Not all leaders are created equal. In this video we introduce the concept of the “Reluctant Leader.” Leadership is a complex symphony of collaboration, drive, and vision. The Reluctant Leader leads from a position of confidence not ego, celebration not erosion, elevation of others not personal glory, and the greater mission not an internal agenda.
Too often, good leadership is seen in its absence. Ego-centric leadership is crushing. Passive leadership is not leading at all. Somewhere in between those extremes is a balance in which our human need for significance and our organization’s need for impact may be optimized. A great symphony conductor must strike that balance, and so must we in order to fulfill our organization’s missions.
Founder’s Syndrome is a real and pernicious phenomenon in the nonprofit world. In this Reluctant Leader short-form VLOG, I outline what Founder’s Syndrome is, how it manifests in nonprofits, and how to mediate its occurrence.
Accountability in the nonprofit world is sometimes seen as a corporate construct and nonprofit leaders often resist applying any for-profit business practices in their work. I suggest that resistance is short-sighted and accountability is an important part of building sustainability into the fabric of your nonprofit. However, accountability for an outcome should not be our focus. Rather, accountability should be for all of the activities we agree will result in goal attainment. That perspective is more productive, realistic, and in keeping with how people are actually motivated outside of the boardroom.