February 20, 2024 • 6 mins
This week we are discussing leadership tips and ideas for nonprofit CEOs. In this episode, we cover 5 easy to implement leadership tips any nonprofit CEO can benefit from.
Michael has been working with nonprofit CEOs for the past several years. These tips are a culmination of what has worked the best for these CEOs when it comes to stakeholder buy-in, time management, and board chair relationship growth.
Timestamps:
00:00 Tips and ideas for nonprofit CEOs
01:10 #1: Review the mission every meeting
01:45 #2: Schedule 30 and 45-minute meetings instead of 1-hour meetings
02:35 #3: Have set meetings scheduled with the board chair
03:20 #4: Have informal conversations with your staff, clients, and donors
04:12 #5: Schedule time to think on your calendar
05:35 Bonus Tip: Pace yourself as a leader
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Visit us at: www.thecorleycompany.com/podcast
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
This week's episode of the
501cYOu, the podcast for nonprofit
board members.
I'm actually going to focus on the CEOs
a little bit.
Been working with a number of CEOs
over the past
several months or years, if you will,
and we've interviewed a number recently.
And for those of you
has listened to the podcast,
it's every interaction
I get new tips, I get new ideas,
(00:21):
and it's something
I want to share with all of you out there
that are running organizations,
particularly the executive
directors, the CEOs of nonprofits.
So I've got five tips
and then a bonus tip
just from listening
and working with different CEOs.
Hey, I want to jump in real quick.
Somebody asked me the other day,
what does the CORLEY Company do?
Well, we do three things for non-profits.
One, we facilitate meetings.
(00:42):
Yes, like board retreats
where we discuss governance and strategy
with all the members of the board.
Number two, advise CEOs and help them
as they make decisions
and implement actions
to drive their mission.
And then finally,
we produce podcasts
such as this one,
but also for a number of nonprofits
to help you get the word out,
get your message out.
So if you're interested
in any of these services,
please feel free to reach out
(01:03):
to Michael@thecorleycompany.com.
Now back to the podcast.
So number one,
and actually you heard Jonathan, police
say they start every meeting
reviewing the mission.
You know,
the reason people work at nonprofits
is because of the mission.
It certainly isn't for the money.
So something bigger than themselves,
something larger than themselves.
And typically it's the mission
(01:23):
hopefully are
they wouldn't be working there.
So I encourage
start your meetings
emphasizing the mission and reviewing
the mission doesn't have to be lengthy
and it could just be asking somebody
what the mission means to them.
But just to let everybody know,
remind everybody before a meeting
that there's you're here
for something larger than yourself,
the mission. So that's number one.
(01:44):
Number two, and several people
have really liked this one.
You know how you schedule meetings?
Everything's for an hour.
Abby adds
That whole Microsoft thing,
when they came out with Outlook,
everything defaulted to an hour
schedule 45 minute meetings,
schedule of 45 minute meetings,
if they're in person, in 30 minute
meetings of their on Zoom our teams,
you'll be surprised
(02:05):
that you would be able
to get the same amount of work
done in that period of time.
And then following that
45 minute meeting,
you've got now,
now got 15 minutes to regroup,
summarize notes,
run to the restroom,
make some calls, check your emails
before your next meeting,
which is probably on
the top of the next hour.
So I strongly encourage people
schedule shorter meetings
(02:25):
than is customary
because Parkinson's law,
the work will fill up the space,
the amount of time allotted.
Parkinson's log looked that up.
Number three, that was number two.
Number three,
when you're working with a board chair,
have set schedule meetings
throughout the term of the board chair.
This allows you to batch your work,
(02:48):
meaning, you know,
you're going to meet with him or her
once a week, once every couple of weeks,
whatever the case may be,
so that when there are discussion
topics, things
you need to talk to him or her about,
you can table it to that meeting
when he or she is sending you emails,
you can table it to the meeting,
obviously unless it's something urgent.
But schedule that time
so you can get in a rhythm of working
(03:09):
with your board chair
so that you all have
dedicated opportunities
to work back and forth
and to address any specific issues.
So go ahead and
get those on the calendar.
That was number three.
Number four,
have informal conversations
with your staff,
with your donors, with your clients.
Just walk around a little bit.
And what I'm talking about,
these are not scheduled meetings.
(03:31):
You know,
sometimes when we're all in the office,
we're able to, as leaders,
walk around
and just have contacts
and have interactions with people
a little bit harder
with this remote environment
that we're in or this quasi environment.
But nonetheless,
I would encourage you
to have those types
of informal conversations
when you're walking around
and just asking people how are they doing
(03:51):
and ask about their family.
And yes, this is everybody, your staff.
And as a leader of the staff,
you should certainly do that.
But you're donors, your volunteers,
your clients,
why not use that every interaction
as operating,
learn from them
to engage them in discussion
and do it an informal way.
It's relaxing
and actually it's quite enjoyable.
(04:11):
Number five five, a fifth leadership tip.
If you need time to think
and every leader does
scheduled time on your calendar,
I cannot emphasize this enough, no matter
to whom I speak as a leader.
Everybody's busy
running around crazy
trying to get things done.
(04:32):
And you say, Have
you had a chance to really ponder that?
I don't have time to think.
What I would encourage you
to do at least once a day.
Well, at least a few times a week.
Let's don't get crazy at first.
Schedule a meeting with yourself.
Just to sit back
and think through things,
think through strategies,
think through issues, think
how you need to address things,
how you're going to strategize
(04:53):
for the week, work on a specific project,
schedule time to think.
Because if you don't do that,
your time will fill up
with any number of other activities.
You've seen it.
You know it, we all know it.
So take, take pause, take a step back.
And as a leader,
you really need to spend some time
thinking.
So that was tip number five.
Number one, start every meeting
(05:14):
we remember in the mission.
Number two,
sketch a 45 minute meetings
instead of one hour meetings
or 30 minute meetings on Zoom
schedule, meetings with the board chair.
That's number three.
Have informal conversations
with your staff, donors, clients.
Just walk around,
have some fun conversations.
Number five, schedule time to think.
And then the bonus.
(05:35):
I promised that
there would be a bonus one, number six,
if you will, the bonus
pace yourself as a leader.
We have this sense of urgency
and this innate thought
that we've got to get everything done
by next week.
Hopefully,
as a leader of the organization,
you're going to be there
for 510 years,
depending on where you are
(05:55):
in your trajectory.
If you pace yourself, remember,
I can't get everything done
this next week,
but over five years
I can get a whole heck of a lot done.
What that'll do is
give you a mindset of peace and comfort
because things are going
to keep coming at you
and remember
you don't have to change
the world in a day.
Give yourself five years
(06:15):
to change a world. All right.
If you do that in five years,
that would be wonderful.
So this is Michael Corley
the i501cYou
the podcast for nonprofit board members.
And today it was leadership tips for you
CEOs, you executive directors
who are really working
hard to change the world.
And I appreciate what you're doing.
We'll see you next week.
This week's episode of the
501cYOu, the podcast for nonprofit
board members.
I'm actually going to focus on the CEOs
a little bit.
Been working with a number of CEOs
over the past
several months or years, if you will,
and we've interviewed a number recently.
And for those of you
has listened to the podcast,
it's every interaction
I get new tips, I get new ideas,
(00:21):
and it's something
I want to share with all of you out there
that are running organizations,
particularly the executive
directors, the CEOs of nonprofits.
So I've got five tips
and then a bonus tip
just from listening
and working with different CEOs.
Hey, I want to jump in real quick.
Somebody asked me the other day,
what does the CORLEY Company do?
Well, we do three things for non-profits.
One, we facilitate meetings.
(00:42):
Yes, like board retreats
where we discuss governance and strategy
with all the members of the board.
Number two, advise CEOs and help them
as they make decisions
and implement actions
to drive their mission.
And then finally,
we produce podcasts
such as this one,
but also for a number of nonprofits
to help you get the word out,
get your message out.
So if you're interested
in any of these services,
please feel free to reach out
(01:03):
to Michael@thecorleycompany.com.
Now back to the podcast.
So number one,
and actually you heard Jonathan, police
say they start every meeting
reviewing the mission.
You know,
the reason people work at nonprofits
is because of the mission.
It certainly isn't for the money.
So something bigger than themselves,
something larger than themselves.
And typically it's the mission
(01:23):
hopefully are
they wouldn't be working there.
So I encourage
start your meetings
emphasizing the mission and reviewing
the mission doesn't have to be lengthy
and it could just be asking somebody
what the mission means to them.
But just to let everybody know,
remind everybody before a meeting
that there's you're here
for something larger than yourself,
the mission. So that's number one.
(01:44):
Number two, and several people
have really liked this one.
You know how you schedule meetings?
Everything's for an hour.
Abby adds
That whole Microsoft thing,
when they came out with Outlook,
everything defaulted to an hour
schedule 45 minute meetings,
schedule of 45 minute meetings,
if they're in person, in 30 minute
meetings of their on Zoom our teams,
you'll be surprised
(02:05):
that you would be able
to get the same amount of work
done in that period of time.
And then following that
45 minute meeting,
you've got now,
now got 15 minutes to regroup,
summarize notes,
run to the restroom,
make some calls, check your emails
before your next meeting,
which is probably on
the top of the next hour.
So I strongly encourage people
schedule shorter meetings
(02:25):
than is customary
because Parkinson's law,
the work will fill up the space,
the amount of time allotted.
Parkinson's log looked that up.
Number three, that was number two.
Number three,
when you're working with a board chair,
have set schedule meetings
throughout the term of the board chair.
This allows you to batch your work,
(02:48):
meaning, you know,
you're going to meet with him or her
once a week, once every couple of weeks,
whatever the case may be,
so that when there are discussion
topics, things
you need to talk to him or her about,
you can table it to that meeting
when he or she is sending you emails,
you can table it to the meeting,
obviously unless it's something urgent.
But schedule that time
so you can get in a rhythm of working
(03:09):
with your board chair
so that you all have
dedicated opportunities
to work back and forth
and to address any specific issues.
So go ahead and
get those on the calendar.
That was number three.
Number four,
have informal conversations
with your staff,
with your donors, with your clients.
Just walk around a little bit.
And what I'm talking about,
these are not scheduled meetings.
(03:31):
You know,
sometimes when we're all in the office,
we're able to, as leaders,
walk around
and just have contacts
and have interactions with people
a little bit harder
with this remote environment
that we're in or this quasi environment.
But nonetheless,
I would encourage you
to have those types
of informal conversations
when you're walking around
and just asking people how are they doing
(03:51):
and ask about their family.
And yes, this is everybody, your staff.
And as a leader of the staff,
you should certainly do that.
But you're donors, your volunteers,
your clients,
why not use that every interaction
as operating,
learn from them
to engage them in discussion
and do it an informal way.
It's relaxing
and actually it's quite enjoyable.
(04:11):
Number five five, a fifth leadership tip.
If you need time to think
and every leader does
scheduled time on your calendar,
I cannot emphasize this enough, no matter
to whom I speak as a leader.
Everybody's busy
running around crazy
trying to get things done.
(04:32):
And you say, Have
you had a chance to really ponder that?
I don't have time to think.
What I would encourage you
to do at least once a day.
Well, at least a few times a week.
Let's don't get crazy at first.
Schedule a meeting with yourself.
Just to sit back
and think through things,
think through strategies,
think through issues, think
how you need to address things,
how you're going to strategize
(04:53):
for the week, work on a specific project,
schedule time to think.
Because if you don't do that,
your time will fill up
with any number of other activities.
You've seen it.
You know it, we all know it.
So take, take pause, take a step back.
And as a leader,
you really need to spend some time
thinking.
So that was tip number five.
Number one, start every meeting
(05:14):
we remember in the mission.
Number two,
sketch a 45 minute meetings
instead of one hour meetings
or 30 minute meetings on Zoom
schedule, meetings with the board chair.
That's number three.
Have informal conversations
with your staff, donors, clients.
Just walk around,
have some fun conversations.
Number five, schedule time to think.
And then the bonus.
(05:35):
I promised that
there would be a bonus one, number six,
if you will, the bonus
pace yourself as a leader.
We have this sense of urgency
and this innate thought
that we've got to get everything done
by next week.
Hopefully,
as a leader of the organization,
you're going to be there
for 510 years,
depending on where you are
(05:55):
in your trajectory.
If you pace yourself, remember,
I can't get everything done
this next week,
but over five years
I can get a whole heck of a lot done.
What that'll do is
give you a mindset of peace and comfort
because things are going
to keep coming at you
and remember
you don't have to change
the world in a day.
Give yourself five years
(06:15):
to change a world. All right.
If you do that in five years,
that would be wonderful.
So this is Michael Corley
the i501cYou
the podcast for nonprofit board members.
And today it was leadership tips for you
CEOs, you executive directors
who are really working
hard to change the world.
And I appreciate what you're doing.
We'll see you next week.
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