For All the Nonprofit CEOs and Executive Directors - Thank You!
by Anne Yurasek on November 23, 2009
I just took a few minutes to search on two terms…thankful and leadership. I wondered if anyone had ever written a piece on being thankful for the people who are willing to lead. I found a large list of pieces on why leaders should display an attitude of thankfulness, why leaders should be grateful for all that they have and should encourage others to be thankful too, but I failed to find anything that encouraged the rest of us to be thankful for our leaders.
Especially now, and especially in the nonprofit sector, as we face challenges that few among us have the skills to overcome on our own, the rest of us should be thankful for those among us who are willing lead, to be CEO's or Executive Directors. These are always tough jobs, but never more so than now. What we see in our practice are leaders who are losing sleep, who are stressed, who struggle with knowing how to take the right action at the right time. As they struggle to make the right choices, we see leaders who are willing to take risks, to develop new strategies and new strategic alliances. We see leaders who are willing to take their organizations in both their hands and move them, to reposition, to realign, to re-engineer, and, when necessary, to start over and re-invent. The ED's and CEO's of community organizations enable their employees to focus on mission, to do the work that makes the difference for others. Being a good one requires a good brain, a lot of hard work, a willingness to take risks and, even more important, to take responsibility for tough choices in these tough times.
So, since we are lucky enough to know so many CEO's and Executive Directors, we are taking the time this Thanksgiving to say thank you…for your vision, for your courage, and, most of all, for your willingness to lead. We are grateful for knowing you and for the opportunity to support you. You must realize that your communities would be much less healthy without you.
If this is reaching you, and you are not a CEO or an Executive Director, but you know one, take a moment and say "Thanks for all that you do."
Happy Thanksgiving from FIO Partners!
Photo Credit: The Gifted Photographer
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