4 Inspirational strategies so you can lead your nonprofit team with impact
Kathy Archer
??Helping women lead their nonprofit with confidence --> So they can enjoy impactful leadership in the #nonprofit world ?? ICF Leadership Development Coach ??Podcaster ?? Author
Do you wonder how to be the best leader you can be? One who makes a difference, has a great team and finds some balance in life??
Unfortunately, it's not the easiest thing to do. One of the reasons we struggle is that we don't see a lot of other women doing it, so part of us doesn't believe it's even possible. We need more women mentors. I keep looking for them and sharing them with you so we both have more inspiration.
Let me introduce you to Yvette Vargas
I was listening to?an interview with Yvette, ?Head of Development at Citizen's Bank in the states. Yvette was part of a Women in Leadership conversation series for LHH, an organization that focuses on recruitment, assessments, coaching, and career transitions.
I found Yvette's story, persistence and intentional personal and professional growth as a woman leader inspiring. So many of the suggestions she made for women in leadership had me thinking of the four fundamentals I teach leaders.
Let's dive into them together.
The four fundamentals of nonprofit leadership:
1?? Lead with Authenticity - Be yourself
On Citizen's Bank website, Yvette is quoted as saying,
"I used to have separate selves — mother to my children, wife to my husband, caretaker to my parents, employee and friend. I thought that compartmentalizing my 'different selves' would help me manage each relationship better," she said. However, it's only by working to integrate her selves — and finding a job that allows her to bring every aspect of herself to work — that she's found true meaning in her career.
This quote speaks to the authentic nature that we need to lead with. We are not separate people in different aspects of our lives. We are one person doing various things. The more authentic you are, the more confident and comfortable you will feel, and you'll make a more considerable contribution.
To help you lead your best, I encourage you to identify your strengths, gifts, and personality traits. Then, do the work to figure out who you are and authentically be who you are daily.?
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2?? Continue to grow yourself personally and professionally -?Develop yourself
Intentionally developing yourself is critical to becoming the leader you want to be. Yvette spoke in the interview about being very intentional about this. She indicated you need to develop your growth plant and intentionally spend time working on yourself.?
"The amount of time you spend on something is a manifestation of what you value."
If you value your growth and development, you'll put time into growing and developing yourself.?
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3?? Be a balanced leader - Take care of yourself
As I listened to Yvette, I could tell she has drive. That's different than being driven. When the work drives you, it becomes a problem. When you drive the work, you do that with intentionality. You also need the energy to do that! That means you need to take care of yourself.?
But Yvette wasn't always that way. She tells the story of needing to shift from being driven by her career to intentionally creating her life and career simultaneously—that required intentionality and self-care.
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Taking care of yourself it's not something you do just outside of work. It is something you do all day long. Start by adding teach micro-moments of wellness into your workday.
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4?? Be a leader, teacher, mentor and coach - Teach others to do the same
I love Yvette's story of supporting other women to grow and pulling them up as you advance. She learned this early on from her mother and sisters. She's been clear about continuing to do it throughout her career. She sees a large part of her role is developing others.?
When we teach others to be themselves, develop themselves and take care of themselves, we do this through mentoring, guidance, coaching and leadership. Our job as a leader is not always correct and fix employees. Our job as leaders is to help our employees reach their full potential.
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The four fundamentals of leadership:
To?learn more about these fundamentals , tune into this podcast episode.
Your turn
What strategy, suggestion, or idea will you begin with today? Hit reply and tell me where you are starting and what you are inspired to awaken in yourself after listening to Yvettes' story.
It's Time To Lead With Confidence
After being in your shoes for 20+ years and struggling, I developed a monthly membership program called?the Training Library.
The?abundance of training lessons?in the library are all designed to grow your confidence in your leadership skills.
When you join, you will get?immediate access?to the training you need to develop yourself and your leadership that will fit into your already busy schedule.
Take control of your personal and professional development. Join The Training Library today.
Kathy Archer, Leadership Development Coach
Leadership Development Coach Kathy Archer helps women develop confidence, maintain their composure and lead with integrity! She is the author of?Mastering Confidence ?and the?Surviving to Thriving podcast ?host. Kathy?blogs ?for women leading in nonprofits at?www.kathyarcher.com/blog