leadership news, updates, tips, and tools

Not-for-profits key role in fighting Climate Change
Climate change is one of the most pressing global challenges facing our planet today. Not-for-profit organisations play a critical role in addressing climate change as they are uniquely positioned to mobilise resources and drive change at the local (and global) level.

Crafting a Vision for Success: Intentional Leadership
Being a leader is so much more than just keeping track of tasks and assigning duties. It's about setting the tone and direction for your team and encouraging others to work together towards a shared goal. That's why having strong and clear leadership intentions is so vital.

Coaching Through Change
Research shows that people have predictable and sequential stages of concerns with change. These concerns, if not surfaced and addressed can present formidable roadblocks to the successful implementation of change.

Lost Opportunity for Charities looming
The biggest price to be paid if this new charities Bill is passed is its opportunity cost – the lost opportunity for a real modernisation of charities

Founder Syndrome
What defines a good leader is knowing when to move on…the problems that arise when an organisation needs to grow or move on from the start-up phase to the second generation of leadership

Big Legal Changes Coming, Ready or Not (but not just yet)
The new Incorporated Societies Act 2022 is much more prescriptive, and as a result significantly ratchets up compliance requirements, reduces flexibility and will have big implications for the operating rules of approaching 25,000 non-profits, which get their legal identity as Incorporated Societies.


Conflict in a virtual world
In this increasingly digital space, the chances of members locking horns online and via email are more likely. We list 5 ways to turn tension in virtual teams, into healthy debate.

Regulator fiddles while charities burn
There is concern that the recent review of the Charities Act offers little in the way of support for both charities and the communities they support and instead leans towards increased regulation.



Incorporated Societies: Relocate or Renovate?
Our recent webinar session highlighted the raft of changes Incorporated Societies will need to get used to. Here’s what we consider to be the top ten most significant ones to impact your organisation.

Trainings That Are Beyond Boring
Aly McNicol offers up five tips to ban the yawn and make sure the training workshops you’re running are beyond boring.

Building Your Capacity
LEAD’s Sandy Thompson explores the way capacity building has changed over time - that is, the way organisation’s can enhance their own actions and processes to amplify their impact even more.

Coming, Ready or Not
If your organisation is one of the 24,000 in New Zealand which operate as an Incorporated Society you need to know about a major law change which could have implications. It's coming... ready or not!

Calling All Earthlings
LEAD’s Sandy Thompson sets a challenge for all not for profit organisations to put the future of the planet as part of your strategic mission. Our environment and conservation allies in the field can’t do it alone.

Five Mistakes New Board Chairs Make and How to Avoid Them
Discover the five biggest mistakes we see new boad chairs make, from being overwhelmed, to falling into a far too authoritarian style of leadership, or conversley too laissez-faire, being excessively formal with meeting procedures, and failing to help the board focus on its own effectiveness. This article outlines how to avoid these common traps.

What's Your Cultural Intelligence?
If you want to best serve your community you need to upskill and bring your cultural competency A-game. The ability to work confidently across different cultures takes a particular set of skills, but the rewards are worth it.

Start with a Blank Piece of Paper
To start genuinely with a blank piece of paper is a significant contribution to engagement in partnership with mana whenua. It is about starting from the beginning and working out why, what, and how, together. Hilary Star Foged looks at why this approach can be so challenging for pākeha, and why it’s worth it to persevere nonetheless for everyone’s benefit.

Is Your Board Worth It?
What’s the best way to recognise the contribution of the unpaid leaders who serve on our not for profit and community organisation boards?