Posted on Tuesday, 8th December 2009 by chris wignall

When I work with students in our high school leadership program one of the things we talk about at some length is the challenge of figuring out the context in which each of us can be at our best; and how to respond when reality doesn’t match our ideal. The thing that truly excellent mentors [...]

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Posted on Wednesday, 7th October 2009 by chris wignall

Once a year, at a conference for foundation leaders, I get to have breakfast with Fred Smith Jr. He is one of the clearest thinkers, most generous mentors, and best connected leaders I’ve been spoiled to connect with. Breakfast with Fred is a highlight for me every spring.

Breakfast with Fred is also the name of [...]

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Posted on Tuesday, 29th September 2009 by chris wignall

Again this week I’ve had conversations about the need for charities to find new ways to generate revenue. I really believe that if we can’t find our way past being entirely dependant on donors we are putting our future at risk.
During a meeting last night one strong leader referred to the idea that non-profits must [...]

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Posted on Tuesday, 29th September 2009 by chris wignall

In a couple hours I’m meeting with about 100 high school students inviting them to join in our Leadership Program where they’ll be challenged to discover, explore, and take action on their dreams of doing good for others. I really love the time I get to spend with tenagers in this program.
One of the stories [...]

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Posted on Friday, 18th September 2009 by chris wignall

I just got home from a meeting with young adults who are considering how to become more involved in the work of Opportunity International. It was the first gathering for the group and I am really excited about what could emerge from this.
Opportunity is ahead of the curve simply by acknowledging the value and potential [...]

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Posted on Tuesday, 15th September 2009 by chris wignall

A: CHANGE?!?!?!?
(Feel free to substitute your favourite denomination, political affiliation, corporate entity, nonprofit organization, or other suitable target where Baptists appears in the title).
Change is both difficult and inevitable. At the Willow Creek Leadership Summit this summer Gary Hamel observed quite pointedly that being obsolete is simply a matter of changing more slowly than your [...]

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Posted on Thursday, 10th September 2009 by chris wignall

A few brief thoughts on the opportunities and challenges of social media:
-I can learn more from a good blog then I can from most books
-I love facebook, but can’t get excited about twitter; yet
-These are the perfect vehicles for building Tribes
-Your nonprofit should have someone assigned to blog at least weekly something relevant to your [...]

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Posted on Sunday, 30th August 2009 by chris wignall

When I work with young leaders we often spend some time discussing the difficulty of figuring out and finding a good context in which to lead. We spend some time exploring their personal history, a variety of profiling tools, and some sincere discussion to help identify the kinds of settings in which they can be [...]

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Posted on Friday, 21st August 2009 by chris wignall

Another couple conversations with another couple young leaders from another couple organizations that are trying to do meaningful work for the benefit of serious and significant issues. And once again, we found ourselves about the challenge of dealing with a board of directors.
My observation: people who start things, especially when they are young adults, are [...]

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Posted on Tuesday, 14th July 2009 by chris wignall

As my exposure and experience in diverse non-profit organizations grows I find my self increasingly convinced of the enormous potential of an effective board. I am also increasingly frustrated by how few effective board there are and how little understanding I see of how to improve.
Cathie Leimbach of Strive writes an article that neatly summarizes [...]

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