Five years ago, I met a CFO of a non-profit, married to a real estate investor. We were all new to the Valley and met coincidentally, at which time we exchanged bios. When I explained that Geer Financial works with suitable clients who are coachable, he literally pushed back from the table, laughed out loud, slapped me on the back …
The Grace Of Transformational Leadership
Transformational leaders may be some of the more powerful people in the world. They understand the art of accomplishing significant things through the teams they recruit, train, inspire, and deploy. Transformational leaders possess the courage and grace to have crucial conversations with key personnel, ensuring everyone on the team is on the right bus and in the right seat, aligned …
What Constitutes A Great Hire
A very successful CEO of a for-profit business is renowned for making great hires. His process is long and arduous, but his reward is having tenured, satisfied senior leaders. He has taken up to a year to find the ideal fit, willing to limp along with interim staff or contract executives until he finds the right candidate. “There’s no secret …
Root Canals, Migraines or Meetings, You Choose
Do you think of meetings as necessary evils, a poor use of time, or as potentially transformative experiences? Is it possible for most meetings to be life-giving, mission-central and enriching? No one really wants to attend an event where “minutes are kept but hours are lost” [unknown]. Create the possibility of a transformational gathering by embracing the following steps: Hell …
Raising Up Fund Raisers
Chief development officers (CDO) recruit, train, and deploy fundraisers to 1) cultivate relationships with individual donors, foundations, and corporations, and 2) solicit them for mid-level to major gifts. But, on average, the deployments last between 18 and 24 months, and 51 percent of current fundraisers say they are planning on a change in the next two years.i To improve retention …
Plan The Life You Want To Live
Do you ever end the day feeling like you did not do all the things you wanted to do? Are you frustrated that you did not have time to return a call, respond to an email, go for a walk, read a book, take a class, or play golf? If you answered yes, you are not alone. My clients regularly …
Non-Profit Board Members
Boredom on non-profit boards is symptomatic of a deeper, systemic problem, but one that is not all that unusual. Perhaps you have heard it said – “whatever you see in your own back yard – you are more than likely responsible for it.” Non-profits can unwittingly breed board members and it is not a mystery as to why. Members are …
Autonomous Work Teams
Autonomous work teams are also known as self-directed teams, self-managed teams, or empowered work units. They stand in stark contrast to traditional, top-down, hierarchical models replete with bosses, supervisors, and managers. Autonomous work teams are neither new nor novel. Introduced in the 1960s, autonomous work teams are used today at 80 percent of Fortune 1000 companies [Chron, Lynne McDonald, March …