Leadership Lessons from a Nonprofit CEO: Board Alignment, Strategy & Future Thinking | EP # 17

In a world where everyone has access to the same tools and information, what actually separates exceptional leaders from average ones? In Episode 17 of the Executive Edge Podcast, I sit down with Dona Ponepinto, President and CEO of United Way, to talk about nonprofit leadership, strategic planning, and leading through funding loss and uncertainty. IN THIS EPISODE: Why leaders must carve out time to think about the future, even when everyone is just trying to keep the doors open How to treat challenging moments as inflection points, so you aren’t waiting for the next “Covid moment” How to build a board that challenges you, and why mission passion matters more than a technical resume What comes after hitting your goal: moving from helping families to changing conditions and systems Advice for new executives: the 100-day listening tour, and finding the balance between moving too fast and too slow Why “roughly right” is okay, a lesson that took 30 years to learn Reading as self-care and a morning routine for leaders Book recommendations: The Leadership Challenge and The Grapes of Wrath