Managing and Leading Nonprofit Organizations

Paul L. Dann, PhD, is Executive Director of NFI North, a nonprofit mental health and human services agency providing care to children, youth, families, and adults throughout New Hampshire and Maine. He is a faculty member in the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire.

• Chapter 1 Introduction and Purpose of This Book 1Chapter 2 Leadership as Practice 9First Practice Perspective: Being Antigravitational 11Second Practice Perspective: The Long View 12Third Practice Perspective: It’s the Journey, Not the Destination 13Fourth Practice Perspective: Leverage Serendipity 14Fifth Practice Perspective: Use a Compass, Not a Road Map 15Sixth Practice Perspective: Awareness 16Seventh Practice Perspective: Address Inner Pressures 18Eighth Practice Perspective: Hero Leadership versus Leading Heroes 19Strategies for Developing Leadership Practice 20Opportunity and Engagement 21Become an Advocate for Leadership Development Practice 23Find a Mentor 25Sharpen Your Saw 26Chapter 3 Choosing a Leadership Style 29Transactional Leadership 30Transformational Leadership 31Charismatic Leadership 32Quiet Leadership 32Situational Leadership 33Servant Leadership 34Listening 34Empathy 35Healing 36Awareness 37Persuasion 38Conceptualization 39Foresight 39Stewardship 40Commitment to Growth 40Commitment to Building Strong Community 41Emergent Thought in Leadership Practice 43A Classic Frame 45Chapter 4 Creating Positive Organizational Culture 53A Well- Kept Secret 53Understanding Organizational Culture 56The Role of Mission, Values, and Vision 59The Power of Norms 63Chapter 5 Leadership Development in Action: The Generative Leadership Advantage 79Core Elements of Generative Leadership Practice 82Expectations 83Communication and Feedback 84Leadership Attributes 85Trust 86Risk-Taking 88Opportunity 89Related Subthemes 90Having a Voice 91Commitment 92Perceived Need to Act 92Organizational Philosophy and Practice 93Role Modeling 93Shared Beliefs and Values 94Structure 94Chapter 6 Performance Management and Employee Engagement 101Employee Engagement 102Performance Management 105Supervision 108Summing It All Up 110Chapter 7 Synergy and Management Systems 113Core Principles for Effective Systems 115Mission Centered 115Aligned with the Vision of the Organization 115Support the Key Values and Beliefs 116Maintaining Both Efficacy and Efficiency 117Building the “We” 118Meaning Making 119Specific Systems 121System 1: Communication Practices 122System 2: Meetings 126System 3: Continuous Quality Improvement Practices 129System 4: Professional Development 132System 5: Retreats and Events 134System 6: Financial Management Practices 136Chapter 8 Effective Change Management 141Types of Change 142Five Core Elements Impacting Change 145Models for Pursuing Organizational Change 146Resistance to Change 149Strategic Planning 153Step 1: The Gathering 154Step 2: Refining 156Step 3: The Plan 157Step 4: Integrating 158Chapter 9 Effectively Managing Conflict 161Communication and Conflict 163Core Values, Culture, and Conflict 164Leadership and Conflict 166Chapter 10 Leadership Strategies for Effective Teams 171Self-Reflection: Your Supervisory Style 172Building Awareness at the Team and Individual Levels 174Understand Parallel Process 178Get the Right People in the Right Place 179Allow for Ownership 180Support in the Right Amount at the Right Time 181The Right Tools and Training 182Build the Team’s Culture 184Celebrate and Recognize the Right People 188Chapter 11 Strategic Alliances 191Types of Strategic Alliances 192Associations 192Interagency Collaboration 194Networks 196Mergers 197Acquisitions 198Key Points 199Mission and Vision Alignment 199Avoiding Mission Drift 200Culture 201Short-Term Gain, Long-Term Pain 202Staying Ahead of the Curve 202Chapter 12 From Theory to Practice: Bringing It All Together 205References 219Appendix: Tools to Help Build Leadership Practice 225Mindfulness Exercises 225Mindful Breathing 225Mindful Observation 226Mindful Awareness 226Mindful Listening 226Mindful Appreciation 227Leadership Practice Perspective Assessment Tool 228Servant Leadership Assessment Tool 230Generative Leadership® Questionnaire 232Generative Leadership Questionnaire Scoring Sheet 238Score Interpretation 238Performance Management Assessment 242System Assessment Tool 244Conflict Management Strategies Tool 245Johari Window Team Assessment Tool 248About the Author 251Index 253