• Published March 16, 2011
  • 2 Minute Read
RESEARCH REPORT

Challenges of Leading in Nonprofit Organizations: Myths, Meaning, and Motivations

Published March 16, 2011
leading in nonprofit organizations

Introduction

Since 2008, the American Express Nonprofit Leadership Academy has been developing emerging leaders in the nonprofit sector.

In 2010, American Express embarked on a research effort with us to advance the understanding of, and to promote excellence in, the field of nonprofit leadership by focusing on the needs of emerging leaders, and so interlinked research projects were conducted. Survey and narrative data were gathered from current and emerging nonprofit leaders. Below are the critical themes from this work:

  • Overall, individuals at every level feel a sense of purpose in the work they do. However, individuals at lower levels are more concerned about pay than are those at higher levels;
  • Fewer individuals are willing to take it on faith that they are making a positive difference; they want tangible evidence of the difference they and their organizations are making;
  • Individuals may be more married to a cause than they are to an organization. The new workforce is willing to change organizations if they don’t believe they’re having an impact;
  • Clear organizational structures and hierarchy are seen as useful to the extent that they contribute to development, career progression, learning opportunities, and regular feedback. However, when structure and hierarchy created obstacles to doing the work or were too inflexible to allow for work/life balance accommodations or inhibited creativity, structure and hierarchy were viewed negatively;
  • Individuals may be more willing to stay with an organization if there are learning and development opportunities; or, conversely, to leave if learning and development opportunities are not prioritized by the organization and its leaders;
  • We need to expand how we think about talent development and utilization to include a sectorial perspective and find ways to support it at that level; and
  • With the increase in mobile technology use (such as smartphones) the lines between work time and personal time are often blurry. Individuals, particularly younger workers, increasingly have the desire to choose how they manage the boundaries between work and nonwork roles, relationships, and responsibilities.

Download Research Report

Download Research Report

Download our full research report to understand the challenges of leading in nonprofit organizations and our recommendations for increasing engagement and motivation of nonprofit sector employees.

  • Published March 16, 2011
  • 2 Minute Read

Based on Research by

Kelly Hannum
Kelly Hannum, PhD
Former Director, Global Research Insights

In addition to directing an international group conducting research about leadership and leadership development, Kelly co-authored our casebook on Leadership Across Differences, the guidebook Managing Your Whole Life, and the books Evaluating the Impact of Leadership Development and The Handbook of Leadership Development Evaluation.

In addition to directing an international group conducting research about leadership and leadership development, Kelly co-authored our casebook on Leadership Across Differences, the guidebook Managing Your Whole Life, and the books Evaluating the Impact of Leadership Development and The Handbook of Leadership Development Evaluation.

Jennifer Deal
Jennifer Deal, PhD
Former Senior Research Scientist

Jennifer’s work with us focused on global leadership and generational differences around the world. An internationally recognized expert on generational differences, Jennifer has published on generational issues, executive selection, cultural adaptability, global management, and women in management. She’s the co-author of What Millennials Want from Work: How to Maximize Engagement in Today’s Workforce.

Jennifer’s work with us focused on global leadership and generational differences around the world. An internationally recognized expert on generational differences, Jennifer has published on generational issues, executive selection, cultural adaptability, global management, and women in management. She’s the co-author of What Millennials Want from Work: How to Maximize Engagement in Today’s Workforce.

Sarah Stawiski
Sarah Stawiski, PhD
Director, Insights & Impact Group

With more than 15 years of experience conducting applied research and program evaluation, Sarah leads a team that uses data to improve programs and show evidence of impact with a goal of helping us advance our mission and achieve greater results. She has published multiple articles in peer-reviewed journals and contributed to several books on topics including evaluation of leadership development, generational differences in the workplace, shared group cognition, ethical decision making, and bias in the workplace.

With more than 15 years of experience conducting applied research and program evaluation, Sarah leads a team that uses data to improve programs and show evidence of impact with a goal of helping us advance our mission and achieve greater results. She has published multiple articles in peer-reviewed journals and contributed to several books on topics including evaluation of leadership development, generational differences in the workplace, shared group cognition, ethical decision making, and bias in the workplace.

Marian Ruderman
Marian Ruderman, PhD
Honorary Senior Fellow

With over 30 years of experience in the field of leadership development and over 80 publications, Marian is widely regarded as a thought leader in the field. Her particular areas of expertise include the career development of women, work-life integration, the intersection of voice and leadership recognition, and the role of well-being in leadership development. She has worked with a diverse array of colleagues and clients from around the globe conducting both original research and bringing into CCL the best of what the larger field of leadership scholarship has to offer.

With over 30 years of experience in the field of leadership development and over 80 publications, Marian is widely regarded as a thought leader in the field. Her particular areas of expertise include the career development of women, work-life integration, the intersection of voice and leadership recognition, and the role of well-being in leadership development. She has worked with a diverse array of colleagues and clients from around the globe conducting both original research and bringing into CCL the best of what the larger field of leadership scholarship has to offer.

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About CCL

At the Center for Creative Leadership, our drive to create a ripple effect of positive change underpins everything we do. For 50+ years, we've pioneered leadership development solutions for everyone from frontline workers to global CEOs. Consistently ranked among the world's top providers of executive education, our research-based programs and solutions inspire individuals in organizations across the world — including 2/3 of the Fortune 1000 — to ignite remarkable transformations.