Here's how you can navigate leading for-profit and nonprofit organizations as an executive.

I would think regardless of the sector, structure or team - leading by the vision, strategy and goals is critical for any senior manager or leader. Having a shared strategy that all team members own is important. You can then collectively agree on the goals, the benchmarks and how you will get there. This way the entire team owns the process. Your role is to then guide, steer, help adjust and support the others reach the goals. Success is the ability to implement the strategy, make progress towards the vision and implement the activities in alignment to the agreed goals and benchmarks. It does not matter if the goal is profit, social justice, policy wins - it is the presence of a goal and the shared understanding of how to get there.

In the for-profit world, success hinges on profitability with a focus on financial performance and competitive strategy. Nonprofits, however, measure success by their ability to fulfill their mission and create social impact. At the intersection of these two lies social enterprises, which strive to be financially viable while keeping social impact at their core. As an executive, understanding these differing priorities is essential. In a nonprofit, you'll prioritize strategies that enhance program effectiveness and foster community engagement. In a for-profit setting, the emphasis shifts to maximizing financial returns. Grasping these distinctions enables you to set the right objectives and lead your team effectively in any environment.

Having a shared vision, collectively owned strategy and agreed upon plan to get there is critical for a team, organisation or corporation. Whether you are volunteer or paid, experienced or just starting you want to know the direction that the team is going in. You will most likely not get in a bus if you dont know where it is going. You want to know the destination and then you are able to enjoy, engage and contribute to the journey to get there. Collaboration comes when everyone knows where they are going. When all are invited to help define how to get there and able to support and engage in the journey.

As a leader, in my experience, it is important to stay grounded in the organisation's vision, values and strategy - and not you and your ego. You are joining or part of an organisation that has a mission and intent. Teams will follow if you adhere to and demonstrate respect and adherence to the organisation's vision, strategy and values. You will, as a leader need to help refine and adjust the strategy as the world evolves and things change. You will as a leader need to guide and bring others along with you in alignment to the values of the organisation. As a leader of a mission and vision based organisation, you need to put your ego aside. It is not about you.

Effective stakeholder engagement is a critical factor in the success of leaders in both nonprofit and for-profit sectors. It is incumbent upon executives to prioritize listening to and involving stakeholders—beneficiaries, volunteers, donors, customers, employees, and shareholders—in decision-making processes. By aligning their interests with the organization's mission, leaders can foster trust and collaboration. This approach ensures that stakeholders' voices are heard, thereby creating value and driving collective success. It is essential for long-term organizational growth that strategies be developed to consistently engage and respond to stakeholder needs.

In my capacity as a member of the board of a nonprofit organization with a global reach, I have had the opportunity to observe firsthand the impact of a clear understanding of organizational goals. It was imperative to cultivate adaptability in every culture, fostering collaboration despite language barriers. Navigating funding challenges taught me the art of resilience. Ethics were not merely guidelines; they were our foundation, ensuring trust with stakeholders. Engaging them was not merely about telling our story but listening to theirs. Each lesson contributed to a larger, more complex picture, one that continues to shape the way I lead, inspire, and drive change.