It’s that time of year when the thought of vacation tantalizes even the most avid workaholics among us. Don’t be tempted to put off vacation or worse yet, to take a vacation that really isn’t a vacation because you are taking calls and answering emails. Good executive leaders know that time away from the office isn’t a luxury you can’t afford—it’s a requirement to doing your job better. Not only that, it helps your team grow. So let’s revisit Kadi McDonald’s top five reasons for why you should take a vacation. After all, it does get exhausting saving the world day after day. 1. Your team needs you to take a break. In stressful or high-demand work environments, it can sometimes become overwhelming to have to present to a manager all the time. When you’re not there, this gives your team some time to focus. Not only that, it gives them a confidence boost that they’re able to hold down the fort when you’re not around. 2. Your brain will work much better if you give it some time to clear. Full time employment is stressful. And that’s not even including what it takes to be a functioning human being…

In 1971, Albert Mehrabian published a book Silent Messages, in which he discussed his research on nonverbal communication. He concluded that individuals based their judgments on factors other than words; specifically, 55% to body language, 38% to the tone of the voice, and only 7% to the person’s actual words. This rule has stood the test of time. Nonverbal messages can speak louder than any verbal message you are sending. The Hidden Language of Leaders Most managers learn the common nonverbal communication clues and adapt their body language accordingly. However, you might not be as alert to others, like what your hands are saying. Here are some nonverbal pitfalls to watch for in yourself and others: The Handshake We all know that a firm handshake is critical—it is the most powerful nonverbal cue. Moving on. Your Hands Gesturing or talking with your hands is very natural. Scientists have long known that a region of the brain called Broca’s area is important for speech production. It’s also active when we wave our hands to power conversation. Just don’t get carried away as too many hand gestures can be distracting, or worse yet, perceived negatively. Keep your hands away from your mouth…

CompassPoint and the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund produced an excellent report entitled Under Developed: A National Study of Challenges Facing Nonprofit Fundraising about the high turnover of fundraising professionals and the reasons that contribute to this situation in the nonprofit sector. Nearly one in three executive directors were “lukewarm about, or dissatisfied with, the performance of their current development directors”. A quarter of all executive directors surveyed reported the previous director of development was fired. Since directors of development are crucial members of nonprofit management teams and are responsible for executing the strategy to raise the money that keeps an organization’s doors open, it is critically important to have an alignment between the organization and the individual in this position. When seeking to hire a new director of development, executive directors, board member and others should be mindful of the following: 1)    Most development professionals are enthusiastic and motivated by different missions on a personal level. It is imperative that board members, volunteers and donors get a sense of the energy and passion of a director of development as it relates to the mission of the organization. Seek professionals who have an interest in the mission of the…

The reality of increasing demand for programs and services, a competitive talent market, and a limited internal pipeline hits many nonprofit organizations especially hard as the season for fundraising galas arrives. Given that the average recruitment timeframe is growing longer as the demand for talent heats up, what happens if you find that you need additional staff in place now, and need to be ready to rock n’ roll for a busy next quarter? There are practical and flexible approaches to help you accelerate the hiring timetable, find the best people, and stay on track. Temporary Staff Hiring a “temp” is a fast, affordable, and efficient way to get the job done with experienced, on-demand talent. Nonprofit temp professionals can bring critical experience to your organization in accounting, mid-level administration, data entry, development, special events management, marketing and IT. Temp-to-Hire Temp-to-Hire programs allow you to fill a position immediately with a strong candidate that you are seriously interested in hiring permanently, but would like to see in actual performance before making the commitment. This gives the organization and the individual an opportunity to decide if the culture and skill-set fit without delaying programs, deliverables and financial goals. Fast Track Search…

We all have read leadership books that inspired us, only to be forgotten before noon. Keep these 5 tips in the palm of your hand—or better yet, in your head—and life in the executive suite is guaranteed to get better. Create a performance based culture. Communicate expectations, be accountable, and help others succeed. Value your time. “Only do what only you can do” and delegate the rest. Beef up your Emotional Intelligence. Be curious about and observant of those around you and be aware of your strengths and weaknesses. You’ll learn more and stress less. Stay on top of your game. Listen, read, imagine, exercise and get a good night’s sleep. Lead, follow, or get out of the way. Have a clear vision, the courage to lead, and the chutzpa to responsibly fail.