Brian Sooy – There Are No Chance Meetings
"There are no chance meetings. I was supposed to come to see you." Those were the first words I heard from my colleague. Whether guided by divine appointment or the intent of purposeful relationship, there are no chance meetings for those who are champions for a cause. Every interaction is an opportunity to spread an idea, stand up for what you believe is right, [...]
Betsy Westhafer – Are You in the Arena?
“Leadership is all about relationships and to be in relationship (with anyone) is to be vulnerable. Every single day, leaders are called to navigate uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure - the only choice is to do it consciously or unconsciously; to lean into the vulnerability or to push it away.” - Brené Brown In our fast-paced, instant gratification society, new ideas truly are a [...]
Scott Koorndyk – Sticky Ideas from a Non-Stick Source
As the leader of a nonprofit organization focused on accelerating the transition of ideas from the research laboratory to the marketplace, I'm fascinated by great innovations. Those innovations contain great lessons for those of us in the business of ideas. One of my favorites is the story behind the invention of Teflon™. Teflon is the third slipperiest substance in existence - even geckos can’t [...]
Terrance DeShaun Smith – Leveraging Storytelling into Story-Doing
To attract brand ambassadors, advocates, and donors, nonprofits must build a platform and a movement. This allows us to capture attention and communicate with our audience. We must build trust, create an experience, and engage our audience cleanly, clearly and concisely. Building Trust: Patience, Compassion, and Tolerance Building trust starts with adding real value to an individual, community or organization. We build trust through [...]
Jonah Berger – Ideas That Spread
Social benefit and nonprofit organizations need to grow to be effective. They have an important message and are doing really good work, but they need to get their message out there. It's not enough just to do good work; you have to get your ideas to catch on. Unfortunately, many organizations don't have a huge budget to spend on advertising. So, very simply, how [...]
Stacy Wellborn – Hashtags Raise Stories above the Fray
With nearly two-thirds of American adults using social media networking, it is increasingly important that nonprofits use this communication tool to engage audiences and disseminate their message. With so many users and messages flying across the channels, how does a nonprofit get its message heard? One tool allows organizations to cut through the chatter, connect with the target audience, and tell their story. Introduced [...]
Tammy Harden – Encourage, Equip, and Empower: 3e Restoration
What if serving others were something that didn’t drain us, but a process that both aided the holistic growth of the individual and also contributed to the development of an organization? That very ideal sits at the heart of most organizations in the nonprofit sector. Yet, sadly, we often fall short. Homelessness is not a new phenomenon. Shelters, soup kitchens, and a wide variety [...]
HiRho Park – Adapting to an Ever-Changing World
Institutions, like ideas, adapt to changes in culture and context. When two of the world's oldest institutions, higher education and the church, become united, staying flexible and current can be challenging. In 2014, the Index of Cognitive Skills and Educational Attainment ranked South Korean education number one in the world. Its foundation was three schools in Seoul established by American missionaries in 1885 and [...]
Dan Clark – Reaching Beyond Success
One of the highlights of my professional speaking career was as the keynote speaker at the United Nations World NGO Conference in Hamburg, Germany. With well over a hundred countries represented, I needed to deliver a message that would ring loud and clear in every language and every culture. Based on my firm conviction that the same God who made me, made you too, [...]
Nicholas Ripplinger – What’s in Your Repository?
In today’s ever-changing climate, the leader has to be flexible and capable of changing course at a moment’s notice. This applies equally to the CEO of a multi-billion dollar corporation, the young adult overseeing his or her first service project, and every leader at every level in between. But what tools do leaders possess to help them make these decisions? Education, mentoring, and training [...]
