Where Non-Profit Leaders are Now Coming From

Hunt-Scallion Media, on their website, had a terrific article on March 15 about leadership. It was based on a report by WittKiefer. The article, in great detail, articulates where boards of many non-profits are finding a new pipeline for strong, viable applicants for the most senior leadership positions. Believe it or not, it is from the for-profit sector.

The article starts with the knowledge that the demand for the correct, talented CEO, and other executive leaders, is becoming more and more intense. In fact, part of the study indicates that as the pandemic hit, many non-profit’s viabilities, both in the short and long term, came down to having leaders at the top who could be nimble and quick with decisions. Specifically, top candidates have in their arsenal of talents including empathy, strategic vision, crisis management abilities, financial knowledge, hyper-communication skills, and the ability to think outside-the-box.  One additional quality caught my attention more than any other. It was, even though we classify our organizations as non-profits, great leaders need to have a “business savvy” to be successful both in the short and long-term.

I agree with all of the study’s outcomes/revelations. However, I feel like there’s one key pipeline opportunity missing. I’ve always felt the high-level pure philanthropic leaders (fundraisers) demonstrate many of the skills necessary for executive leadership that this study’s outcomes articulate. What about the idea of a fundraising leader becoming president of a hospital? Or president or chancellor of a university? Nonprofit leaders, at their best, provide all the talents mentioned earlier and many times a proven track record of success.