosetta and Trista.