In today's fast-paced environment, organisational change is inevitable. Whether it's a staff reshuffle, building new stakeholder relationships, a rebrand, or new leadership, these shifts can create uncertainty and stress. However, adopting a values-based leadership approach can help navigate these changes effectively, ensuring that both the team and the leader thrive. This article, by The Elischer Foundation alumna Aisling Nolan, explores how values based and/or servant leadership can be applied in two critical areas: looking after and leading the team and looking after yourself as a leader. We will also examine the unique challenges of being a leader in the non-profit sector, where resources are often limited.
Aisling Nolan, Director of Development at St. James's Hospital Foundation
Looking After and Leading the Team
I write this blog, hitting the one-year anniversary of being in a new role, in a new industry and after a year full of change. Going into the role, the board had been very clear on the need of the team and what I would be taking on, but it wasn’t until I was in the business, could I fully appreciate and understand the scale of change and pace it required. I met my counterpart, in a fellow hospital foundation for coffee two weeks ago, and after a busy week I said to her ‘Mary, I feel like we haven’t done enough, I'm not where I expected I would be one year in’, and with a smile and level of assurance I didn’t know I needed, she began to list back to me the things we had been talking about: Drafting a new strategic plan, rebuilding the team, auditing processes and improving policy, reaffirming and resetting our relationships within the hospital, starting to fundraise, culling programmes that no longer were fit for purpose, relaunching the ones that worked or implementing new ones, training up fundraisers, and I started to hear it all. No wonder I was tired. We had achieved a lot. I confessed, ‘I don’t think we are ready, we’re almost there, but there is still so much to do’ and she smiled, having led her team and foundation for the last number of years and said, ‘Don’t worry, I didn’t feel ready until the end of year two, you’re on track.’
It was the looking after me I had needed, after changing industry and role, from one I’d been in for five years and a pandemic (and those years are like dog years, so I felt like I’d been there 20!). What the key takeaway for me from the conversation was, that as a leader, you will have self-doubt, you will have moments when you are not effective, you will get it wrong, and be tired, and all of that is ok. You’ll also have amazing days, where you are so proud of the people you work with and think they are absolutely superstars and you’ve done a great job picking them! But you need to look after yourself - to look after your team you need to be ok.
Servant Leadership: Do I work for them…well yes, yes you do!
I’m a believer in the servant leadership approach. I think any of the effective and inspirational leaders I’ve worked with or admired embody the tenets of servant leadership, some knowingly, and for others it is innate, and they just do it well naturally.
The thing about servant leadership, is that it’s not saying you can’t be ambitious or want personal gain, but rather, personal ambitions are not the driving motivators in your actions, and that the gain is often derived from the success of your team. You don’t adopt this style to the detriment of your own or the overall team’s wellbeing and health (I think that’s obvious but it’s no harm saying it, you’re only as effective a leader as you are well and able to do so, physically and mentally).
Prioritise Communication and Transparency always, but especially in times of change.
One of the core tenets of servant leadership is prioritising open communication and transparency. During times of change, uncertainties can lead to fear and resistance among team members. Effective leaders must be honest about the changes, the reasons behind them, and the expected outcomes. Simon Sinek, the renowned leadership expert (who is always in short snappy videos on my LinkedIn), emphasises, "Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge." For me, this philosophy underlines servant leadership and speaks to the importance of keeping the team informed and involved and sharing the necessary information. Regular updates, open forums for questions, and active listening are crucial strategies. Feedback and openness are not something to punish or beat the team with but is about sharing information to help them succeed. It is also critical to share the negative or hard to hear stuff too. People are empowered when they have the necessary information.
The other piece that is critical to say, is that in times of change and development, there is often information that can’t be shared with the wider team, but I find sharing ‘there is a lot going on behind the scenes, I can’t give you updates right now, but will as soon as I can’ is often enough. Building trust with consistency in your communications, ensures that when you must have those moments of locking down information, the team will know that you’re being as transparent as you can and that they can trust you when you share or do not share. It is often acknowledging that something is going on, but you can’t share, and for them not to worry, means that colleagues and team members, are not in a vacuum and don’t create their own narrative or run away (with themselves and an internal dialogue…but also physically!) in a space of fear.
To take care of the team, we need to prioritise communication, be transparent with our decision making, and practice consistency. Research from McKinsey shows that organisations with effective change management practices are 3.5 times more likely to outperform their peers. Transparency and clear communication are fundamental components of these practices, and in the not for profit and especially fundraising, we need those high-performance practices.
Foster a Supportive Environment for the team and build one for you!
Building a supportive environment is vital to all successful teams but comes to the fore during organisational change. It’s natural that team members may experience anxiety about their roles, new expectations, or changes in team dynamics. As the new leader in an organisation, these are the emotions you often are witnessing in those first few months. When you are the physical representation of the change or the catalyst for change it is essential that we affirm that environment. Servant leaders can mitigate these concerns by being approachable and empathetic. It also critical, that you build that environment and support around you. I’ve been very fortunate, to have formed a group (of powerhouse women who are also amazing fundraisers) around me who have been endlessly supportive, at the end of a text or cup of coffee, who are kind and tell you from their experience and when you need to hear it you are doing great!!! (Thanks Mary, I owe you!)
Encourage Collaboration, Empower Teamwork and Build Resilience
According to Ken Blanchard, a pioneer in servant leadership ; “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority." (I kind of love this man, he is a management and leadership expert who has written so many books on effective leadership techniques. He was one of the first people to document the idea of situational leadership, as well as servant leadership- I’d recommend ‘The Secret: What Great Leaders Know and Do’. A supportive environment where leaders influence through empathy and support rather than authority helps team members feel valued and understood. Leaders should take the time to understand individual concerns and provide the necessary resources and support.
Organisational changes often require collaboration across different departments and with new stakeholders. Encouraging teamwork and fostering a culture of collaboration can ease the transition. Managing or raising the expectations of our teams or stakeholders is essential in creating successful outcomes and fostering good teamwork. It is our job as leaders to create the environment, provide the tools and space to allow teams to work together, to collaborate and build self and organisational resilience. This work, will ultimately lead to better well-being for the team and reduce the pressing demands on us as the leader, shifting you away from operational to more strategic work.
Patricia Wheeler, an executive coach, notes, "Collaboration is the foundation of effective leadership." By creating opportunities for team members to work together on projects, share insights, and support each other, leaders can build a cohesive and resilient team. Team-building activities, cross-functional projects, and regular team meetings can help strengthen these bonds.
Develop and Empower Team Members, some would say even if resource were low, but it should be especially when it is low.
Empowering team members by providing opportunities for growth and development is a hallmark of servant leadership. Change can be a perfect time to reassess team skills and encourage professional development. John C. Maxwell, a leadership expert, puts it, "Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others." Offering training programmes, mentorship, and new responsibilities can help our team members adapt to change and feel more confident in their roles. Statistics from the World Economic Forum indicate that companies with a high commitment to employee development see a 29% increase in profit and a 72% reduction in turnover. Investing in team development pays dividends in times of change. In the not-for-profit sector, and especially in smaller charities, the budgets for team building, or training can be low but by seeking mentorship and coaching from your network or encouraging and supporting your upwardly mobile and ambitious team members to apply for programmes like The Elischer Foundation, will serve us all best in the long run. Employees develop new critical thinking skills, strategic insight, emerge as leaders, all at no monetary cost to the organisation. The outcomes, when supported by the management team and embraced by the employee far outweigh the time investment needed. Accelerating growth and development for those employees ready and able brings about a culture of learning and empowerment.
I was fortunate to have worked for an organisation that was very open to my involvement in this programme, and in other programmes, facilitating time off to study, to go my mentoring sessions and to give me ongoing feedback from a work point of view as I progressed. I am dismayed when I hear that there are managers and leaders who don’t support employees to take part in programmes like this- what is good for the employee, what drives them, develops them and sees them grow is good for the organisation. I started the programme as Covid had just hit, I was leading a new business acquisition team and had a team of two. I was the youngest manager at my level and had to navigate my people leadership role, with peer management. It was invaluable at that time for me, to have an incredible mentor to hold a mirror up, challenge my thinking, and support deep (and often uncomfortable) reflection. Focusing on my leadership style and the values that drove it, made me a better leader for my team and the organisation.
Informal learning opportunities, such as peer-to-peer learning, lunch-and-learn sessions, and knowledge-sharing meetings, can be highly effective in the non-profit sector. These settings encourage team members to share their expertise, discuss challenges, and collaboratively develop solutions.
Recognise and Celebrate Achievements
My pal Ken Blanchard (remember the servant and situational leadership pioneer!) has this great line, "Catch people doing something right." I love that idea. Leaders often are quick to catch mistakes or ‘negative’ behaviour and nip it in the bud, or suggest ways to do things better but we are often not as quick to catch those great things. When an employee lives the organisational values, helps a colleague, writes a really compelling piece of work for a funding application, turns around a finance request for you in a few minutes, has a great donor interaction filled with kindness. We are great at the big things - the stellar event, the major donation, the successful campaign, but I keep that as a reminder to myself, to always catch the team doing something good, and let them know.
By acknowledging the efforts and successes of team members, we as leaders can foster a positive environment that encourages continuous improvement and commitment to the organisation’s goals and values. I often find, when I start doing it in a team that didn’t have it before or doing it more in a team that was great at the big things, team members start doing it themselves. It’s a really cool thing to see, and makes people feel good (and the really nice thing is you’ll be at the receiving end of it too, as the culture grows, junior colleagues and peers start ‘catching you doing something right’ too!)
Finding your network like the powerhouse women of the Hospital foundations
(They don’t have to be like mine, but it helps!) (Also, that’s not the name, I just called them that…our group doesn’t have a name yet!)
I’m not going to lie, leading through change can be challenging and stressful, the hits can feel personal and the process long. It is essential for us as leaders to practice self-reflection and to consciously mind and maintain their well-being. Taking time to reflect on personal values, leadership style, and the impact of decisions can provide clarity and reduce stress. And I always remind my team, people around me and myself (and now you!) ‘This is only a job, it’s not our whole lives – it might be an important part but we can’t let it dictate and spill over’ and ‘People generally don’t wake up in the morning and decide to ruin your day.’
When things are in flux, and challenging, giving yourself the grace to feel tired, demotivated, frustrated, challenged, and equally to feel happy, and proud of all that has gone on is not just ok, it’s essential. No one should do this alone, navigating organisational change is hard and you should seek support, mentorship and encouragement - for your own, and also the team’s, sake. It can be the difference of a new perspective, or the kindness and minding needed in the moment over coffee, which gives you the space to say ‘I'm ok, I'm doing a good job/ or I didn’t do a great job today, tomorrow I’ll be better.’ For me its reminding myself of the importance of continual learning and seeking guidance to adapt and grow as a leader. To quote Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post, "We need to accept that we won't always make the right decisions, that we'll screw up royally sometimes understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it's part of success."
You’ve made it to the end (or TLDR moment!)
Navigating major organisational change is undoubtedly challenging for both the team and you as the leader, but one year in to a new place, new sector and a new growing team, I’ve found going back to my guiding leadership approach and adopting a values-based servant leadership method and style has made the process smoother and more effective.
By prioritising communication, fostering a supportive environment, encouraging collaboration, developing team members, and celebrating achievements, leaders can look after and lead their teams successfully. Simultaneously, by practicing self-reflection, seeking support and embracing continuous learning, leaders can ensure that we are well-equipped to handle the demands of change. If the pandemic taught us anything, it is that we are leaders equipped with the skills and ability to navigate and lead through change, and while I doubt (or maybe hope) that we will never go through an experience like those years again, change and organisational change will happen, it’s inevitable. And while it may not look like my last year of developing a new team and rebuilding from the ground up, it might be implementing a new system, policy or onboarding new people. By embodying the principles of servant leadership, we as leaders can guide our organisations through change with grace, ensuring that both the team and the leader emerge stronger and more resilient, committed and ready to tackle any change.
As Lao Tzu, the Chinese philosopher, wisely said, "A leader is best when people barely know he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves."
I think that’s the magic, that one line embodies what success looks like for me: My team empowered, enabled and supported and it will be with pride when I can hear them say ‘we did it ourselves.’
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