Thomas P. Holland, Ph.D.
Institute for Nonprofit Organizations
University of Georgia
Basic Definitions
 Leadership: drawing people together to identify
shared values and goals and then formulating
plans to achieve them
 Management: overseeing activities to carry out the
plan and accomplish goals, including planning,
organizing, delegating, and coordinating activities
 Supervision: guiding production and procedures of
staff to accomplish a delegated goal or objective
 Overlap of skills across roles
 Distinctions made in larger organizations
Components of Leadership
 Envisioning situations that are in line with shared
values, specifying a desired future condition
 Engaging others in shaping the vision
 Deciding together on our shared goals
 Identifying ways to attain them together
 Inspiration rather than authority
 Motivated by vision and purpose
 Problems resolved by referring back to shared vision
Leadership Styles
 Charismatic
 Charm and grace attract others
 Self-belief is vital
 People follow others they personally admire
 Transactional
 People are motivated by reward and punishment
 Social systems work best with clear chain of command
 Prime purpose of subordinate is do what leader says
 Transformative
 People follow one who inspires them
 People with vision and passion can achieve great things
 Get things done by enthusiasm and energy
 Servant
 Leader has responsibilities for followers and society
 People who want to help others do this best by leading them
 Leader serves others, rather than others serving leader
Leadership differs from Management
 Leaders create environments that influence others to
clarify and achieve group goals, knowing that people
support a world they help create.
 Managers implement processes to achieve goals and
monitor results, knowing that people support
processes that help them succeed.
 Both involve people-skills, process-skills,
communication, and accountability.
Leadership is NOT
 Having the answer to every problem
 Ordering others to do things
 Being the smartest or most efficient person in the
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room
Blaming others for their limitations
Telling them how they should act, think, or feel
Doing the tasks others fail to do
Rescuing others from consequences of their actions
(or inactions)
Clinging to familiar ways of doing work while
expecting others to change
Leadership is
 more about vision than precision
 more about relationships than results
 more about processes than structures
 more about taking risks than security
 more about cooperating than winning
 more about effectiveness than efficiency
 more about setting examples than getting quick results
 more about long-term learning than short-term conclusions
 more about asking the right questions than giving the right
answers
Leadership:
Intentional actions to
facilitate the process of
people working together to
identify and achieve shared,
long-term goals
Skills of effective leadership
 Bring participants together in a safe environment to
form a cohesive, inclusive group or team.
 Identify the group’s true, long-term interests together:
 a. Examine current realities of market and
organization
 b. Identify opportunities, challenges,
problems
 c. Draw upon mission to articulate a
vision that all can share
Help the group formulate work plans
for achieving that vision together
 Specify goals for each dimension
(what do we want to accomplish?)
 Identify products or results to be attained for
each of them
(what will success look like in each area?)
 Set clear work assignments and timetable
(who will do what, by when?)
 Identify evidence of success
(assessed by what criteria?)
Make success a team effort
 Be sure everyone knows what is expected of
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her/him and how that links to the group’s goals
Articulate how each individual’s talents contribute
to success of the whole (why am I needed?)
Identify means for problem-solving and
accountability as a team (what will we do when
problems and barriers show up?)
Specify methods for reporting and communicating
progress (how will we know it’s done?)
Monitor, evaluate, and report on results
Find ways to reward team successes
Reinforce Changes
 Communicate progress widely and often, using multiple
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means
Articulate the connections between actions and results
Recognize and reward successes
Report results to others outside team
Encourage group learning from experiences
Develop and nurture new leaders, ensuring leadership
succession
Model the behaviors expected of others
Effective leaders practice emotional
intelligence (as well as rationality)
 Self-awareness: ability to recognize and understand one’s
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own moods, emotions, and drives, as well as their effects on
others
Self-regulation: ability to redirect disruptive impulses,
suspend judgment, think before acting
Motivation: passion for the work and propensity to pursue
goals with energy and persistence
Empathy: understanding of others’ emotional makeup, skill
in treating them according to their reactions
Social skill: proficiency in building networks of
relationships, ability to find common ground and build
rapport with diverse others
Leaders go beyond familiar habits
 Develop new models or metaphors to analyze
issues and understand stakeholders’ longterm interests
 Raise different and more penetrating
questions about purposes, future directions,
strategies, standards, and group performance
 Invite the group to identify solutions
 Model the behaviors they would like to see
incorporated in the organization, such as
 Diversity
 Efficiency
Accountability
Creativity
Leaders nurture groups that learn
 Focus the group’s attention on those few, key
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issues that really matter most to the ends,
mission and purposes of the organization as it
goes into the future
Set priorities for the group’s attention and then
keep meetings focused on them
Specify criteria for monitoring progress
Work on priorities through better committee
structures and meeting formats
Take time to examine and learn from
experiences
Key Components of Management
 Planning: identifying ways, means, and
resources to accomplish goals
 Organizing: creating structures and
assignments to pursue goals
 Coordinating: overseeing the application of
people and resources to accomplish goals
 Monitoring: assessing progress toward
goals; rearranging applications of resources
to refine pursuit of goals
Core Skills of Management
 Planning, goal setting
 Problem-solving and decision-making
 Delegating
 Motivating
 Sustaining communications
 Facilitating meetings
 Ensuring accomplishment of goals
 Monitoring staff performance
 Praising and rewarding success
 Removing barriers to performance
 Managing oneself, improving interpersonal skills
(Re)Designing the Organization
 Start with a solid mission statement and clear strategic
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plan
Identify the skills and resources needed to accomplish
strategic goals
Specify the activities needed to attain goals
Group up those activities into clusters for individuals/
teams
Establish structures of coordination and accountability
 Depict positions in chart, showing lines of accountability
 Delegate objectives and tasks, making sure that everyone
understands expectations
 Sustain clear communications
 Monitor and evaluate results, use feedback loops
Base Everything on the Mission
and Goals of the Organization
 Goals: large, overall preferred results for the organization in the future
 Mission: goals must be consistent with mission
 Market: planning must engage important internal and external
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audiences, seeking their views and involvement
Strategies: the overall methods or processes for accomplishing the
goals
Objectives: specific accomplishments that must be completed to reach
the goals; major milestones along the way
Criteria: indicators of successful accomplishment of objectives and
goals
Implementation: delegation of tasks to people who will complete each
objective
Evaluation: monitoring progress toward goals
Managing Staff Performance
 Def. Processes that provide effective management
of individuals and teams in order to achieve high
levels of organizational success
 Emphasizes strategic goals and application of
organization’s resources to accomplish them
 Makes sure every individual understands how
his/her efforts contribute to overall success
 Integrates all aspects of the organization into
coordinated activities to accomplish goals
 Encourages behavior that fosters good working
relationships and ongoing improvement
 Provides ongoing means for learning and
continuous quality improvement
Delegation
 Assign responsibility for accomplishing a goal or
objective to a team or supervisor
 Allow that person or team to formulate activities
needed to accomplish assignment
 Builds motivation
 Increases competencies
 Risk of assuming “Why bother? I could do the work in
much less time.”
 Allows manager to oversee all operations
Steps of delegation
 Give whole tasks to individuals/ teams
 Select the right person/team for tasks, matching skills
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and interests with tasks
Clearly specify results expected, not the methods for
accomplishing them
Make sure recipient understands and agrees with
assignment
Ensure that needed resources are available
Agree on criteria for monitoring progress, times for
reporting & feedback
Maintain open lines of two-way communication
Set up means for addressing problems/ barriers
Evaluate and reward successful performance
Components of Supervision
 Guiding the activities of staff or teams to
accomplish a delegated goal or objective
 Identifying tasks and roles needed
 Developing effective teams
 Ensuring that the right competencies are being
applied to tasks
 Seeing that problems are resolved
 Monitoring and refining staff/team performance
 Conforming with organizational policies
Core Skills of Supervision
 Translating delegated goals into action, including:
 Conducting feasibility studies to refine work plan
and to identify required resources and skills
 Mobilizing the right mix of people and skills to
accomplish components of delegated goals
 Team building
 Ensuring understanding of work objectives, tasks,
and individual contributions to overall success
 Facilitating meetings, sustaining progress
 Monitoring progress toward goals and objectives
 Trouble-shooting, resolving problems & conflicts
Project Planning and Supervision
 State the problem (not the solution) clearly so everyone
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involved has the same, accurate understanding of the issue
to be addressed and solved.
Identify the goal to be attained, solution (so the problem is
resolved), how it is linked with mission.
Specify what the team needs to do, a framework or
structure to organize work, tasks linked by structure, clear
enough that person assigned task will know what to do.
Identify set of activities that together will accomplish the
goal, with time ordering so they are completed in sequence
and on time for subsequent tasks. Set times for beginning,
milestones for accomplishment, project completion.
Organize into sequence diagram, flow chart (project
management software is available for this: Microsoft office has one; see
also www.viewpath.com and www.iteamwork.com )
Project Planning II
 Task allocation: assign specific tasks to individuals who
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have competencies to complete them. Include some
stretch so people will develop/grow.
Resources: ensure that needed resources are available on
time for each task.
Record-keeping: set up procedures to keep track of tasks,
assignments, due dates.
Communications: set up procedures for monitoring work,
reporting on tasks, supporting collaboration, alerting
others to barriers, testing for quality
Plan for errors and handling problems along the way:
convene team to address and resolve.
Protect team members from other demands on time.
Disseminate and celebrate results.
Getting Started:
Defining a New Job Role
 Recognize need through problems in completing
work assignments or
 Anticipate need when planning for new service or
program
 Specify tasks and competencies through
examination of current job roles and gaps
 Identify how new role fits with organizational
structure, work flow
 Write job description
 Estimate costs, including salary, benefits, taxes
Make use of Volunteers
 Traditional “busy-work” not interesting or
motivating to most people
 Begin with workforce needs and identify tasks at
all levels that may be done by volunteers
 Must engage staff in planning
 Follow similar steps of preparing job description,
recruitment, screening, orienting, training,
supervising, firing
 Monitor performance and satisfactions, make
adjustments to retain good volunteers
 Recognition and appreciation are essential for
retention
Performance Management seeks to ensure
that each person
 Understands what is expected of her and how her
work leads to organization’s goals
 Has the skills and abilities to deliver on those
expectations
 Meets those expectations
 Is actively engaged in designing and implementing
work tasks
 Sustains positive relationships
 Receives feedback on her performance
 Has opportunities to improve performance
Problem Solving
 Impulse is to react in ways that have been used before
 Satisficing: looking close to familiar solutions, selecting
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easiest one (fewest demands) to apply
Instead, seek to understand why you and others think there
is a problem
Ask what do we see, where, how occurring, when, with
whom, why, own role in it?
Seek to frame the issue in ways different from past
Engage others in examining definitions and potential
solutions
Set priorities in addressing components
Further steps in problem-solving
 Examine potential causes for the problem; ask for
views and advice from staff, peers, managers,
outsiders
 Brainstorm to identify creative alternative
approaches to solving it in long term, including
asking others views, opinions
 Screen alternatives for feasibility, likelihood of
long-term resolution, risks and benefits, potential
consequences
 Imagine success: “What would we be doing if this
were not an issue for us any more?”
Communications
 Everyone should submit periodic progress reports to
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supervisors; each is crucial audience for other
Hold regular meetings with staff to discuss progress on
assignments, with individual/team summaries, open
feedback
Learn to listen actively; ask for clarification, check to see if
you and others understand one another’s points
Demonstrate practices of open communications, asking for
and giving feedback
Encourage staff to initiate discussions when tasks
accomplished or barriers encountered
Solicit views of ways to deal with barriers; invite others to
help solve problems.
Spread news of successes; show appreciation for others;
say “thank you” often
Managing and reducing risks
 Def: Steps to ensure that critical assets and resources are
protected from loss or damage
 People
 Screen applicants, clear job descriptions, fair reviews, adequate
compensation, prevention of discrimination and harassment
 Responsiveness to problems, complaints, grievances
 Policies on conflicts of interest, whistle-blowing
 Policies on giving public information
 Property and resources
 Clear policies on handling money
 Careful accounting and regular audits
 Monitor and ensure workplace safety
 Insurance (liability, D&O, property)
 Policies on document retention, access, and destruction
Managing Yourself I
 Keep the mission in mind always.
 Set priorities among tasks (urgent vs. important).
 Recognize own signs of stress. Tell others and ask for
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feedback
Monitor own time and work hours; take responsibility for
personal rest and renewal
Set personal growth goals and follow plan to attain them.
Get and use a mentor or coach. Ask for help.
Always tell the truth, keep your promises, admit
mistakes, never blame, build trust.
Learn to delegate, as it builds others’ competencies
Understand your own style of learning, approach to
power and to problems, dealing with criticism and
conflict.
Managing Yourself II
 Develop emotional intelligence
 Communicate with staff, supervisors, partner, mentor (err
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on the side of too much)
Learn and practice active listening
Give constructive feedback to others on the spot; don’t let
discontents fester
Resist impulse to jump in and “fix” things
Address underlying issues, not crises
Identify aspects of work that are satisfying
Know when to stop, quit, leave. Prepare successors and stay
aware of “founder’s syndrome.”
Recognize and celebrate own accomplishments
There is never enough time!
Signs of poor time management
 Staff meetings last too long and accomplish too little
 I’m spending too much time on e-mails and the telephone
 My time gets consumed by unimportant things
 My staff does not work productively when I’m not in the office
 I tend to get too involved with too many projects at once.
 There are always so many interruptions.
 I need to make so many urgent decisions that I cannot study them all
 I’m just a hands-on manager and like to be involved with everything
 If there are problems, I can always finish the job myself.
Principles of time management
 Planning
 An hour of planning can save many hours of
implementation.
 Start the day by deciding which issues are the most
important and put them first.
 Save smaller issues for late in the day.
 Avoid accepting others’ definitions of each problem as a
crisis.
 Remember: Someone else’s procrastination isn’t my
emergency.
More on time management
 Organizing:
 Make responsibility congruent with authority.
 Have people report to one supervisor only.
 Staffing:
 Match person with task to optimize motivation
(including yourself ).
 Orientation for newcomers can save time later.
 Learning should be supported and reinforced on the job.
 Expect people to take initiative and responsibility for
solutions, not just identifying problems.
More on time management
 If it cannot be changed, don’t waste time on it.
 People adopt the organization’s culture, so lead with
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solutions, not just complaints, and expect other to do
same.
Focus on goals and policies, not complaints.
Make sure plans are clear about tasks and
responsibilities.
Don’t take on tasks that could be delegated to others.
Delegate responsibility for whole tasks, not just parts.
Communicate expectations clearly.
Keep your eye on the long-term future.
More on time management
 Decision-making
 Distinguish issues from causes.
 Focus on underlying issues, not complaints.
 Build on what works now (not just in the past).
 Indecision is in fact a decision, one that wastes time.
 Decisions should be made at the front lines, not in
executive office, wherever possible.
 Decisions should be made by those who have the most
information in the issue and the most stake in success.
Emotional Intelligence
 Identifying emotions: the ability to perceive and
recognize emotions in oneself and others (this
varies widely among people)
 Using emotions: the ability to generate and feel
emotions in communication
 Understanding emotions: the ability to
understand emotional information, how they arise
and combine
 Managing emotions: the ability to regulate
expressions of emotions in oneself and others so as
to promote interpersonal understanding and
growth.
Personal Emotional Competencies
 Self-awareness of one’s own inner states
 Recognition of how one’s emotions influence attitudes and
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communications
Self-confidence in one’s own worth and capabilities
Self-management and control of one’s own feelings,
impulses, resources
Trustworthiness in maintaining personal honesty and
integrity
Conscientiousness, taking responsibility for personal
performance
Adaptability, flexibility in handling change
Initiative, readiness to act on opportunities
Achievement-orientation, internal readiness to improve or
meet higher standards of excellence
Social-emotional competencies
 Social awareness of others’ feelings, needs, concerns
 Body language: reading voice, movement, gestures, eye
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contact, volume, posture, silence, timing
Empathy: sensing others’ feelings, perspectives, taking
active interest in their concerns, active listening
Organizational awareness: reading a group’s emotional
currents and power relationships
Service orientation: anticipating, recognizing, acting on
consumers’ needs and interests
Social skills in inducing desirable responses in others
Developing others: sensing others developmental needs
and bolstering their competencies and confidence
More social-emotional competencies
 Leadership: inspiring and guiding others, using effective
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tactics for persuasion
Communication: listening actively and openly; sending
clear and convincing messages
Change catalyst: initiating and managing change in
relationships
Conflict management: negotiating and resolving
disagreements, finding mutual solutions
Teamwork and collaboration: working well with others
toward shared goals; creating group synergy in pursuing
collective goals; showing appreciation to others for
accomplishments.
Exercise
 Review and rate your own performance in the skills of
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leadership, management, supervision.
Identify your strengths and limitations.
Select one skill in which you would like to grow.
Specify how you want to perform in that area. What would
someone see if you were doing it well?
Decide how you want to get feedback from others on your
performance in that skill. From whom? In what form?
Select some learning resources that will help you improve
in that skill.
Negotiate a plan for getting periodic feedback on your
progress.