In my last post, I asked readers what “leading from the middle” means to them. In my professional life so far, this has meant taking on projects. Not just the ones needing to be done, but taking initiative and developing new projects or ideas/proposals to present to my “team”.
At the same time, I have been very hesitant to take on projects that go beyond my “team” and would benefit the organization as a whole and go beyond my expertise (such as fundraising and membership). Yet, if I want to make an impression on the Executive Director, this is the scale I would have to reach and the kind of leadership I would have to demonstrate to be considered for a higher position. I find this very daunting. I have been inspired, though, by the writings of Rosetta Thurman on her blog Perspectives from the Pipeline. Specifically, I would recommend readers check out the following post on Stretch Assignments.
I also began serving on the board of a local food co-op. While it is not technically a nonprofit, much of the work is similar and it is providing a great place for me to meet new people outside of my field at work and gain new skills. Interestingly, I did not run for the board because I thought it would be a ‘stretch assignment’ but because I just saw everyone I knew with a professional nonprofit job sitting on a board of some kind. There is a place for copying others and learning later.
What kinds of things are you doing to “stretch” yourself?
