Abstract
The non-profit organizations are currently experiencing a lot of changes, with research demarcating a global executive leadership crisis. This reason makes it necessary to encourage leadership learning and development. Most researchers are much focused on improving the non-profit leadership. This analysis engaged three current non-profit leaders interviewed them on how they have utilized their leadership skills to ensure success within their organizations. The interviews’ findings were analyzed through various leadership theories, and conclusions were made on how the leaders utilized the leadership theories to lead. Data used was obtained via virtual interviews with leaders and employees from the same organizations. Also, differences were noted for each of the leader’s skills. Finally, the researchers made suggestions that should be considered in future research to strengthen the knowledge foundation of non-profit leadership learning.
Keywords: non-profit, leadership theories, interview
Introduction
This analysis involves examining the highly experienced executive leaders of 3 non-profit organizations and their underlying techniques of ensuring leadership success. The topic of leadership gained is of great concern among many scholars, and there are a lot of reports, journals, and books published on the same question. This report adds to the so far available information about aspects of successful non-profit organization leaders. The leaders have adapted to the constant changes within the population served by the organizations. The organizations have risen above the challenges brought about by the big gap between the needs and resources available. The technological advancement has made the executives change their practical approach. Changes such as communication technology and ways of distributing funds have affected the operations of non-profit organizations (Fiaz, Su, &Saqib, 2017). Each of the leaders examined in this analysis has its way of responding to various changes in the sector, emerging victorious in most of their approaches towards change.
Literature Review
Leadership Theories
Leadership has different leadership traits and is classified according to their administration (Anderson, & Sun, 2017). There are servant leaders, transactional, transformational, and charismatic leaders, each being defined by their varied leadership traits. This analysis put into consideration of the various leadership traits that may have contributed to a specific leader’s success. Some of the leadership theories that are important to this analysis include the following; Trait theory, transactional theory, and servant theory. Trait theory demonstrates a leader having several intrinsic personality qualities and traits like charisma. Charismatic leadership theory claims that leadership qualities are inborn, which were against that leaders develop leadership traits during life experiences. Charismatic leaders are confident of themselves, and this attracts their followers. The transactional theory proposes that leadership involves the link between individuals of different power; this ensures that when changes occur, leaders and followers develop different roles and functions. There is a provision of rewards and resources for effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity, where the team focuses on short-term achievements. For servant leadership, the theory suggests that for one to become a successful leader, they must become servant-like through prioritizing other people’s needs at the expense of their own (Nawaz, & Khan 2016).
Background of each of the Organization’s Governance
Aids Action Committee of Massachusetts aac.org is one of the non-profit organizations that this analysis was conducted. Rebecca Haag is the executive director of the organization. This organization’s mission is to curb the epidemic and similar health inequities through preventing new infections, increasing healthier outcomes for the infected and those at risk, and working on the root causes of HIV/AIDS. The organization has existed since 1999. Through effective leadership, the organization has achieved a 52% reduction of HIV infections (World Health Organization 2019). The second non-profit organization is the Boston Medical Center. Bmc.org. Kate Walsh is the president and the CEO of this organization (Walsh, 2020). This organization’s mission states that, for over 100 years, the organization has been led by its commitment to caring for everyone provision more than traditional medical care through providing programs and services, giving the responsibility to ensure overall health. All these activities are set to achieve the mission of the provision of exceptional care without exception. Horizon for Homeless Child is the third organization that this analysis took place. Kate Barrand is the president and the CEO of this organization (Hindley, 2016). This organization’s mission states that stopping the impacts of homeliness becomes crucial when children are involved. The range for homeless children spearheads the struggle in Massachusetts to assist in fighting the trauma and stress related to homelessness for the children and their families by providing improved early education, advocacy, support to the parents, significant play opportunities for the most marginalized people.
Methodology
The leaders that were interviewed for the analysis include Kate Barrand, the CEO of Horizons for Homeless Children. This leader took over leadership in the year 2015 (Hindley, 2016). The leader was able to establish a financially sustainable model for the organization. The leader cooperates with junior employees in the organization to accomplish the mission of ensuring that the lives of homeless children are transformed into the better. The second leader is Kate Walsh. She is the CEO and president of the Boston Medical Center health system. Rebecca Haag, the executive director of the AIDS action committee. The interview involved three other junior employees in the three organizations.
Interview Methodology
The primary methodology applied in this analysis was to conduct the virtue interview with all the participants from the three organizations. A qualitative interview was used; the researcher designed semi-structured and open-ended interviews. The questions asked in the discussion were open. The questioning was in a way that they elicited opinions and views from the participants. Some questions were raised during the interviews, depending on the participants’ responses. Six interviews were conducted to complete the entire analysis. All the participants had access to the interview questions before the actual interview date and also were provided with additional information about the interview. The interview questions were designed in a way that each participant would reflect on the respective executive director’s opinions, traits, values, beliefs, and attitudes. Each interview lasted for about 90 minutes. The interview questions explored how the leaders managed to keep their organizations going and achieving their short-term and long-term goals.
Recording Information
The interviewer took notes, and the recordings of the videos were Transcripted using transcription software. The transcriptions were verified through listening and proofreading at the same time for comparison purposes, and edits were made where necessary to make the notes accurate. The transcriptions were later availed to all the participants for approval.
Data Storage
The information received by the researcher was stored in a google drive account that is password protected. The participants were given unique codes that had to be used in analysis and further storage activities. Additional information about the leaders was retrieved from public websites for their organization, annual reports, and LinkedIn.
Findings
The analysis explored the fundamental experiences that enabled each leader to lead their organizations to greater heights successfully. Academic skills examined in the study showed little similarities among the participants as all the leaders discussed had different academic qualifications and knowhow, which contributed to their appointment into their positions. Two of the three CEOs had bachelor’s degrees, while one had master’s degrees. Some leaders claimed that they gained leadership skills from their higher education courses and stated that higher education is much crucial foundation for leadership. The findings demonstrated the importance of experiences gained in higher learning on leadership. All the leaders supported the idea that higher learning is vital for leadership. Kate Barrand has been the CEO of Horizons for Homeless Children for five years since 2015. Kate Walsh has been the CEO of Boston Medical Center for ten years; She took over leadership of the organization in 2010 (Walsh, 2020). Rebecca Haag has been executive director for AIDS Action Committee since 2016. All the leaders described their leadership styles in different ways. The first leadership style that emerged among the three leaders was coaching.
Kate Walsh prefers directing her team towards achieving the organization’s goals. She claimed that she sold her idea to the group and explain the vision to the group (Walsh, 2020). The leader believes in motivating, exciting, and encouraging the employees to give their best towards mission achievement. The other leadership skill is supporting (Raziq et al., 2018). Rebecca Haag applies this style of leadership in her organization. It involves sharing solutions, ideas, and suggestions within a team; the leader listens to her junior staff and then makes the final ruling. The third style is the Delegating. Kate Barrand shares responsibilities among her junior staff and gives them full responsibility for decision making (Hindley, 2016). She has several leaders whom she trusts their decision-making abilities. The leaders had varied meanings for leadership and management. The explanations are given described leadership as influencing people to understand and believe in their vision and strive towards achieving set goals. Managing is about administration and ensuring things are getting done in the right way. The leaders defined success in almost similar ideas. They claimed that success is the achievement of short-term goals in the path of accomplishing the organization’s overall mission.
Conclusions
The analysis presented findings of the experiences and skills of three executive directors of successful non-profit organizations. Interviews were conducted with employees and executive directors, and the information gathered about leadership recorded. The data collected demonstrated some similarities in the various factors that enabled the directors to achieve their targets and advance their respective organizations. Some of the similarities included setting a mission for an organization, explaining it to the employees as well as motivating them to join their leader towards mission accomplishment and building a team spirit by involving every team member in activities that bring the organization closer to its goals (Gandolfi, & Stone, 2018). Differences emerged in the way different leaders manage their teams. The Decision-making process for each organization was changed. Kate Walsh does not involve her team in decision making; she gives direct orders to her juniors and expects them to follow strictly. Rebecca Haag involves her team in decision making by allowing them to share solutions, ideas, and suggestions. Kate Barrand shares responsibilities among her junior staff and entrusts them with decision-making responsibilities.
The researcher recommended that future research should involve a larger sample size by analyzing more organizations and more leaders. The research methods should include different data collection methods, including face-to-face methods, among other data collection methodologies (Hoch et al., 2018).