Leadership Episodes

147: Creating A People First Environment at Your Nonprofit (Stamie Despo & Tom Lafalce) SUMMARY What are you doing to create a people first environment at your nonprofit? More than ever, nonprofit leaders must create a culture that attracts, orients, develops and retains talent. Two leaders in the higher education sector who have traveled varying career paths now find themselves leading together. In episode #147 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, Stamie Despo and Tom Lafalce deli...

145: Tackling Toxic Leadership in the Nonprofit Sector (Andrew Olsen) SUMMARY Does your nonprofit organization exhibit symptoms of toxic leadership? Feelings of isolation among staff could be misinterpreted as stresses related to recent life changing events such as Covid, so nonprofit leaders must be more cognizant of underlying conditions which may be fostering a toxic environment within an organization. In episode #145 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership Patton and Andrew Olsen...

139: What Are the Best Practices of a Nonprofit Leader? (Katie O’Malley) SUMMARY Have you found true passion along your career journey? Many in the nonprofit sector struggle to maintain their connection to the mission as they accomplish their daily work. With more than 15 years in the sector, Katie O’Malley experienced this dilemma first-hand before translating this struggle into action and sharing her wisdom through Encourage Coaching. In episode #139 of Your Path to Nonpro...

137: Building A Strong Nonprofit Through Intentional Leadership (Teddy McDaniel) SUMMARY Many for-profit leaders have followed their passion and transitioned to the nonprofit sector. Luckily for the Urban League of the Carolinas, Teddy McDaniel is one such leader who likes to say he doesn’t have a job, he’s on a mission. In episode #137 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, Teddy discusses how being an intentional leader strengthens an organization. He and Patton discuss embracin...

135: Sharpening Your Vision as a Nonprofit Leader (Pat Millen) SUMMARY Most well-intentioned ideas never become a viable nonprofit organization. But after Pat Millen’s daughter Franny raised the issue of the digital divide after school one day, the family decided to do something about it. Less than 10 years later, one family’s inspiration has evolved into E2D (Eliminate the Digital Divide), and Pat has elevated the organization to state and national prominence. Not only is h...

133: How to Improve Your Nonprofit Leadership Experience (Patton McDowell) SUMMARY Are you thankful for your current nonprofit leadership role? The sector should be thankful for talented individuals like you who are dedicated to a vital cause in your community, but I know you may not feel that gratitude as you do even more for an organization that needs your every contribution. In this special Thanksgiving Day episode, I offer some ideas that may help you be an even better l...

130: How Do You Prepare for Nonprofit Leadership? (Manuel Campbell) SUMMARY When funders approach you and ask, “why do we need this organization?” are you able to answer with more than just passion? Seasoned nonprofit leader, Manuel Campbell, shares what it takes to go from a passion project to a strategic case for support to benefit your community and maintain a sustainable, upwardly mobile, and fully-funded nonprofit organization. In episode #130 of the Path Podcast, we discuss key...

129: How to Retain Talent Through a Dynamic Nonprofit Organization (Keith Fishburne) SUMMARY Are you struggling as a nonprofit leader to retain your best talent? Keith Fishburne, whose career spans over 30 years at Special Olympics North Carolina, shares his best practices to recognize, develop, and ultimately retain quality employees. Many of Keith’s senior staff have been with him for over a decade, unheard of in the nonprofit sector. The experiences we discuss in episode #129 of th...

127: 5 Priorities of the Best Nonprofit Leaders (Patton McDowell) SUMMARY Ever wonder on what the best nonprofit leaders are focused? After working with nearly 250 nonprofit organizations, and having interviewed over 120 talented nonprofit leaders from around the world on the podcast, Patton has narrowed his list to these five priorities which distinguish the best leaders from the rest in episode #127 of the Path Podcast. Are you able to articulate a clear vision for your...

125: The Surprising Gift of Doubt for Nonprofit Leaders (Marc Pitman) SUMMARY As a nonprofit leader, you constantly face new challenges for which none of your training and previous experience can prepare you. Under such circumstances, it’s easy to lose confidence and succumb to those feelings of doubt, and wonder where leadership solutions might come from. As a long-time leadership coach and fundraiser in the nonprofit sector, Marc Pitman understands these feelings of insecurity, and ha...

117: 3 Keys to Effective Nonprofit Leadership (John Bennett) SUMMARY The study of nonprofit leadership requires the review of a wide array of topics, skills and experiences, especially as you try to identify the keys to success in the philanthropic sector. Where can you turn for advice on ways to improve your leadership skills? Well, to assure a deeper dive into these sometimes intangible leadership factors, John Bennett proved to be the perfect guest on episode #117 of the Path Podcast...

110: 3 Challenges All Nonprofit Leaders Will Face (Sheryl Aikman) SUMMARY While moving out of the pandemic provides a sigh of relief for nonprofit leaders everywhere - as well as a host of strategic opportunities - there are also some key challenges that must be addressed. Fortunately, the national perspective Sheryl Aikman brings to episode #110 of the Path Podcast will help you identify these potential challenges that could inhibit your nonprofit’s success. In particular, Sheryl and I discu...

106: Failure is What It’s All About (Steven Lavine) SUMMARY When Steven Lavine took the role of President at CalArts in 1988, the school - an experimental arts institution located just north of Los Angeles - was in danger of going bankrupt. In 1994, the Northridge earthquake rendered the campus uninhabitable. But Lavine piloted the school through those stormy waters, and today CalArts is thriving, with an endowment of $152 million and a ranking that places it among the top 10 fine arts school...

103: Effective Nonprofit Leadership in a Virtual World (Heather Burright) SUMMARY While nonprofit leaders are welcoming a gradual return to in-person meetings and events, the virtual access required during the pandemic will remain an operational reality going forward. For many leaders, the prospect of more online meetings and trainings is frustrating, but how can you make the best of this reality and in fact leverage the technology to improve the effectiveness of your virtual platforms ...

102: Leading A Nonprofit Through Dramatic Growth (Rob Harter) SUMMARY It seems obvious that most nonprofit leaders hope to grow their impact and increase the numbers they serve, but are they really ready for dramatic growth? Growth without planning can create all kinds of problems, which makes the thoughtful leadership of Rob Harter even more helpful as a guide to program growth and strategic expansion. Rob serves as the Executive Director of the Christian Center of Park City in Utah, a...

100: Leadership Lessons from the First 100 Episodes (Patton McDowell) SUMMARY Reaching the 100-episode milestone on Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership was a wonderful journey thanks to incredible nonprofit leaders who were willing to share their wisdom and experiences with our listeners. Chris Delisio, our guest on episode #24 on the Path, offered to rejoin the show and interview me about the experience since the inaugural episode on November 21, 2019. Our discussion lifted up many fanta...

099: Moving Through the Pandemic: What Do We Do Now? (Michael Marsicano) SUMMARY As one of the most popular guests on Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, it seems only fitting to bring back Michael Marsicano as the podcast completes its first 100 episodes. On his first visit to the Path (episode #32), Michael raised important questions - and offered key insight - on the role of philanthropy as nonprofit leaders grappled with a global pandemic in April of 2020. A year later on episode #99...

97: Nonprofit Leaders: When is it Time to Leave? (Kathy Ridge) SUMMARY On your path to nonprofit leadership, you will face difficult decisions about whether it is the right time to leave your organization. This decision can be even more difficult if you are the leader of your nonprofit and have dedicated countless hours to the cause and feel genuine concern for its well-being after your departure. Kathy Ridge, our guest on episode #97 of the Path Podcast has helped dozens of nonprofit ...

93: Leadership Lessons from The Duke Endowment (Rhett Mabry) SUMMARY It’s hard not to be impressed by an organization that has contributed over $4 billion in grants to nonprofit organizations since its inception, but that’s exactly The Duke Endowment has done, making it one of the largest 501(c)(3) private foundations in the United States. Equally impressive as the Endowment’s impact on its four program priorities (higher education, health care, rural church and child care) is the thou...

82: 4 Things They Don’t Teach You About Nonprofit Leadership (Martyn Drake) SUMMARY How do you look at profitability as a nonprofit leader? Our sector’s leadership often grapples with conflicted emotions about running their nonprofit “more like a business” despite the fact it is a business and needs to employ critical revenue-generating practices to assure long-term sustainability. In episode #82 of the Path Podcast, Martyn Drake brings a global perspective to this to...

79: Is Co-Leadership Right for Your Nonprofit? (Alicia Winckler & Alan Mather) SUMMARY What is Co-Leadership and how could it elevate your nonprofit to the proverbial next level? In episode #79 of the Path Podcast, I had a great conversation with Alicia Winckler and Alan Mather, two talented individual leaders who have embarked on a co-leadership model for the Chicago-based Golden Apple Foundation. By combining forces, they have not only strengthened a great organizatio...

73: What Nonprofit Leaders Must Do to Support Their Teams (Valerie Williams) SUMMARY The year 2020 has reminded nonprofit leaders of two significant issues they must manage to succeed: diversity, equity & inclusion and the mental health of their teams and themselves. This can be a tall order when combined with everything else leaders in the charitable sector must face. Fortunately, our guest on Episode #73 of the Path, Valerie Williams, is exactly the person who can help us understand these issu...

68: The 3 “C’s” of Nonprofit Leadership (Mike Smith) SUMMARY Nonprofit organizations add value to communities around the world, and Mike Smith has had the opportunity to see outstanding leadership in the charitable sector in dozens of different countries as well as across the United States. His insight into the key attributes of successful nonprofit leaders led to a fascinating conversation on Episode #68 of the Path Podcast. From his vantage point as the Managing Director of Spec...

63: Confronting Wicked Problems as a Nonprofit Leader (Lynn Fick-Cooper) SUMMARY As a nonprofit leader, you are likely trying to address “Wicked Problems” every day, social challenges that are systemic in nature and incredibly complex. To help us better address these types of problems, Lynn Fick-Cooper offers a fantastic analysis of these issues, and provides five crucial strategies to address them in episode #63 of the Path Podcast. Lynn’s 30-year journey in nonprofit leadership is als...