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Imagine it’s a starless, moonless night and you are in the flattest part of North Dakota. You light a small candle on the open prairie, and walk slowly away from it, backwards.

I genuinely thought this would be a five-minute fix.

One of the knobs on our gas stove broke, so I did what any reasonable person would do: I looked for and ordered a replacement. When it arrived, it wouldn’t fit. I checked the model number, confirmed it was correct, and assumed the problem was a manufacturing issue. So, I ordered another knob and returned the first one I ordered.

Same result.

I am an avid sports fan and late October through mid-November is the ultimate time of year for me to follow multiple sports very closely. When we think about leadership, our minds tend to go immediately to the notion of an individual who leads others, most often in a business setting. However, what I want to drill down on in this blog is an entirely different aspect of leadership: it is the notion of leading yourself. And sports offer many sterling examples of just that.

The last quarter of the year always feels different. The calendar is heavier, expectations loom larger, and every ask seems more urgent than the one before. But here’s what I’ve learned: leadership in Q4 isn’t about pushing harder. It's about how you show up.

When you walk into a room at year-end, donors and staff alike are watching. They notice your tone, your posture, your clarity — or lack thereof. That’s where leadership lives.

Fall marks a season of renewed energy for many nonprofit boards. As members return from summer breaks and settle back into meeting rhythms, there's a natural momentum building toward year-end. This is the perfect time to tackle those important governance priorities that may have been on the back burner—turning the final quarter into your board's most productive and impactful months of the year.

My next-door neighbor volunteers as a board member for a local nonprofit organization. She and I were talking while working in our backyards. She asked my thoughts on how to make routine and often boring meetings worth her time and energy.

Her thoughts expressed a frustration that I know too well: board meetings that often feel, well, less than inspiring. As she described the predictable flow and the sense that they weren't truly digging into the meaty issues, a question popped into my head, one that I think holds the key to unlocking more engaging and impactful board sessions.

Early in my career, I was given a copy of a book which my experienced colleague at the time said would “be the basis for your success.” The book was Designs for Fund-Raising by Harold J. Seymour. Harold (Si) Seymour is considered one of the founding fathers of modern fundraising. His book, originally published in 1966, established many fundamental concepts that still form the backbone of fundraising practice today.

For me, these are the key aspects that remain relevant:

1. The emphasis on relationship-building rather than simply asking for money
2. The importance of thorough planning and strategic campaign design
3. Understanding donor psychology and motivation
4. The cultivation cycle for major gifts
5. The concept of donor stewardship

Working with boards is a topic that DBD Group has written about at length. Less popular, but only slightly less important, is creating an effective Finance Committee for your nonprofit. This group can be the most dynamic, exciting and important group in your organization.

From monitoring financial performance to approving budgets and financial policies, vetting loan options to overseeing the audit process, there is plenty to dig into. The best committees don’t just happen though. They are intentionally built, diverse in more ways than you might think, and given a clear chart of work.

Nonprofit volunteers that serve on boards are the backbone of the organization. They offer invaluable guidance, support, and resources. While most new board member orientations cover fundamental responsibilities, a recent interaction with a CEO candidate in one of my executive searches highlighted a powerful framework for maximizing board impact.

Let’s face it: asking board members to help with fundraising can feel as awkward as teaching your parents how to use TikTok. But it doesn’t have to be! With the right mix of clarity, support, and a dash of good humor, you can turn even the most hesitant board member into a fundraising champion.

A board’s role in fundraising is critical because it sets the tone, drives the strategy, and shows everyone else how it’s done. Board members bring credibility, connections, and leadership that no staff member or volunteer can fully replicate.