One of the lessons I took away from the last few years is what I’ve come to think of as the Leadership + Plan + Team formula.
Organizations lacking any one of these elements are unlikely to thrive on a sustained basis.
Leader + Plan but No Team: I’ve seen leaders who’re personally impressive and have a plan, but who don’t cultivate a team around them. The result is an organization that thrives in fits and starts, but not on a sustained basis because there’s only so much one person can do. The organizational challenge becomes particularly acute when the leader in question decides to move on.
Leader + Team but no Plan: I’ve seen leaders who’re personally impressive and do cultivate a team around them, but who never take the time to develop and use a long-term plan. The result is an organization that does a lot of things, many of them well, but the lack of planned focus leads to lots of activity, but often misaligned and poorly thought out.
Team + Plan but no Leader: I’ve seen great teams, who have a focused plan, but who fail to secure a top leader who has the leadership skills to attract new resources around their shared vision and to keep the team aligned over time. The result is an organization that chugs along, but doesn’t shine.
Every example I can think of a nonprofit that thrives over a sustained period of many years the formula has always included Leadership + Plan + Team.
If you see your organization missing one of these elements, address it. Don’t wait for the situation to somehow resolve itself.