9 Effective Leadership Skills for Nonprofit Organizations

I’ve blogged many times about the effective leadership skills required to lead a business forward. For today’s post, I’d like to take that concept in a different direction: What are some of the effective leadership skills needed for success in a nonprofit organization?

There’s certainly some overlap. Whether your organization is in it to generate revenues or to raise awareness for a cause, it’s important that you exhibit an ability to motivate team members, hold your people accountable, and provide a greater sense of mission.

At the same time, I think there are some ways in which nonprofit leadership needs differ from those of for-profit companies. So, let’s look at some of the hallmarks of effective nonprofit leadership.

Effective Leadership Skills in a Nonprofit Setting

1) Planning.

One of the most significant leadership skills is planning. You need to be able to provide your team members with some sense of what’s coming… tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. And while you obviously can’t predict the future, you can set long- and short-term goals, then map out a basic path for achieving those goals. Strategic planning helps your team members (and donors) see that there’s a way forward for your mission or…