I’ve long suspected that the most important leadership trait you can have is curiosity. A Price Waterhouse Cooper study now confirms it. Here’s why curiosity is so valuable and how you can become more curious.

A nonprofit president told me how his organization went from fully funded to financial crisis in a matter of days. The organization raised several million dollars a year to support it’s programs and services. They had

Most leaders are skilled communicators. By that I mean they are good talkers. Communication is so much more than words. Sometimes the most powerful thing a leader can say—is nothing. Silence has a habit of revealing meaning. 

The ability to speak effectively is a strength worth developing. Through words, I help people learn, grow, and achieve results. I teach groups and lead workshops by telling stories and explaining. I coach individuals by asking questions. I lead my organization by casting vision, encouraging, and directing.

However, in my desire to communicate effectively, it’s easy to over-rely on words. A well-placed pause or an extended silence, especially after a powerful question, can

If your ministry were to appear on a nonprofit version of Shark Tank, would it get an investment from a Shark? Most nonprofit workers can’t answer the 7 questions entrepreneurs often face on the show. How about you?

The small business entrepreneurs who appear on the reality TV show Shark Tank are passionate about the product or service they have created. Often it doesn’t make business sense, and the Sharks spot the weaknesses.

People doing nonprofit ministry are also passionate about what they do to help people. How well would your ministry stand up in a nonprofit version of Shark Tank?

I’ve noticed that many leaders, rather than trying to succeed, are trying to not fail. Doing so keeps them from achieving the personal and professional success they are looking for. Here’s why you need to risk failure in order to succeed. 

After yet another basketball game loss, the boy told his Dad, “It’s okay Dad, we knew we’d lose so we weren’t really trying anyway.” The boy and his team knew how to protect themselves, if they didn’t try hard, they didn’t really fail.

It’s not just kids who protect themselves from failure. How about…

A bottleneck is a limitation is the system. In nonprofit organizations, that bottleneck is its financial structure. For some nonprofits, moving some of their services from a Donor-Subsidized model to a Client-Paid model will greatly increase their impact.

In 2004, when I began training nonprofit workers in coaching skills, I used a Donor-Subsidized model. We charged reduced fees to attend our events, so I needed to raise money to cover the substantial remaining costs.

Clients found our coaching training life-changing and recommended it to others. Soon

Telling people what to do feels like we’re in control. Plus, we’re being helpful. But it doesn’t often work. Let’s explore 4 reasons telling people what to do doesn’t get things done – and what to do instead. 

Your colleague is making little progress on a project. You know how to do it, so you try to help by telling him what he needs to do next. Things will now move forward at lightning speed because we’ve clearly instructed him, right? Not likely.