The Fast Track to Building a Winning Relationship with the Board

February 12, 2026December 30, 2025 by don.tebbe

Laura Mitchell reached for the phone and dialed the number. As she was waiting for the answer, she arranged the papers on her desk with the questions she was about to ask. Laura, a newly hired nonprofit CEO, had been on the job for just 23 days when she was completing her final “get-to-know-you” conversations with members of her new board.

Because she knew how critical it was to build relationships with board members early, she arranged a series of lunches, coffees, and phone calls with individual board members. She knew this investment of effort early on would pay huge dividends later.

Book Summary: The power of legacy thinking.

November 27, 2024November 19, 2024 by don.tebbe

Your Leadership Legacy: Why Looking Toward the Future Will Make You a Better Leader Today

by Robert Galford and Regina Fazio Maruca

In a world obsessed with quick wins, leaders face immense pressure to focus on immediate objectives and short-term achievements. However, effective leadership is also about the long term and the impact you leave behind—your legacy. Every leader creates a legacy through their influence, whether they’re aware of it or not. It’s not just about numbers or achievements; it’s about the behaviors, ideas, and growth you foster in others.

Book Summary: What’s putting a lid on your success?

November 12, 2024November 14, 2023 by don.tebbe

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful

by Marshall Goldsmith

“What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” explores the habits and behaviors that can keep us from advancing in leadership.

Renowned executive coach Marshall Goldsmith argues that the focus shifts from technical skills to behaviors as we move up the organizational ladder. And bad habits and outdated strategies—many of which helped us get to where we are—can hold us back. He provides a roadmap for identifying and addressing these limitations and achieving next-level personal and professional growth. He uses real-life examples from his extensive coaching experience with top executives and leaders.

Book Summary: Master your new job from Day One.

November 4, 2023September 12, 2023 by don.tebbe

The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan: Take Charge, Build Your Team, and Deliver Better Results Faster

by George B. Bradt, Jayme A. Check, and John A. Lawler

The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan is a comprehensive guide for newly appointed leaders, whether they are succeeding an incumbent in an existing position or taking on a newly created role. The book offers an in-depth exploration of the new leader’s journey and presents a practical, detailed roadmap for assuming full leadership in the new role. First-time leaders will find the step-by-step recommendations particularly helpful.

Book Summary: Accelerate your success in your new role.

November 4, 2023August 8, 2023 by don.tebbe

The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter

by Michael Watkins

The First 90 Days helps leaders to transition smoothly and make a positive impact early in their new job. The book focuses on the first 90 days because actions during the first few months in a new role determine if a leader succeeds or fails.

Whether you’ve been promoted to a new position within the same organization or you’re joining a different organization, this book covers how to get to the “breakeven point” faster and ultimately be more successful in your new role. (Breakeven is when you start to contribute more to the organization than you consume through learning and integration.) Watkins says this book’s principles can shorten the time to breakeven by 40%.

Planning the Executive Handoff

February 12, 2026January 23, 2020 by don.tebbe

The final stage in the nonprofit executive succession process for the departing executive is handing off the role to their successor. The handoff typically includes at least one meeting, and often a series, between the outgoing and incoming executives.

Unless there are extenuating circumstances, the departing executive has three succession responsibilities: to lead the organization and prepare for life’s next chapter; and to ensure the organization is ready to work effectively with the successor. And a key part of that organizational prep work is ensuring that there’s a well-planned handoff.