Comments on: Why leadership is so hard http://www.thewarpreport.org/2009/why-leadership-is-so-hard/ Grassroots Organizing, Peacemaking, and Faith Perspectives Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:00:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Chuck Warpehoski http://www.thewarpreport.org/2009/why-leadership-is-so-hard/comment-page-1/#comment-338 Chuck Warpehoski Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:47:18 +0000 http://www.thewarpreport.org/?p=288#comment-338 There's a lot of debate in the sector about the role of nonprofit compensation for getting quality leaders. It's a tricky balance. One thing that makes it harder is that many foundations and other major funders measure nonprofits based on ratios of overhead to program funds. Most analysts say this is a terrible measure, because it doesn't measure effectiveness. Where that fits in on this discussion is that it tends to cap nonprofit compensation. The other problem I've seen in some cases is many nonprofit boards are made up of nice people. Nice people don't want to confront an underperforming Executive Director or fire an ED who isn't doing the job. There’s a lot of debate in the sector about the role of nonprofit compensation for getting quality leaders.

It’s a tricky balance. One thing that makes it harder is that many foundations and other major funders measure nonprofits based on ratios of overhead to program funds. Most analysts say this is a terrible measure, because it doesn’t measure effectiveness.

Where that fits in on this discussion is that it tends to cap nonprofit compensation.

The other problem I’ve seen in some cases is many nonprofit boards are made up of nice people. Nice people don’t want to confront an underperforming Executive Director or fire an ED who isn’t doing the job.

]]> By: Andrew http://www.thewarpreport.org/2009/why-leadership-is-so-hard/comment-page-1/#comment-337 Andrew Wed, 26 Aug 2009 01:07:33 +0000 http://www.thewarpreport.org/?p=288#comment-337 Could the difficulty of nonprofits in finding good leaders be an issue of supply and demand? The best leadership goes to where it receives the greatest return (an MBA and the private sector). The government civil service also has difficulty with leadership, and I've speculated it's because good leaders find better money outside the government. If true, I guess that makes it even more important for those in such fields to develop their own leadership skills. Could the difficulty of nonprofits in finding good leaders be an issue of supply and demand? The best leadership goes to where it receives the greatest return (an MBA and the private sector). The government civil service also has difficulty with leadership, and I’ve speculated it’s because good leaders find better money outside the government. If true, I guess that makes it even more important for those in such fields to develop their own leadership skills.

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