Posted by Just like any other company, a charity organization needs a leader, an executive to carry them to success. If you’re planning on applying for this kind of position, you’ll need to have the right skills and capabilities it requires.
If you’re training for an executive job in the charity sector, here are some skills you may want to improve upon.
1. Leadership Skills – As a leader it’s your job to inspire and encourage employees in the organization to do their best, even when faced with adversities. For charity organizations, your leadership skills go beyond directing people who are being paid by the organization.
You must also inspire volunteers to keep up their efforts, and patrons of the charity to keep on supporting your cause. Encouraging people who have a direct stake in your organization helps make their tougher tasks seem lighter and less burdensome.
2. Crisis Management Skills – Every institution faces problems that can affect its operations. Charity organizations are no different. They may sometimes experience problems such as a shortage of funds, lack of volunteers, logistics problems, and so much more.
As the leader of the organization, you’ll be responsible for dealing with these matters, even if there are teams and committees assigned to them. You must stay on top of these crises and manage them accordingly. Improper management of big issues like these can result in loss of confidence in your leadership abilities, and in the worst case scenario, the closure of your charity.
3. Critical Thinking Skills – Your job as an executive for a charitable organization is not just about putting up a brave face when crisis happens. You must also have the skills to fix these problems in the best possible way. The best possible way almost always means it wont take a lot of money, effort, or time to fix the issue. Your critical thinking skills will help make this happen.
4. Strong Communication Skills – Communication is the key to understanding the people in the organization. It’s also the way for you to let people know about your charitys cause, and what they can do to help you. A good executive must be able to communicate with people from all walks of life. But more importantly, be able to talk to people who can fund and support the cause.
Poor communication skills can lead to misunderstanding, loss of support, and bad reflection on the charitys reputation. Study how other great leaders communicate and inspire others. Copy their ways, and add your personal mark to make them your own.
5. Thinking Outside the Box – The best ideas come from people who “think outside the box.” Leaders who possess this skill are able to find the most creative ways to solve problems, while reducing costs and increasing productivity. These two factors are important to charitable institutions, as they are often underfunded and understaffed. Finding ways to solve problems with the least possible amount of effort are accomplished by executives with this particular skill.
These are just some of the many skills you’ll need to learn in order to be a good executive for a charitable institution. Learn them, and live them.