It is needless to say that leadership is an extremely important part of any nonprofit organization. Nonprofits, especially smaller organizations, often have problem maintaining high profile leaders. They usually lose them to their competitors because they cannot afford to pay a high salary. Also, nonprofit leaders face burn-out as they are expected to cover multiple positions. This might save the organization some money in the short term, but it reduces its efficiency, effectiveness, and is more expensive long-term.
It is critical to prioritize the importance of having a great leader in an organization. A great leader can provide an organization with forward-looking strategies and increase the productiveness of the organization with a much lower cost. They can energize and activate the group of volunteers. Great leadership will help the organization stay true to its mission while helping it evolve to stay relevant and effective.
The Orpheus Chamber Music Orchestra has taken a unique step in its organization by sharing the role among all the staff members. Each member has a chance to be in charge of administration and lead the decision-making process in the organization. This strategy provides an equal opportunity for all members to have a chance to bring their vision and innovation to an organization; it allows the strengths of each member to be seen and put to the use. Above all, this creates unity among the members because a single person does not run the entire organization and members feel that they have a voice. While this leadership model might not apply to many organizations, it holds a major lesson for us. It is important to provide members with opportunities to have a leading role, so the organization benefits from different perspectives.
-Sinella
