When we summarize and repeat back what we heard from a colleague, it irons out mistakes and wards off fear of failure while creating clarity and alignment as well as strengthening the team’s commitment to the direction toward its goals with a keener ability to learn from mistakes.

Nonprofits that can zig when others zag by effectively using tech are quicker to succeed in fundraising and building communities. Tech-savvy organizations strengthen belonging to a cause and unite their communities with ease and efficiency. Here's how those nonprofits are doing it in 2023:

We almost went out of business and everyone was looking for jobs.

It’s ancient history now but 2007 was a tough year. It was the Great Recession and we were preparing for a new event and new awareness campaign the following year. If that wasn’t enough, all of us could expect our boss to literally look over everyone’s shoulder everyday to see what they were working on.

Looking back on it now, I can honestly say the worst part was not the challenges of starting something new or doing it during a bad economy. The whole “looking over the shoulder” part was terrible.

Holding others accountable for their actions can be as easy as a three-step process. I’ve tried and it works nearly 100 percent of the time.

It’s not a type-o. That’s right. Stop doing them. All these meetings but still most of us come out confused. We ask ourselves things like, “Did we get anything done? I didn’t get the answer I needed to move forward. What’s everyone getting Millie and Jimmy for a wedding gift?”

What if the person ends up being a brilliant jerk? I got pulled into a debate on LinkedIn recently: If forced to choose just one; What’s most important: Hiring for performance or hiring for culture?

Let me know if you’re feeling this way. Lately, it seems many nonprofits are feeling like they’re stretched beyond capacity but still falling short of fundraising goals.

One of the best ways for these charities to regain momentum is to stop splitting donors and volunteers apart. Some nonprofits are still keeping these two groups separate - having development staff build relationships with donors while event managers create and empower a volunteer base.

When most of us think of nonprofits, our minds go to places like billion-dollar charities like the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army or St. Jude’s. They’re great charities who have helped change millions of lives but the vast majority of nonprofits have budgets of under $1M annually. In fact, an astounding 92 percent raise under $1M.

Annual reviews are a waste of time. We haven’t done one in almost a decade. 

In the last week, I’ve come across several reminders from large recruiting firms reminding companies that it’s important to hold an annual review. 

One did an informal poll and an unbelievable 65 percent still do annual reviews. Why are we waiting months to tell people what they’re doing well and where they can improve? 

It’s something I’ve always told my kids, “it’s never too late to start your day over again.” Like yours, mine have had days with rough starts - misplaced shoes, lost tempers, forgotten homework, squabbles with friends, and even yelling at the principal during lunch while standing on a chair.

We almost went out of business and everyone was looking for jobs.

It’s ancient history now but 2007 was a tough year. It was the Great Recession and we were preparing for a new event and new awareness campaign the following year. If that wasn’t enough, all of us could expect our boss to literally look over everyone’s shoulder everyday to see what they were working on.

Looking back on it now, I can honestly say the worst part was not the challenges of starting something new or doing it during a bad economy. The whole “looking over the shoulder” part was terrible.

Someone on the radio the other day said rock and roll is dead. Dream on!

While I’m not about to make the case for belting out a Queen song in the shower or blaring the new Blink 182 song during your next Zoom call, being a rock star teammate is when we inspire those around us to want to be a better person.

Our best selves are always under construction. I struggle sometimes at being at my best and I've made plenty of mistakes over my life so far - drank too much in the 90s, been divorced, and made a few dicey hiring decisions. What counts most is getting it right in the moment. What I mean about being a Rock Star is when we live our lives leading by example. Here are 11 ways to be one among your colleagues…

Are you a leader? I’m writing this today to tell you that you are a leader and my hope is that at the end of this post, if you don’t already consider yourself one, is that you’ll believe why you are one.

We see these instances on TV or social media that we would call a leader someone who would give like $10M to a school, or write a bunch of hit songs, or invent a revolutionary technology. The problem with seeing these wonderful accomplishments as the only examples of leadership is that we create a situation where leadership is something that is beyond our capabilities. In fact, I’ve been using the phrase “make the world a better place” but without context it also puts leadership beyond our grasp.

One of our cause heroes at a ZERO Prostate Cancer Walk was all smiles as she crossed the finish line last month. I had asked her about it and she said, “I just love my ZERO Family”. It was the highlight of the month for me so I immediately told the story to my team: How after losing a loved one about three years ago, they helped put some of the light back in her eyes.

I added something like “all of your dedication to showing others they’re not fighting alone makes patients, caregivers, and families better off every day.” It makes us feel good to hear stories like that. When we do - we commit to being our best selves.

I try to be my best self but don’t always succeed. I watch a TV show instead of reading or eat a cookie instead of hitting the karate bag or doing yoga. Sometimes, we need to remind ourselves there's no more running around in circles or chasing our tail - just move forward today on.