Listening: Possibly the Most Important Leadership Skill Too often leadership development programs focus on a leader looking inward or building demonstrative skills like ability to delegate or exuding confidence. But often the most successful leaders are adept at focusing on others in the form of listening. Do you think you are a good listener? You may want to think again. The Center … Continue reading “Listening: Possibly the Most Important Leadership Skill” Too often leadership development programs focus on a leader looking inward or building demonstrative skills like ability to delegate or exuding confidence. But often the most successful leaders are adept at focusing on others in the form of listening. Do you think you are a good listener? You may want to think again. The Center for Creative Leadership describes some key indicators in their resource Listening and Leadership. Some of the most common signs that your listening skills need improvement include: You’re easily distracted. Solution: Do your best to stop multi-tasking and be present enough to listen to your team. You fear silence. Solution: Embrace the quiet moments and do not feel obligated to fill silences or respond to every comment. You give advice too soon. Solution: Wait to here the full story and do not feel compelled to be the expert. For a comprehensive list of resources for your improving listening skills, check out Beth Kanter’s recent blog Ways that Emerging Nonprofit Leaders Can Build Virtuoso Listening Skills. It should be required reading for every leader!
Introducing Vista Leadership Academy A Journey for Leaders Seeking Change Vista Leadership Academy is a unique cross-cultural, multi-generational leadership development experience that combines a virtual classroom model with a transformative learning journey in Oaxaca, Mexico. The Academy is dedicated to gathering community-minded professionals from across the Americas. Academy participants will develop the leadership skills required to spur innovation and … Continue reading “Introducing Vista Leadership Academy” A Journey for Leaders Seeking Change Vista Leadership Academy is a unique cross-cultural, multi-generational leadership development experience that combines a virtual classroom model with a transformative learning journey in Oaxaca, Mexico. The Academy is dedicated to gathering community-minded professionals from across the Americas. Academy participants will develop the leadership skills required to spur innovation and impact our global community. Why Oaxaca? A special place in my heart, Oaxaca will serve as the background for the Academy because it offers vibrancy and restoration. Oaxaca is the perfect location for leaders traveling from across the Americas. Calling all Compañeros I’m excited to share this latest initiative with fans of Vista Global Coaching & Consulting. The Academy weaves together my passion and life’s purpose of leadership development, international travel and coaching. We are offering a peek at the learning journey with the Vista Global Leadership Retreat to Oaxaca, November 11-15, 2015. Learn more about the fall retreat and register today! Or if you can’t join the retreat, add your name to the Academy’s mailing list for updates and check out the Vista Leadership Academy website.
Winning Teams Have Great Coaching Growing up a Bulls fan during the Michael Jordan-Phil Jackson era, I really understood the impact great coaching had on success. Often leaders think of career coaching as a solo journey. But the most wildly successful teams learn to win with the help and guidance of a great coach. Start with Your Team’s Strengths So … Continue reading “Winning Teams Have Great Coaching” Growing up a Bulls fan during the Michael Jordan-Phil Jackson era, I really understood the impact great coaching had on success. Often leaders think of career coaching as a solo journey. But the most wildly successful teams learn to win with the help and guidance of a great coach. Start with Your Team’s Strengths So what makes a winning team? Discover and leverage your team’s greatest assets with coaching based on Gallup’s StrengthsFinders tool. Vista Global offers a unique coaching package for 4-member teams. Imagine what you and your team could accomplish if you build on each team member’s strengths. Excel with Emotional Intelligence What’s the single greatest predictor of success? Emotional Intelligence or EQ. Assess and expand your team’s EQ to overcome roadblocks and boost performance. Vista Global’s coaching package to grow teams with high EQ is based on the proven TalentSmart assessment tool and includes over 7 hours of customized sessions. Team Takeaways With coaching designed for teams, you and your colleagues will gain valuable insights for setting goals and come away with a concrete plan of action. Your team will benefit from renewed focus on achieving success. Read more about Vista Global’s coaching process and contact Mary to get started today!
Ten Years of Boldly Pursuing their Dreams I have been working in the nonprofit and social sector as a practitioner, board member and a consultant for almost 25 years. I love having the opportunity to learn about the spark that launched organizations and the vision that a founder had for the change he or she wanted to see in the world. In … Continue reading “Ten Years of Boldly Pursuing their Dreams” I have been working in the nonprofit and social sector as a practitioner, board member and a consultant for almost 25 years. I love having the opportunity to learn about the spark that launched organizations and the vision that a founder had for the change he or she wanted to see in the world. In 2012, in partnership with Forward Community Investments, Vista Global Consulting facilitated the Girls on the Run (GOTR) Dane County strategic planning process. We shared that experience at the National Summit. As a 9-year old girl who did bold things, like play little league baseball, I am very drawn to their vision: We envision a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams. The culmination of the GOTR program is a 5K run. For 2 years, I heard about the wonderful experience the run was for the girls, the coaches, and the volunteers. This year I participated as a volunteer in the Dane County 10th anniversary event. GOTR founder, Molly Barker came to Madison for the event and spoke about her vision for the organization almost 19 years ago. Photo of Girls on the Run Founder, Molly Barker, with 10th Anniversary Race participant running with her father. I was able to experience this wonderful organization living its dreams! If you need support in boldly pursuing your dreams, whether that is strategic planning or coaching, let’s chat, contact me today!
Is Your Nonprofit Navigating Change Successfully? Here’s Your Guide to Leadership Transition and Succession Planning Vista Global Coaching & Consulting has partnered with the Olive Grove Consulting team on an exciting national research project based on hundreds of nonprofit CEO and Board Chair surveys and interviews. Some of their answers may surprise you. What are the risks, challenges, and opportunities facing the sector today? To start, 56% of board chairs in … Continue reading “Is Your Nonprofit Navigating Change Successfully? Here’s Your Guide to Leadership Transition and Succession Planning” Vista Global Coaching & Consulting has partnered with the Olive Grove Consulting team on an exciting national research project based on hundreds of nonprofit CEO and Board Chair surveys and interviews. Some of their answers may surprise you. What are the risks, challenges, and opportunities facing the sector today? To start, 56% of board chairs in our study stated “the CEO doesn’t plan to leave for a long time.” but 41% of the CEOs we surveyed “plan to leave within the next two years.” Check out our new eBook, Proactively Plan for the Inevitable: A Guide To Leadership Transition and Succession, to learn more. This eBook is an effective staff and board resource for charting successful leadership transition and succession planning that is now available free. Download the PDF. Creating a robust leadership transition and succession plan might seem like a tremendously daunting task. But, with a little help it can be easier than you think. Contact us today to get started!
Grantmakers Who Get It: Investing in Leadership for Philanthropic Impact In a recent blog post in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Ira Hirschfield, President of the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund presents the case that foundations need to do more to fund leadership development. In the blog “Investing in Leadership to Accelerate Philanthropic Impact,” Hirschfield points out less than 1 percent of overall foundation … Continue reading “Grantmakers Who Get It: Investing in Leadership for Philanthropic Impact” In a recent blog post in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Ira Hirschfield, President of the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund presents the case that foundations need to do more to fund leadership development. In the blog “Investing in Leadership to Accelerate Philanthropic Impact,” Hirschfield points out less than 1 percent of overall foundation giving from 1992 through 2011 went to leadership development. Leadership Advanced Milwaukee 2014 Fellows. Leadership Advanced is a foundation-funded, cohort-based, peer-centered, professional development program for nonprofit leaders. Why Funding Talent Matters Hirschfield states, “foundations ask a great deal of the organizations we support… we hope grantees will deliver transformational results for the people and places they serve. So it’s striking how seldom we back that up with funds to help organizations develop and strengthen the ability of their leaders to meet those high expectations.” He continues “People are not born with everything it takes to manage and motivate a team, build coalitions and lead change – and are certainly not born knowing how to be good board members….” The Haas, Jr. Fund views investment in leadership as a core strategy to accelerate their foundation’s impact and a formal evaluation of their Flexible Leadership Awards found the program boosted impact. Adding protein powder to grantmakers energy shake One Flexible Leadership Awards grantee shares her experience as “It’s like adding protein powder to your other grants. If you want your other grants to be successful—if you want your grantees to do the best job in meeting their deliverables and moving the ball forward in their movements—you have to invest in leadership development.” Hirschfield explains, “This is what leadership development is about – and to the extent that foundations decide it is important and fund it, then we and our grantees will be better positioned to achieve our goals for impact.” Read more at Hirschfield’s blog and check out SSIR’s entire Talent Matters series to learn more about philanthropy’s chronic underinvestment in leadership and innovative solutions for greater impact. Call to Action for Grantmakers Does your foundation want to accelerate its impact? And what does a leadership program look like? Check out Leadership Advanced Milwaukee, a collaboration of Vista Global and Spectrum Nonprofit Services. Would the nonprofit leaders in your city or region benefit from a similar leadership development program? Contact Vista Global Coaching & Consulting to learn more about starting a cohort-based, peer-centered, professional development program in your area.
