With much of my leadership experience having taken place in the not-for- profit world, I have been giving lots of thought as to how not- for- profit organizations should be responding to the current economic challenges that our country and the world is facing. How one leads during this time will have many ramifications…both in the not-for-profit and for profit world.
So here are my first two thoughts.
Thought one is Don’t Panic. Easy for me to say, but panicking is like yelling “fire” in a crowded, dark theater. Everyone starts screaming, running, pushing, and shoving with no thought but survival. A good idea but actions taken in that mindset can at times be worse than the actual emergency…people trampled or left behind. Survival rate is often low.
I am watching organizations slashing, reacting, cutting, stopping, begging, and losing hope.
I am not saying that decisive and urgent action shouldn’t be taken. The point is, don’t take off running wildly without some careful thought or a game plan. Take a deep breath and go to thought two.
The second thought is that as leaders, we need to Be Realistic. This is not the time for denial; the idea that if we can just hang on a little longer, it will all work out. IMHO, realistically we are going to be at this for an extended period of time.
Take time to do the following: Gather the data. Read the forecasts. Talk to your stakeholders. Dialogue with leaders of similar organizations. Read Seth Godin’s book, The Dip. Take a hard look. Answer the question, “Where are we….really?" Then begin to take action!
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