There is a virus that exists in every nonprofit. No one talks about it, yet everyone knows it’s there. The virus is a subtle toxicity and it takes many different forms. Over time, I discovered that the virus lives inside the people who lead, the people who serve, and the people who work for the organization.
Walk through the doors of any charitable organization, and you'll find two conversations going on simultaneously. One conversation is that of antics. The other is that of focus. The antics conversation is led by “The Politicians,” and the focus conversation is led by “The Changemakers.” Which of these two conversations a person engages in every day decides the quality of the work produced inside that organization.
The Politicians show up quite often on Boards—people who are there for the headline and the photo opp. There is little to no analysis or reflection on decisions, direction, and dead ends. The Politicians see no obstacles because if they did, they would actually have to do something. They are there to be thanked for doing a great job.
The Politician who leads a nonprofit, as Executive Director or CEO, creates a pond where all the goldfish are from the same family. If this leader has a middle name, it is “status quo.” They don't want to cause change because it's uncomfortable. There is just enough output to justify the organization's existence, but not enough to actually penetrate the community. The typical Politician Leader especially loves to volunteer for committees and projects at the national office level for credibility and influence. Nine out of ten nonprofit leaders show up this way.
Changemakers are another variety and quite rare—only one in ten. This is the nonprofit leader who goes in with tools (including a jackhammer) and says, "I want to find out what's underneath here. I'm prepared to rip up this foundation and figure out what's making it the way it is, and decide what we're going to do about it." It's the difference between taking control of the quality vs. taking control of the perception.
The dynamic between The Politicians and The Changemakers runs the nonprofit sector. This dynamic started long before I arrived on the scene over 30 years ago. It's an "us vs. them" mentality. Two opposing forces. One side wants to keep things the way they are, while reinforcing how good they are and how much good they do. The other side calls out the nonsense and deals with it every day in their backyard. What's being lost in this war? The Mission. The actual work we all claimed to be here for, our raison d’etre.
As a nonprofit leader, you are either feeding the virus or starving it. Will you respond to antics, or will you direct the work? Will you succumb to the staff member who chooses to meddle and undermine, or will you redirect them to do what they are paid for?
When you lead a nonprofit, there is opportunity every day to choose what you're going to do to move the needle of the Mission. I know you face headwinds because you've got a Board and who you are in the face of those conditions decides where your sailboat is headed.
Sheree Allison merges the worlds of fundraising, marketing, and leadership combined with an entrepreneurial spirit to train and develop nonprofit leaders who are committed to building a world class organization. Check out her book “The Non Profit Book of Wisdom - One Executive Director Who Couldn’t Be Swayed” and her weekly column at www.shereeallison.com.
