Why Do Nonprofit Leaders Get in Their Own Way?

Can we talk about crazy for a minute?

I've recently witnessed some behavior from nonprofit leaders that made my jaw drop:

• A board chairman convinced the rest of his board to turn away a donor who wanted to give the nonprofit a significant amount of money to fund organizational capacity (strategic planning, coaching, fundraising training) because he felt the nonprofit already knew how to do the work internally for free.

More often than not it is nonprofit donors who hold back efforts to build stronger, more sustainable nonprofits by not providing enough capacity capital. I talk about that all the time (like here, here and here).

But sometimes, and more shockingly, nonprofit staffs and boards stand in their own way.

It takes courage for a nonprofit leader to admit that she doesn't know how to do something and needs help. I am reminded of a fascinating interview I heard on NPR earlier this fall with Leah Hager Cohen, who recently wrote the book In Praise of Admitting Ignorance. She describes the freedom that comes from admitting when you simply don't know how to do something. That moment of honesty can lead to transformation, as she says, "I think those words can be so incredibly liberating. They can just make your shoulders drop with relief. Once you finally own up to what you don't know, then you can begin to have honest interactions with the people around you."

I would love to see nonprofit leaders take this advice to heart. Once you have the courage to admit (to your board, to your donors, to your staff) that you don't know how to do everything, you just might finally get the help you so desperately need.

Nonprofit leaders have many Herculean tasks to perform. They develop and manage effective programs, manage diverse and underpaid staff, craft a bold strategic direction, create a sustainable financial model, wrangle a group of board members with often-competing interests and recruit and appease a disparate donor base, all with little support along the way. It is easy to see why the position of nonprofit leader is such a lonely one.

So instead of continuing to bear that enormous burden, take a step back and admit that you simply don't know how to do it all. You need help, guidance, advice, support, organization building. If you are lucky enough to have funders, board members or others outside the organization who want to help, admit (to yourself, to your board, to your donors) that you need that help. And don't let anyone (including, and especially, yourself) stand in your way.

You can learn more about the leadership coaching I provide nonprofit boards and staff here.