The first days, weeks, and months in a new role are crucial for leaders to connect, prioritize, and build momentum. Failing to do these things undermines your leadership. Indeed, some never recover from a poor start.

Beginning in 2024 I will be offering Onboarding Support for charity leaders as part of Lead With Catalyst’s work.

When we don’t take that extra step it becomes too easy to end up just chasing the latest trend or the most recent post from someone we respect instead of building systems and approaches that truly reflect who we, and our organizations, most want to be.

The raw reality is that the vast discrepancy in attention, coupled with the inherent power differential rooted in governance authority, means this dynamic is vulnerable to all kinds of misunderstanding and tension.

So AI wins!

Not so fast.

So how do we encourage appropriate vulnerability while recognizing that it means something different to particular people?

Healthy organizations develop rhythms of work that reflect the different demands of the year. They discern when to push harder, and when to dial it back a little. They understand that “full out all the time’ is a sure path to big mistakes and burn out.

Have you ever lied to leave a training session?

I have, twice.

We talked about several examples, too close to both of us, of leaders who made decisions that undermined their credibility and did deep harm to people. In some cases destroying the organizations they had been entrusted to lead. It’s the same old story, even though each one hurts freshly in its own way.

I’ve seen too many organizations complete a strategic plan and then look around and realize the people on their team aren’t ready, willing, or able to lead the implementation.

It doesn’t have to be that way!

After a few moments of reflection he opened up a little more about some of the long held patterns in his life and leadership. He talked about the advantages and costs of being a driven leader. He wondered if this stable season might be a time to invest in more things outside work.

It makes sense; perfectionists are remarkable adept at getting everything right in contexts where they know what is required. But, as noted on the podcast, that is often limited to things that are familiar and comes at the cost of encouraging creativity and innovative problem solving. The need to be perfect is in tension with taking even necessary risks.

The ability of technology to factor all these data points to progressively narrow our profile is remarkable and always becoming more sophisticated.

As leaders, we can benefit from this in many ways; but let’s not completely outsource to AI the responsibility for knowing our people.

Charity leadership is not less stressful than for profit, and in many ways it isn’t always more meaningful. But if you’re sincerely interested in exploring how you can play in part in trying to make the world a better place we’d love to have you.

Circumstances change. Things happen. Plans that made perfect sense no longer fit.

That doesn’t mean we have to throw away all the good pieces we’ve prepared, but it does mean we should be adaptable to current realities. That goes for consultants as much as for CEOs and EDs.

I get it. We all have too much to do and making the most of positive opportunities often means setting aside some of these longer term challenges while we ride the wave of momentum. Who wants to interrupt a good thing to deal with a minor irritation that might simply pass? Why draw attention to it when there’s so much good stuff happening?

My point is, someday isn’t going to arrive. In your family, your life, your leadership, your organization. We can’t do anything, or everything, but we can do something. But only if we do it Sooner Than Someday.

Honestly, it makes me kinda sad. I want to believe that with a sincere desire to address issues, some skilled facilitation, and a mutual openness to change, we can always rebuild trust and find a way to work together.

That may yet be true, but perhaps the cost is just too high.

Leaders are wise to consider carefully the role they, and their organization, are seeking to play in the process of change:

-Are you eager to generate as much energy and attention as possible briefly?

-Or are you going to do the longer work that gets less attention but often brings the final results?

With so many important and contentious issues surrounding us everyday, leaders need to get clear on how we seek to handle them. We have to decide what kind of influence we want to have.

Do you want to be a Provocateur? A Prophet? A Politician? Or a Persuader?

A lifetime of mastering how to propel a watercraft with a single blade paddle has given him unmatched insight and teaching ability. His analysis of the paddling stroke is phenomenal.

Just a few days later, I am seeing a dramatic difference in my performance on the water. I’m going faster, using better technique, and have the right cues to keep in mind so I can keep improving.