Blog

Real Talk Leadership: Head & Heart Moves That Allow Us to Spring Into Action

By Dr. Thyonne Gordon
CEO, Beyond Story

In January, we speed into the New Year tackling head on a long list of resolutions that are almost impossible to keep. Just about this time of the year—February to March—we realize we may have overextended ourselves on the resolution front. Sometimes this gets us down. We feel defeated. But hear this: It’s okay to admit we might have put in too large an order to handle in our normal lives.

Tipping Nonprofit Sacred Cows: Basic Misconceptions About Nonprofits

By Paul C. Hudson
Managing Director, Hudson & Holland Advisors, LLC
AABLI Board Member and Faculty Member

Some basic misconceptions about nonprofit organizations have taken root in our society. It may surprise you that, as nonprofit executives, trustees, consultants, foundation executives and government administrators, we are among those who have perpetuated them. These misconceptions—think of them as Sacred Cows—have developed as a result of our charitable culture, tax regulations, legislation and funding guidelines.

Networking Like a Boss

By Brickson Diamond
AABLI Faculty Member
Chief Operating Officer, The Executive Leadership Council

Mastering the art of networking is serious business. During our AABLI Board Leadership Program (BLP) exercises and discussion, there is not enough time to dig deeply into the nuances of networking, engrossed as we are in expanding our universe of relationships, advancing the causes about which we are passionate and elevating the work of the organizations that express our greatest passions. In this brief entry I will touch on all of these more meaningfully than time allows during our session. This should serve both as a great preview for those considering an AABLI Board Leadership Program and as a moment of greater reflection for our alumni.

Get Social

By Monique Stennis, MBA
Digital Marketing Specialist
Inter Valley Health Plan
AABLI alumna, Class #6

LinkedIn is a far cry from the professional website introduced to me in 2008 by former co-workers. They touted the site as an amazing place to spotlight accomplishments found on my résumé and connect with a range of professionals. It is a platform, they said, where former colleagues/employers can write firsthand recommendations about their professional experiences with me.

Real Talk: Why Change If Everything’s Working?

By Thyonne Gordon, Ph.D.
CEO, Beyond Story
AABLI alumna, Class #3

If we take the same route every day and it works—why change? The same applies in our business lives: “Why fix it if it ain’t broke?”

Another route might be more scenic, but unless we’re willing to shake up our routine, we can miss a fantastic view of the lake and the mountains.

Black Lives Matter on Boards

By Zachary Gabriel Green, Ph.D.
AABLI Board Leadership Training Faculty
Professor of Practice, Leadership Studies, University of San Diego

The #BlackLivesMatter movement began in 2012 as a mere social media hashtag in response to the killing of Trayvon Martin and the non-conviction of his assailant. As the list of unarmed Black people who died in the face of police excess or under mysterious circumstances grew, a diverse array of strategists and activists responded to the call of the founders of this Internet effort. Further inspired to action by the death of Mike Brown in Ferguson, a national movement was born. #BlackLivesMatter moved from seats at a computer to feet on the streets. Since that time, #BLM has become arguably the most powerful and prominent “ideological and political intervention” on issues affecting Black people in the United States.

Real Talk: Heart & Head of Boards as Teams

By Thyonne Gordon, Ph.D.
CEO, Beyond Story
AABLI alumna, Class #3

Face it. Most of us join boards either to support a cause or to get paid! But many of you may not know which boards actually offer remuneration for board service. “Usually,” you may be thinking, “board service comes with an expectation for a contribution, doesn’t it?”

Well, slow your roll. When I say “get paid,” I’m not just speaking of money, though that’s not a bad reason to join and to be fully committed. Joining a board delivers a payment that can’t be monetized. We find it in entities such as the NBA, the NFL, sororities, fraternities, the Girl Scouts, the Boy Scouts and other clubs and organizations. The pay-off is being part of a team.

Social Media Blueprint… Do You Have One?

By Monique Stennis, MBA
Digital Marketing Specialist
Inter Valley Health Plan
AABLI alumna, Class #6

Believe it or not, social media is here to stay. More than ever, today’s business environment is saturated with communication messages. As recently as five years ago, the prevailing marketing messages came from brands. Whether they were communicated through broadcast, print or online media, most messages came from the organization. Today, social networking is the top online activity, with the average American spending 37 minutes per day online. In addition, around 46 percent of web users look to social media when making a purchase.