The Leaders The Nonprofit Sector Has Been Waiting For

Many nonprofit colleagues my age are reluctant to call themselves leaders, even though many of them bring brilliant, innovative ideas to their organizations, organize support systems and professional networks within the nonprofit sector, and work tirelessly to create change for their communities. So I'm always on the lookout for inspiring definitions and examples of leadership that apply to young nonprofit employees. I recently came across a brief piece by Elise Roaf over at Communications Leadership, called "The leaders we need are already here". The title of the post comes from Meg Wheatley's idea that leadership emerges from within organizations, not without. And Meg's definition is simple. A leader is "anyone who wants to help, who is willing to step forward to make a difference in the world". Wow. I strongly suspect that applies to all of us do-gooders who took the paycut plunge into the nonprofit sector to make this world a better place. Elise expands the definition of leadership even further:

"Today’s leaders can emerge from any part of an organization. Rather than being given the title, leaders choose for themselves to make a difference and take action to do so. They see themselves not as experts but as learners. Rather than focusing on heroism and control they focus on enabling others to succeed."

For me, and hopefully many of my younger colleagues, this is an inspiring idea. The concepts of "stepping forward and taking action" are things we do every day. We see a problem or issue that needs to be solved - not with a band-aid, but with a strategic plan of action - and we hunker down until we get it right. Not because we're showered with praise from our executive directors, or rewarded with huge raises, but because it needs to be done. As the famous African American poet Nikki Giovanni has said:

"Sometimes we must do things not because we have a need for them, but because it is the right thing to do."

We do ourselves (and the nonprofit sector) a disservice by shrinking, by attributing each act of important change to our bosses, our boards of directors, our own dumb luck. We are the receptionists, administrative assistants, program associates, junior-level directors who work late into the night, digging in our heels to do the work of the public good. We are the ones who will enable the sector to grow and thrive and get better in the next decade of leadership transition. Are we ready to step up and take action? Let's get ready.

We are the leaders the nonprofit sector has been waiting for.