Group items tagged

To accomplish this, we embraced the network principle of “node not hub,” deciding early on not to invest in top-down remedies, but in collaborative models that would remain in tact after our initial financial support ended, usually after a period of 5-7 years.

equired that local communities develop a data-gathering system.

consensus data model that large segments of our industry could embrace and use to standardize terminology and reporting across all shelters. We invested in building data-gathering systems for the shelter field and saw those early efforts blossom into genuine cultural change.

place a priority on a capacity building initiative that presents itself wrapped in a bow.

use network contacts to determine whether it would be more efficient to organize a user group for network members who use the same database. Tapping the wisdom of the network can save time, aggravation, and perhaps thousands of dollars in fees for consultants to train staff or customize a new database, or to replace software that staff may simply not understand. Conversely, the network may confirm that your nonprofit is an outlier for using that particular database.

Leverage your participation in a network to learn from other nonprofit leaders.

too many nonprofit CEOs and their boards continue to miss the answer to succession planning sitting right under their noses—the homegrown leader.

leadership development deficit.

The sector’s C-suite leaders, frustrated at the lack of opportunities and mentoring, are not staying around long enough to move up. Even CEOs are exiting because their boards aren’t supporting them and helping them to grow.

Learning the Network Principles

It required mission-driven leaders who put a premium on establishing and nurturing relationships based on trust, humility, and mutual benefit. It also required a radical change in rewards and affirmations from funders and boards. A new system, consistent with subordinating the organization’s brand to the common interest, became paramount.

common interest that placed the mission at the center

the single most important factor behind all successful collaborations is trust-based relationships among participants. Many collaborative efforts ultimately fail to reach their full potential because they lack a strong relational foundation.

Trust not control

network entrepreneurs focus on creating authentic relationships and building deep trust from the bottom up. This focus on relationship-building costs relatively little yet ultimately makes a tremendous difference in impact. Network entrepreneurs ensure that the power of others grows while their own power fades, thereby developing capacity in the field and a culture of distributed leadership that dramatically increases the collaboration’s efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability.