Leadership Development and Employee Engagement in Nonprofits
Nonprofit organizations aspiring to foster an engaged workplace confront a complex context of challenges, including:
Responsibility for some public services are shifting from government to nonprofit organizations
Nonprofit employees are commonly involved in front-line human services work that can lead to burnout
Nonprofit financial models are changing with shifts in charitable giving and government budgets
OUR CURIOSITY
If a nonprofit organization saturated their organization with leadership development training, would employees have greater commitment to the organization and optimism for its future? Additionally, would employees start thinking and behaving differently with one another?
USEFUL FINDINGS
Employee leadership = Enhanced employee engagement
- more committed to their organization
- more hopeful about the organization’s future
- more satisfied with their job
Saturation = Culture change
Saturating an organization with leadership development leads to employees thinking about and doing their work differently.
- Employees start thinking about the adaptive challenges in their work.
- Employees engage more collaboratively.
- Employees work across units in the organization.
Two doses = Most impact
Participating in two leadership trainings that cover the same set of leadership ideas has had the most impact on enhancing individuals’ growth mindset. This approach provides time between sessions to experiment with the ideas and new behaviors.
In-person development = Increased confidence/usage
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