Does Nonprofit Consulting = Nonprofit Leadership?

June 7, 2010 | Leadership, Nonprofit Consulting

WIP Connect the dots by GroggyFroggy.

Ever since I became a full-time nonprofit consultant, I’ve had a hard time putting myself in that category. And it’s not hard to see why. The title “consultant” can definitely have its negative connotations, especially in Washington, DC where everybody and their mama is a consultant. It doesn’t mean anything without context, but even with explanation behind it, people can look at you sideways at networking events. At conferences, I even notice the body language shift that sometimes happens when an executive director encounters one of us “consultants,” as if our aim is to pick their pockets. Oh my, would you look at the time…

Instead, I still think of myself as a nonprofit leader. I mean, it’s not like my work has changed that drastically. I pretty much do the same things I was doing as a full-time nonprofit employee, except now I just don’t have to punch a clock anymore when I do it. So for me, nonprofit consulting is my nonprofit leadership, in many different ways.

Thought Leadership

Blogging is, and always has been, my way of sharing my perspective (and the perspective of my peers) on nonprofit leadership with the entire sector. That’s why I first titled my blog “Perspectives from the Pipeline.” It was all about adding some diversity of thought from a young black woman on the come-up to a field that had been dominated by the wisdom of older white males. I wanted to share not only my expertise, but the questions I was also trying to find answers to in my work. And because consultants don’t work at any particular nonprofit, we can often be more truthful in our analysis of the field. Some great examples of thought leadership from nonprofit consultants comes in the form of blogs like Kris Putnam-Walkerly and Beth Kanter. Many leaders use the opinions and commentary of nonprofit consultants and bloggers to inform their work, so it is indeed a great contribution when we post our thoughts to the web for all to benefit from.

Network Weaving

Leadership Learning Community’s Claire Reinelt talks about the future of leadership development as being tied to networks, and I think she’s absolutely right:

Leadership is not primarily a capacity or quality that an individual possesses; it is a relational process that occurs in groups, communities and networks.

The best solutions will no longer come from the top, but from the bottom, the sides and the edges of nonprofit networks. And consultants can be bridge builders to help make that happen. Most consultants have wide networks crossing subsectors in nonprofits and philanthropy that can open doors for clients and communities with the click of a mouse. I often send emails introducing one person to another, pass along job openings from organizations in my circle and post links on Twitter to let people know about networking and professional development opportunities. Because I can see the big picture of the nonprofit sector (both locally and nationally), I’m always finding ways to connect people with people, and organizations with organizations – hoping something bigger and better will come out of the collaboration.

Testing New Ground

Because most nonprofit consultants are independent, we can take risks on ourselves that might be harder to take with a firm or in working with a specific organization. For instance, I’ve been rigorously testing my own business model with highly customized offerings like e-courses, workshops and seminars that appeal to my client base, yet are fairly new to the field in general. Consultants can test new ideas and programs because there is a lower consequence to failure. Then, we can turn around and share the models with clients, communities and other consultants. For instance, when I started using BlogTalkRadio for live discussions in 2008, many nonprofits asked me for advice on how it worked, etc. I shared my learnings with them, and many organizations like the Johnson Center ended up using the tool for their own work.

Are you a nonprofit consultant? Do you see your work as nonprofit leadership? Why or why not?

Image credit: GroggyFroggy

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Tags: Nonprofit Consulting, nonprofit leadership

Penelope Cagney

I've been a consultant to nonprofits for more than 20 years now and have written a book on the subject "Nonprofit Consulting Essentials: What Nonprofits and Consultants Need to Know" (Jossey-Bass/Alliance of Nonprofit Management Sept 2010). I really do think that we offer leadership to our clients. It's of a different nature than the CEO or the board gives an organization because we possess no real authority, only influence...sometimes it's leadership by example of modeling. An effective consultant can make a real difference in the life of an organization and elevate those we come in contact with. Thanks for bringing it up!
Penelope Cagney

Hi Rosetta, I'm enjoying your blog.

I've consultant to nonprofits for more than 20 years now and have written a book on the subject "Nonprofit Consulting Essentials: What Nonprofits and Consultants Need to Know" (Jossey-Bass/Alliance of Nonprofit Management Sept 2010). I really do think that we offer leadership to our clients. It's of a different nature than the CEO or the board gives an organization because we possess no real authority, only influence...sometimes its leadership by example of modeling. An effective consultant can make a real difference in the life of an organization and elevate those we come in contact with. Thanks for bringing it up!
Beth Myers

Perhaps because I have recently joined a consulting firm after 20 years in nonprofits, I do not share your experience. People have not looked at me funny or blown me off when I tell them I am a consultant. In fact they act impressed, but of course these have all been people who are familiar with my credentials. There are plenty of bad consultants out there - probably even more now as a result of high unemployment. Your question was about me seeing my work as nonprofit leadership. I think the answer depends on what you are doing in your consulting business and what your experience is based on. I think if your consulting is based on working with nonprofit leaders as I understand yours may be then Yes I think it is nonprofit leadership.
Rosetta Thurman

Great to hear about your experience, Beth. Love your philosophy that if we're working with leaders then we can be leaders ourselves.
Claire Reinelt

Thanks Rosetta for your post and for mentioning the Future of Leadership Development article. Your experiences as a nonprofit consultant resonate with mine. Seeing the big picture, making connections, and experimenting with new ideas and business models gives those of us who are consultants an important leadership role in the nonprofit sector. From what I see, our numbers are growing as the economy shrinks and as the means for sustaining our work (and lives) become increasingly accessible outside organizations. One leadership trend within the nonprofit sector that seems especially promising to me is the formation of learning communities among nonprofit leaders. Often learning communities are catalyzed by nonprofit consultants who have a vision of greater impact and greater good, and who seek to bridge differences and cross divides to create more trust and sense of collective purpose. They create spaces to share experiences and connect learning, and sometimes take collective action together. They also enable consultants (and other nonprofit leaders) to advance our practice and align our behavior and mental models to support new directions. It’s an exciting time. I am curious to hear from you and others how you support your practice through learning communities and what difference it has made.
Rosetta Thurman

The Leadership Learning Community that you all have put together is a valuable resource - at least it was for me when I participated in the local DC LLC that was housed within the Institute for Educational Leadership. Since then, I've not participated in other learning communities like that, but I'm seeking those opportunities now for where I am in my work. I have, however, found a great deal of value in being a part of the larger nonprofit/consulting community that is the blogosphere. I learn something everyday from my fellow consultants through the connections we have online.
Melissa

I'm a nonprofit consultant, and I think the same way. When I tell people I am a consultant and work from home, they give me the side eye - like I'm mostly sitting around watching daytime TV and charging clients for it. But - I feel like the work I do with clients is exciting and variable - which I love - and it also informs my work in my volunteer positions with nonprofits - I am president of the Board of a local nonprofit and founded a giving circle at our local community foundation. Just because you don't work with just one organization doesn't mean your work is not valuable - I feel like I learn more, stretch more, and expand my network more - all from being a "consultant" instead of an "employee."
Rosetta Thurman

You bring up a great point about the value of working with a variety of organizations vs. working for just one - you get to see nonprofits in different life cycles and apply those lessons to your other work.