How do you grow as a non-profit leader?

I applied my physically strategies: Many long collaborations, about wants and needs from a NPO, with Foundations and Donors. Making sure that they were more involved in the process of a project, programs and the overall impact level that a NPO has made on them. Always expressing gratitude and showing appreciation for every single dollar that was used and why. Physically calling them & inviting them to a NPO building, showing them the improvements/impact they made. Make a heartfelt effort to sponsor a special event to honor their support, literally combining their presence with faces and names. In other words make them family

Listen to people. When we are in leadership positions often, we forget to listen to people that have to cope with our decisions, they are the best ones to tell you how to improve. Also, seek mentors and implement a feedback culture in the organization.

Seek and nurture a strong network of colleagues and peers by actively participating in a relevant professional association. In a professional association you are able to share your challenges and successes with others who do what you do. Colleagues with similar experience are often willing to share their insights and offer candid feedback.

Lifelong learning is a two-way street. Not only is it critical to seek opportunities to learn through workshops, conferences, reading and the like - but learning can also come from giving back. Reflecting on your own experiences - both what worked as well as the "skinned knees" - and then sharing your lessons learned by writing articles, leading or facilitating workshops ensure that you continue to gain feedback and can benefit from other's experiences.

I'd agree with the idea of lifelong learning. The patterns of fostering curiosity, asking good questions and seeking to apply knowledge to better yourself and others are one of the hallmarks of great leadership. Of course, it all becomes a balancing act when day to day responsibilities often overshadow time to do long range planning and growth. I've found that setting aside days committed solely to your growth and rejuvenation as a leader centered is key. You can take that time to focus on hard skills, soft skills, or even enhancing your general leadership acumen that will aid you in upcoming projects or deliverables

As a non-profit leader, lifelong learning is an essential component of my success. I have recently completed a professional certification program and nearing completion of a doctoral program. Both of these learning experiences have enhanced my knowledge base and have led to more adept decision-making that benefits all stakeholders.

Never stop learning. Seek knowledge by pursuing formal education in post graduation courses and certificates, but also pursue cultural capital by travelling and knowing diferente cultures - this you improve your vision to other people and improve your leadership skills.

I have to say that my biggest form of learning has been shadowing. I have found amazing people in the nonprofit sector to help me learn new skills to achieve my goals. Often times in a pinch I will head to YouTube to find answers, but I always run them by one of my board members or mentors first. You can’t do this alone! No need to pretend you can.

Never be complacent to yourself. Seek different challenges in your career and create innovative ways to improve your organization. In Brazil we say: A sleeping shrimp gets carried away by the wave. Don't be a sleeping shrimp - embrace this knowledge.

Nonprofit leaders are perpetually in a cycle of decision-making & problem-solving, leaving little room for self-care. However, it can be done! Physically, the simple act of taking short breaks for a walk or incorporating a 20-minute workout into your daily routine is a GAME CHANGER! Mentally, consider setting aside time for mindfulness practices like meditation or deep-breathing exercises. Even a 3-5 minute meditation can help you gain clarity & reduce stress, particularly between back to back Zoom calls. Emotionally, don't underestimate the power of community building & peer support. Make time for it! By integrating these tangible self-care practices, you can set a precedent for a healthier, more balanced approach to nonprofit leadership.

Mark downtime on your calendar to ensure you can be truly offline. Formally work those breaks into your annual or ongoing work plans to help stave off invariably unintended periods of stress. As part of that planning, make sure colleagues are baseline cross-trained to support some of your core tasks while you’re out. (This is more difficult for some functional areas than others.) Otherwise you risk returning to a situation where you’re once again buried under the work you left. Finally, start buffering time between meetings, especially if you work remotely. Build 15- to 30-minute breaks in between so you have time to decompress—trust me, you need it!

The development of a well-defined vision is critical. If the big-picture goals and objectives are not clear, it is impossible to communicate effectively throughout the organization. When a vision is unclear, others in the organization will not successfully align with the strategies that are being pursued and valuable resources will be utilized inefficiently.

Adaptative leadership combined with a continuos effort to deepen your self knowledge and consciousness will be key to success

As a leader you need to be dynamic, teachable, available and adaptable. The need to constantly seek ways of improving yourself, your process, your system can not be overemphasized. You have to be inquisitive and hungry for looking for new ways to be better, more efficient and effective by researches, survey and comparing notes with various stakeholders in your resoective sector. Always remember that you can be better, if you think better, do better and make others better.

Grow as a non-profit leader by listening, understanding people and processes to enhance them. Adopt adaptive leadership to handle rapid contextual changes and decisions with limited information. Listening is the first step toward impactful leadership.

In nonprofit leadership, it becomes more relevant not to try it alone... to surround yourself with similar leaders, advisors, and mentors... surely in facing the challenge, many leaders share it, and sharing different perspectives to confront it is undoubtedly an opportunity.

Mapping the purpose and mission of the non-profit to personal and professional goals is key. Turning passion into purpose is probably one of the most important traits in a leader, especially in the non-profit space.