Insights
Clear perspectives on leadership, governance, and organizational performance.
The Eight Traits of Great Board Chairs—and Why They Matter More Than Ever
In 2014 I was serving on the board of a small food bank. The chair was a successful, up-and coming corporate executive who brought his A-game to this tiny nonprofit. He became my role model for chairship. He showed respect and gratitude for the executive director,...
Recommended
Interim Executive Leadership
How to Survive the Sudden Departure of an Executive Director or CEO
Activate a succession plan.
Human Resources
Managing in Turbulent Times
A leader can never over-communicate.
Not-for-Profits
How Leaders Can Equip New Managers for Success
Here are five practical ways.
Business Strategy
The Art of Aligning Business Decisions to Mission
Mission-first decisions: build strategy into culture, operations, and metrics.
The Eight Traits of Great Board Chairs—and Why They Matter More Than Ever
In 2014 I was serving on the board of a small food bank. The chair was a successful, up-and coming corporate executive who brought his A-game to this tiny nonprofit. He became my role model for chairship. He showed respect and gratitude for the executive director,...
How Leaders Can Equip New Managers for Success
In my leadership and consulting work with not-for-profits, health organizations, and social service agencies, I’ve had the privilege of supporting middle managers who are navigating complex roles with courage and commitment. I’ve seen how confident, capable leaders...
Why Doing Nothing in Uncertain Times Is Not a Strategy: Small Steps Can Have Big Impact
Uncertainty can be paralyzing. Whether it's economic instability, industry disruption, or internal organizational change, the instinct to pause and wait for clarity is common. But in business, doing nothing is rarely a neutral act -- it’s often a decision in itself,...
The Pain of Vision and Mission Workshops: Why the Smart Leaders Play with LEGO®
Most executives dread the drill: gather the leadership team in a boardroom, cover the walls with sticky notes, and begin the torturous march toward articulating a vision and mission. What should be inspiring often turns into wordsmithing marathons. Discussions stall,...
Principal Ellis Katsof Retires a Third Time. Reflecting on my Protirement and the Decision to be an Osborne Consultant.
(Updated from June 28, 2021 Post) In January 2016, after 36 years, I retired from my social work career. Not knowing what I wanted to do in my retirement, I began speaking to colleagues who had already retired and were really enjoying themselves. Their stories were so...
Finding the Balance: When Is “Good Enough” Sufficient in Not-for-Profit Leadership?
Leading a not-for-profit is a demanding role, requiring leaders to navigate financial constraints, limited staffing, and high expectations. While many strive for perfection, research suggests that prioritizing effectiveness over flawlessness can lead to better...
Managing Change in Turbulent Times
Many of our employees today are feeling off-center. And who can blame them given the ever-fluctuating positions on US tariffs – in manufacturing, energy, and agriculture – and the ongoing threats to Canadian sovereignty – whether these are real or simply bluster. A...
Creating a High Functioning Not-for-Profit Board
Not-for-profit boards are one way that volunteers contribute their time, energy and leadership skills to support organizations that help create a more complete social safety net in our communities. Currently, I devote my spare time to supporting bereaved parents and...
The Gift of Honest Feedback
We know feedback is important to organizations yet as reported by Michael Blanding in the Harvard Business Review in 2022, a Gallup poll found only 26 percent of employees strongly believe that the feedback they receive helps their performance. Meantime, Blanding...
Strategic Planning for Not-for-Profits: Best Practices and Trends
Strategic planning is essential for Not-for-Profits, enabling them to refine their mission, establish long-term strategic priorities, and chart the course to achieve those goals. With more than twenty strategic plans under my belt over the past decades, I've witnessed...
How To Survive the Sudden Departure of an Executive Director or CEO
The unexpected departure of an Executive Director (ED) or Chief Executive Officer (CEO) can pose significant challenges for any nonprofit organization. However, with a solid strategy and succession plan in place, the board can maintain continuity and stability for all...
Breaking the Isolation: How a Board of Advisors Can Help You Navigate the Challenges of Business Leadership
Owning and running a business can be a solitary journey, where the challenges of success often feel insurmountable. You are the clear leader and visionary behind your business however no-one has experienced every situation or has the skills to manage every challenge....
Why Not-for-Profit Organizations Should Consider Using an Interim Executive Director/CEO During a Sudden Leadership Transition
Not-for- Profit (NFP) organizations often operate with a unique set of challenges and opportunities, making effective leadership crucial for their success and stability. When a NFP faces the sudden loss of its Executive Director (ED) or CEO, the organization can be...
Why a Not-for-Profit Organization Should Have an Enterprise Risk Management Plan
In today's increasingly complex and interconnected world, not-for-profit organizations (NFPs) face a myriad of risks that can affect their ability to achieve their mission and serve their communities effectively. While NFPs often operate under tight budgets and...
Canadian Nonprofit Employer of Choice Award 2023 Winners
The Canadian Nonprofit Employer of Choice Award Winners Have Been Selected. Congratulations to all the 2023 Winners! 2023 Winners News and Testimonials
Canadian Nonprofit Employer of Choice Award and The Osborne Group: A Collaboration Born in Truth
Charity eNews Feature: Judy Fantham relays her experience with the Canadian Nonprofit Employer of Choice Award (NEOC) and the collaboration with The Osborne Group to tackle the critical issues needed to achieve transformational change. Read The Full Article
A Leadership Refresher from a Puppy
We just brought a new puppy into our household. Our relatives were incredulous and my first cousins asked pointedly “why I would do such a thing?” It is a fair question. After all I am transitioning from roles that required intensive full time leadership...
The Five Simple “C’s” of Strategic Planning for a Nonprofit
As an Executive Director a Strategic Plan was critical in ensuring my organization stayed aligned with the North Star of our mission and helped us set or re-set our sights in a changing universe. Nonetheless strategic planning demanded capacity I did not have. As a...
Ellis Katsof’s Investing in Leaders Article is Featured on Hilborn Charity eNews!
Ellis Katsof discusses the complexity of leading nonprofits and how new and innovative thinking is needed to meet the many challenges. Read The Full Article
Ageism, Alive and Well or Valued and Important
In February 2021 I (Ellis Katsof) wrote a blog about what I believed was the greatest challenge facing the Not-For-Profit (NFP) sector, “Investment in leadership development and capacity-building”. Today, together with my colleague Anne Bloom, we are writing about a...
The Eight Traits of Great Board Chairs—and Why They Matter More Than Ever
In 2014 I was serving on the board of a small food bank. The chair was a successful, up-and coming corporate executive who brought his A-game to this tiny nonprofit. He became my role model for chairship. He showed respect and gratitude for the executive director,...
Why Doing Nothing in Uncertain Times Is Not a Strategy: Small Steps Can Have Big Impact
Uncertainty can be paralyzing. Whether it's economic instability, industry disruption, or internal organizational change, the instinct to pause and wait for clarity is common. But in business, doing nothing is rarely a neutral act -- it’s often a decision in itself,...
The Pain of Vision and Mission Workshops: Why the Smart Leaders Play with LEGO®
Most executives dread the drill: gather the leadership team in a boardroom, cover the walls with sticky notes, and begin the torturous march toward articulating a vision and mission. What should be inspiring often turns into wordsmithing marathons. Discussions stall,...
The Gift of Honest Feedback
We know feedback is important to organizations yet as reported by Michael Blanding in the Harvard Business Review in 2022, a Gallup poll found only 26 percent of employees strongly believe that the feedback they receive helps their performance. Meantime, Blanding...
Breaking the Isolation: How a Board of Advisors Can Help You Navigate the Challenges of Business Leadership
Owning and running a business can be a solitary journey, where the challenges of success often feel insurmountable. You are the clear leader and visionary behind your business however no-one has experienced every situation or has the skills to manage every challenge....
Ageism, Alive and Well or Valued and Important
In February 2021 I (Ellis Katsof) wrote a blog about what I believed was the greatest challenge facing the Not-For-Profit (NFP) sector, “Investment in leadership development and capacity-building”. Today, together with my colleague Anne Bloom, we are writing about a...
The Art of Aligning Business Decisions to Mission
In an earlier blog I wrote that businesses could learn a lot from non-profit organizations. One of the ways this happens is to remain Driven by Mission. But how exactly do you leverage your mission statement in practice? The secret to operationalizing a good mission...
Leading Transformational Change – Some Practical Learnings for the CEO
One of the most critical responsibilities of a CEO is to lead their organization through business transformation. After successfully navigating a number of business transformations, including start-ups, mergers/acquisitions, and major technology implementations, I’d...
Driven by Mission
In the first blog of this series, I shared how non-profits and businesses are alike and how businesses can learn from the non-profit world. One key lesson is how non-profit organizations stay true to their mission. Staying on mission helps block out some of the...
Key Lessons Business Leaders Can Learn from the Nonprofit World
Time-and-time again I have heard people who work in business share their wisdom in the non-profit context. As someone who has spent most of my working life in non-profit organizations, I have found there are many lessons businesses can learn from non-profits as...
Leadership for Collective Impact
Gone are the days when non-profit organizations could tackle a social cause on their own. The individual approach to solving issues results in limited or isolated impact. Pre-pandemic, work had already begun in the non-profit sector to work collaboratively to address...
How Workplaces Can Play an Essential Part in Maintaining Positive Mental Health
Workplace mental health costs are on the rise. In fact, about 30% of short and long-term disability claims in Canada are attributed to mental health problems and illnesses. The impact of this on the Canadian economy is estimated to be $50 billion annually. What is the...
Tips On How To Create Neurodiversity In The Workplace
In Canada, the not-for-profit and for-profit sectors are having a challenging time filling vacant staff positions. Unemployment is at an all-time low and vacancies are at an all-time high. One answer to this challenge is to make your workplace a “Neurodiverse...
How to Improve Your Talent Management Processes
Being succession ready should be the key focus of leadership to ensure organizational sustainability. Improving your talent management processes is a key part of making sure your organization is ready for future demands. First and foremost, you need to make sure you...
How to Optimize Covid-19 Workplace Interventions
As we enter 2022, we’re dealing with an even more transmissible virus creating more hospitalization than in the first two rounds of lockdowns. Facing new and unpredictable variants, what can an organizational leader do to optimize operations and get employees back to the workplace?
Organizational Reviews: How Interim Executive Directors/CEOs Can Offer A Fresh Perspective
Fresh Perspectives Today’s environment, post COVID, has created many new challenges for not-for-profits and in more than a few cases, has led to changes in leadership. When there is a sudden change in senior leadership, an interim Executive Director...
Why Hire An Interim Executive Director or CEO?
When is an Interim Leader Helpful? Organizations often ask why they should hire an external Interim Executive Director (ED) rather than promote a senior manager to an Acting ED position until a permanent ED is hired. While an internal appointment is sometimes an...
For-hire managers love the life
Many executives enjoy the variety of new challenges By Anne Kerr Jane Rounthwaite, interim president of Women’s College Hospital Foundation, a non-profit health organization in Toronto, didn’t start her working life intending to not have a permanent job. But, at age...
The Eight Traits of Great Board Chairs—and Why They Matter More Than Ever
In 2014 I was serving on the board of a small food bank. The chair was a successful, up-and coming corporate executive who brought his A-game to this tiny nonprofit. He became my role model for chairship. He showed respect and gratitude for the executive director,...
How Leaders Can Equip New Managers for Success
In my leadership and consulting work with not-for-profits, health organizations, and social service agencies, I’ve had the privilege of supporting middle managers who are navigating complex roles with courage and commitment. I’ve seen how confident, capable leaders...
Why Doing Nothing in Uncertain Times Is Not a Strategy: Small Steps Can Have Big Impact
Uncertainty can be paralyzing. Whether it's economic instability, industry disruption, or internal organizational change, the instinct to pause and wait for clarity is common. But in business, doing nothing is rarely a neutral act -- it’s often a decision in itself,...
The Pain of Vision and Mission Workshops: Why the Smart Leaders Play with LEGO®
Most executives dread the drill: gather the leadership team in a boardroom, cover the walls with sticky notes, and begin the torturous march toward articulating a vision and mission. What should be inspiring often turns into wordsmithing marathons. Discussions stall,...
Principal Ellis Katsof Retires a Third Time. Reflecting on my Protirement and the Decision to be an Osborne Consultant.
(Updated from June 28, 2021 Post) In January 2016, after 36 years, I retired from my social work career. Not knowing what I wanted to do in my retirement, I began speaking to colleagues who had already retired and were really enjoying themselves. Their stories were so...
Finding the Balance: When Is “Good Enough” Sufficient in Not-for-Profit Leadership?
Leading a not-for-profit is a demanding role, requiring leaders to navigate financial constraints, limited staffing, and high expectations. While many strive for perfection, research suggests that prioritizing effectiveness over flawlessness can lead to better...
Managing Change in Turbulent Times
Many of our employees today are feeling off-center. And who can blame them given the ever-fluctuating positions on US tariffs – in manufacturing, energy, and agriculture – and the ongoing threats to Canadian sovereignty – whether these are real or simply bluster. A...
Creating a High Functioning Not-for-Profit Board
Not-for-profit boards are one way that volunteers contribute their time, energy and leadership skills to support organizations that help create a more complete social safety net in our communities. Currently, I devote my spare time to supporting bereaved parents and...
The Gift of Honest Feedback
We know feedback is important to organizations yet as reported by Michael Blanding in the Harvard Business Review in 2022, a Gallup poll found only 26 percent of employees strongly believe that the feedback they receive helps their performance. Meantime, Blanding...
Strategic Planning for Not-for-Profits: Best Practices and Trends
Strategic planning is essential for Not-for-Profits, enabling them to refine their mission, establish long-term strategic priorities, and chart the course to achieve those goals. With more than twenty strategic plans under my belt over the past decades, I've witnessed...