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As leaders at every nonprofit — no matter the size or cause — grapple with challenges to their missions and finances, it’s especially important to tap into the wisdom of executives who have helped their organizations weather previous threats.
Barron Segar is one of those leaders. He took over as head of World Food Program USA just a few months before Covid ripped across the globe.
Before that, he worked as executive vice president and chief development officer at Unicef USA, and he is a founding executive board member of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, serving more than 30 years on the National Board of Directors.
In our new episode of Nonprofits Now: Leading Today, Segar walked host Stacy Palmer through the ways he is persevering through current leadership challenges. He discussed how he is talking to his staff and leaders about preparing contingency plans in case funding gets tight; how he decided to call staff back to the office a few days a week and explained his rationale; and why he put into the budget money for each staff member to take advantage of professional development.
Among his advice for leaders:
Candor with staff is essential, especially in anxious times. Segar says he is optimistic by nature, but sometimes he has to force himself to recognize that it’s better to be frank about challenges. A senior colleague of his recently told him to be open about the fact that he has asked his top leaders to develop contingency plans for funding cuts. “We are all aware of what’s happening around the world and in the economy,” his colleague said. “It’s better for us to know.”
Always ask about the staff’s capacity to handle a new project. Segar says too often leaders move forward with multiple innovative projects before asking questions about the domino effect on a range of departments, such as marketing, communications, and development. Looking at the full impact could mean it’s better not to take it on — or to add more staffing before proceeding.
Changing course is okay. Segar says he is driven by data to make decisions, but when he sees new information that changes his view, he is quick to move in a different way than he originally planned.
Ask donors what the organization is doing right and where it needs to improve. “You’d be amazed what you can learn from these individuals who are trusting your organization with their philanthropy,” he says. And he makes it a point to share what he hears with the staff — especially about what motivates supporters — to help boost team morale.
To hear more from Segar on leading in challenging times, see this interview he did with Anne Aslett, head of the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
For more advice on leadership, check out these article from the Chronicle:
And for more leadership insights, turn to our special report, “Leadership at the Crossroads.”
Nonprofits Now: Leading Today is produced by Emily Haynes and Reasonable Volume, with editorial direction from Margie Fleming Glennon and support from Kyle Johnson.
