Keep learning! Third Turn Leaders and New Donors: a conversation with Chris Barlow

A sometimes unwelcome aspect of the Maestro-level leader experience is the many charities that want attention.  They offer board positions, and opportunities to sit on advisory committees, and honorary chair seats for a key initiative.

• It is a temptation for those charities to see accomplished leaders solely as a means to gain financial support. Board and advisory recruitment can be nothing more than window dressing-- financial appeals to follow. Leave your business acumen outside, please.

• Let's be fair, however. It is also a temptation for those accomplished leaders to see charities solely as a place to dispense wisdom.  I'll give you some time and perspective out of the narrow slice of my distracted mind and that should be enough.  I'm not interested in helping to raise money or in volunteering. 

Neither of these are good.  

We must remember that the reason we arrive at a Third Turn opportunity to make a difference for our grandchildren's grandchildren is because we kept learning.    Our work to give back is best when it is an additional expression that we will keep growing.

This means we bring an expertise of learning more than anything else. Our service is new opportunity to grow in depth of insight and skill, and so we can expect that also from the executives and organizations we voluntarily serve.

Every now and then it is nice to change up the media format for these blog posts.  I was privileged, recently, to meet Chris Barlow who has a deep passion for helping leaders gain additional eyes, hearts, minds, and yes, wallets, for causes they care about and in which they are invested. Chris' insights are worth hearing. They will help you grow as a servant of others.

Great questions to ask that promote the learning for you and the charity you love:

• What is our donor persona?
• How are we becoming visible to donors who would love what we are doing?
• What don't we know yet that we need to know? How will we go about learning it together?

In the video Chris mentioned he would create a related guide which you will find, below.

Wishing you well as you love the world that lives beyond you.

-mark l vincent