Nine habits of effective leaders

Amazing leaders from the charity sector tend to have that ephemeral quality that you can’t quite seem to capture entirely with words. Despite all their individual qualities, charity bosses practice habits that boost their presence and increase their charity’s visibility.

 

Below we round-up some of their top routines.

 

 

Making time for social media

 

Speaking to the New Stateman magazine, Polly Neate, Shelter UK CEO says: “I start my day doing my social media with a cup of tea in bed. It’s part of my job but I don’t have time once the official working day has started.”

 

CEOs use social media to point out injustices and stay on cause. Polly’s outspoken and at times controversial, but the controversial comments stoke publicity for her charity’s cause.  

 

 

Be in and around the community

 

One who needs no introduction is Michelle Mitchell OBE, the UK’s top fundraising CEO. Leading Cancer Research UK (CRUK), she’s responsible for “overall leadership and management of CRUK,” says the charity.

 

Michelle has been, and is, an active member in the community. When thinking of her past, she says: “Oh, gosh, I did all sorts of things. I was helping with reading groups when I was 12, and volunteered with sports events and then joined a few charities and was volunteering for my local MP by the time I was in sixth form.”

 

Today, that activism is part of her appeal. Michelle’s professional experience extends beyond her CEO role. She’s been Non-Executive Director of the NHS and Trustee and Global Chair of Fundraising of the MS International Federation.

 

 

Top execs stay active

 

Taking regular exercise is a habit practiced by leaders of many industries. Some even go to the extreme and practice hardcore regimes.

 

Sir Richard Branson stands out. When speaking to CNBC, he says: “I love to look after my body. If I feel great, I can achieve anything.” Sir Richard plays at least one tennis match a day, and when possible, kite surfs as part of his daily routine.

 

LinkedIn’s blog connects exercise with leadership. They observe that: “Leadership and fitness share many common traits such as discipline, resilience, and determination.”

 

Those that practice exercise often do more than just stay active.

 

 

Leaders wake up early

 

Successful leaders maximise their days. According to HR News, over a third of those who consider themselves ‘successful’ wake up at 5:30am. They spend the majority of the quiet morning catching up on emails, reading the news, and planning the day ahead.

 

Well-profiled across different private sector industries, leaders are known to wake at the crack of dawn. Tim Cook, Apple’s top brass, wakes at 3:45am to check emails, has coffee, and then takes exercise.

 

 

Taking the leap forward

 

Leaders take measured risks. In Professional Development says: “Good leaders…understand the difference between taking smart, calculated risks and pure recklessness. A leader who can encourage smart risk-taking will foster the growth of the organisation.”

 

In simple words, good leaders take risks to grow their organisations.

 

 

Successful leaders practice inclusivity

 

Leaders priming for success are actively inclusive. Inclusivity means consciously thinking about how to incorporate different ideas and people from different backgrounds.

 

Zoe Amar explains what is at stake: “There’s so much potential for inclusion in your digital strategy. Done right, it will help you reach more people, and help them, and your staff, feel a sense of belonging with your charity.”

 

 

Prioritising urgent and important from other distractions

 

Self-help guru Steven Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People writes about how leaders divide their time. Dividing tasks into combinations of urgent and important means prioritising what to do. The book says that if something is:

• Urgent and important, then act on it
• Not urgent but important, then devise a plan for it
• Urgent but not important, then delegate it
• Not urgent and not important, then discard the distraction

Effective leaders know the difference between the four combinations.

 

 

Leaders make the workplace better

 

Leaders take care of their colleagues. Zoe Amar, writing for Charity Digital says: “Staff wellbeing has gone from an ancillary issue to centre stage. If we want to build back better, then that process must begin with our people.”

 

During the pandemic, at Charity Digital, we highlighted how sharing mental health resources and improving well-being are top concerns.

 

 

Always be learning something new

 

Successful leaders take it upon themselves to learn new skills. According to Charity Village, those that make a difference educate themselves. The job board site says reading, attending courses, and watching informational videos for 15-30 minutes a day increases knowledge and confidence.