Once Again: What Type of Leaders Do Nonprofits Need in Turbulent Times?

By Eugene Fram

Reporter Thomas Betar, writing in the August 5, 2012 issue of the Desert News, makes some interesting points about current leadership challenges facing the nonprofit sector.
Following are pertinent issues raised in the article.

• The demand for strong leadership will grow.

• A mission specialist in a nonprofit can suddenly be prompted to executive status without training. In the long term, this type of promotion “…can undermine sector credibility and professionalism.”

• “But a lot of people an rise up through grass-roots organizations and provide volunteer activity that doesn’t necessarily require management training.”

• The way the baby boomers want to spend their time will have an impact on nonprofit leadership.

• “Another (leadership solution) … would include having the few organizations, that are excelling in leadership development, act as a model for the rest of the nonprofit sector.”

• “One of the most important things current leaders can do is to understand the true potential of their employees and not underestimate their skills and abilities…”

• “People now tend to hop around from cause to cause, and that is one reason whey we need trained professionals to manage volunteer staff. Gone is the yesteryear where Mom and Pop volunteer at the same hospital for 30 years.”