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Todd J. Sukol
Todd J. Sukol
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Category: Nonprofit Management & Leadership

Keeping Your Board Happy: Sensitizing yourself to how much is too much

Posted on July 11, 2019March 16, 2020 by Todd J. Sukol

By Todd J. Sukol Anyone who works with boards of directors needs to strike a balance between accommodating board members and establishing clear organizational processes and boundaries. Too much bureaucratization leads to alienated or angry board members. Too much accommodating can lead to unhealthy, unproductive or even illegal or unethical arrangements. Exponent Philanthropy, an excellent…

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Organic and Intentional: Jewish Grandparents Network Retreat Models Collaborative Program Development

Posted on June 14, 2019July 13, 2020 by Todd J. Sukol

By Todd J. Sukol I had the privilege of attending the Jewish Grandparents Network planning retreat at the Pearlstone Retreat Center in Maryland this week. The event, co-hosted by JGN and the Mayberg Center for Jewish Education & Leadership at George Washington University, was unusual in one way above all. To their extreme credit, JGN…

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Hidden Growth

Posted on January 13, 2019June 14, 2019 by Todd J. Sukol

By Todd J. Sukol Reposted from www.mayberg.org As the cold of winter sets in and the barrenness of the trees outside my window becomes a little starker, it is easy to forget the powerful transformation nature is effecting beneath our feet, just out of view. The earth is rejuvenating through much needed rest, and seeds…

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“Strengths and Challenges”: The Tragedy of a Workplace Euphemism

Posted on November 9, 2018July 13, 2020 by Todd J. Sukol

By Todd J. Sukol It is at great cost to our organizations’ missions that we have turned “weakness” into a dirty word and “challenge” into a weak word. Two of the most powerful concepts to hit mainstream management from the world of psychology and human development in recent years are: Growth Mindset, popularized by Carol…

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The Inside Job

When is “enough” enough?

May 6, 2022

We work so hard to be the best we can be. To make our organizations the best they can be. When does our obligation reach its limits?  Ours is a field where there is always something more that can be done more, or better. A system can be improved. A problem can be solved. A success can be made greater. Another dollar can be raised. Another beneficiary served. Another staff member assisted. There are so many pulls on you as a nonprofit organization leader – when is “good enough” finally good enough?

In truth, the real question isn’t “how hard” should we work, but “HOW” should we work. Please remember that there is a deep, divine spark inside of you. This same spark lives inside of every person, place, thing or circumstance you encounter. As a nonprofit professional and as a human being, your first obligation is to recognize, reveal and fan the flames of that spark in yourself and in those you work with. When you’re pushing so hard that your efforts no longer support this objective, it’s time to step back. 

No matter how dedicated we are to the missions of our organizations, we cannot turn to our work for all of the meaning in our lives. You are uniquely special because you come from a divine source. We all need to step away from our work and take a break for spiritual and physical refreshment from time to time. We all need to remember and reconnect with the loved ones from whom we derive our identities and our strength.

Ask yourself: “In my work today, is my best self in the driver’s seat? Or, am I burning myself out by chasing “symptoms of success” rather than allowing my inner spark to express itself as I go about my work?”

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