Following (Part 1)

We seem obsessed with leadership. You only have to scroll through your LinkedIn feed for a minute and you’ll see article after article on being a better leader, or a meme with a pithy leadership quote. Are we so devoid of good leadership in our organizations that we’re clambering to fill these gaps? More likely, in our “me” obsessed culture, labelling oneself a “leader” is the high watermark of self-realization. For me, this hyper focus on leadership begs the question, “where are the followers?” I’m not talking about those who exercise some form of false humility, waiting for a supervisor or manager to fail so that he/she can fulfilled his/her own leadership aspirations. I mean real followers, people who aspire to be the best followers possible. Those interested in “followship”.

As I write this I can think of at least four skills a good follower must possess, all of which require strength, self-awareness, creativity, boldness and control. Good followers listen carefully, ask clarifying questions, support the leader, and make important contributions of their own. Followers get the job done.

These four skills are also valued in an improvisation partner. If each person in an improv tries to lead, the improv ends up going nowhere, each “leader” trying to pull the other along. Instead, when one partner, in humility and strength, submits to the other person’s ideas, the improv moves forward. But far from sitting back and allowing the leader to carry the load, the follower’s job has just begun. Following well is not passive. Far from it. It’s a job, I’d argue, that must be done well if the leader is to succeed.

Whether you are in a formal leadership position, working with a designated leader, or in the case of fundraising, building a relationship with a donor, understanding “followship” can be a game changer. 

To find out more about developing "followship" skills, visit doinggooder.com

Renaissence

Last week, CBC host Anna Maria Tremonti interviewed Dr. Chris Kutarna who convincingly argued that we at are in the early stages of a second renaissance, the first taking place almost 500 years ago. 

Whether or not one agrees with his position, one can’t ignore the fact the world is changing at a record pace. Dr. Kutarna outlines a number of ideas that any non-profit wanting to maintain donor relationships through changing technology, social, cultural and political realities, would be wise to consider. 

1. Stretch you imagination. Moving forward, we will need to think beyond our current paradigms. This means that what has been best practice will need to be questioned. Successful fundraisers will dream up new ways to create a meaningful experience for donors. 
2. Draw new mental maps. To get from point A to point B will demand that we open new channels. Organizations will need to go on journeys of discovery and will need to explore ideas that could be the foundations of future success. 
3. Expect good and bad. Change is neutral. How change occurs and the final outcomes of change can be positive or negative. The possibility of negative outcomes will cause many to hold tight to current thinking. For these folks, the risk of a negative result will be paralyzing. The only guarantees in changing times, however, is that change will indeed occur and avoiding change will certainly end badly. No organization will transition unscathed, but the ones that will survive, and likely thrive, will be the ones willing to let go of what is in anticipation of what will be. 

The sooner non-profits can begin imagining and exploring what a new normal might look like, the more likely they will capture the hearts and minds of donors who are themselves navigating these new realities. 

Need to imagine a new way? You need to be DOING GOODER. 

Change

“Change is difficult and takes time.” This paraphrased quote from John P. Kotter’s book “Leading Change” has been a go-to statement with my team these last few weeks. Today it was almost as if I was spitting the words out of my mouth - one part reminder, one part encouragement, one part prayer for forgiveness. 

Change can be hard, but it is also unavoidable. To allow oneself to be swept up by it and thrown off balance, is to live in a state of anxiety and resentment, not to mention the general bad attitude one exudes that can be spotted by coworkers twenty paces away. 

It’s difficult not to dismiss the naysayers and feet draggers when by all accounts change is necessary. It’s especially difficult when the excuses given for avoiding the change has everything to do with being married to a particular way of doing something rather than being committed to an outcome. In fundraising, this can be an event, for example, that’s seen a steady decline in fundraised revenue year-over-year along with increased expenses but little is done to remedy the situation because “someone” MIGHT not understand the change and have a difficult time adjusting. 

As fundraisers, we can’t cater to the 5% at the expense of the 95%, otherwise all we’ll be left with is a small group of constituents who find us comfortable and a majority who find us irrelevant. 

Don’t get me wrong, change for change sake is rarely helpful. That said, to avoid change because it is uncomfortable, unknown or just different is to choose to fail. And that’s the point, your organization and fund development strategy must succeed. You work hard to make the maximum impact and sometimes that demands a change. 

To learn more about managing change visit www.doinggooder.com