It's never enough just to tell people about some new insight. Rather, you have to get them to experience it in a way that evokes power and possibility. Instead of pouring knowledge into people's heads, you need to help them grind a new set of eyeglasses so they can see the world in a new way.

...If you've ever felt like an organizational schizophrenic, surrounded by people making vastly different meanings out of the same actions, you are right. Your staff is going to view you as a business manager; your board will want to see your actions in terms of their political savvy; and your volunteers will wonder any time you direct your attention toward anything but serving the best interest of your agency's clients...The best voluntary sector managers do find a way to ride their elephants - their flanks guiding the beast's direction, their eyes wary of the probing tusks, their hands alert to the waving trunk, their hearts remembering why they originally climbed on board, their voices speaking soothingly into the ears of their charges. Nothing to it, you say? Ride on!

The ultimate test of success for an organization is not whether it can win today but whether it can keep winning tomorrow and the day after. Therefore, the ultimate test for a leader is not whether he or she makes smart decisions and takes decisive action, but whether he or she teaches other to be leaders and builds an organization that can sustain its success even when he or she is not around. The key ability of winning organizations and winning leaders is creating leaders.

I recently had an opportunity to be on an extended conference call with some of the most passionate advocates for the nonprofit and NGO sector out there. These are folks who are working 24/7/365 to help community-based nonprofits and NGOs thrive, and if you don't follow them yet, now's the time to do so.

7 "Must-Know" Community Change Agents

Alison: If you're looking for a resource on transformative collaboration, coalitions, and nonprofit partnerships, put Alison Rapping's blog at the top of your list. She'll inspire you to find opportunities to build and grow your communities together and give you the tools to make those partnerships successful. Follow Alison on Twitter.

Bonnie: Bonnie Koenig is a “go-to” resource for strategic capacity-building for international nonprofits and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). She has a terrific resource list on her Going International website which includes her own book, Going Global for the Greater Good: Succeeding as a Nonprofit in the International Community. Follow Bonnie on Twitter.

Don: A self-described virtual volunteer, Don Griesmann is a grant opportunity researcher extraordinaire and also regularly blogs about nonprofit issues. He's also the author of Nonprofit Incorporating - The Business Plan, a 35-page guide for U.S.-based folks who are considering forming a nonprofit.

Gayle: Gayle is a fearless advocate who intuitively knows that questioning the status quo is often the first step to creating a more just and peaceful world. The author of several books including Meaningful Participation, A Citizens Guide to Collaborative Policy-making, Gayle also blogs regularly at her website, Cause & Effect. Follow Gayle on Twitter.

Hildy: Hildy Gottlieb is the author of The Pollyanna Principles, and a founder of The Community-Driven Institute. Her inspiring blog is fueled by her passion for "making visionary community change practical." If you're interested in creating a new future within your community, she's a "go-to, must-know" resource. Follow Hildy on Twitter.

Nancy: "Changing the world one day at a time," is Nancy Iannone's mantra, but it's only part of what makes her a community change agent. With a passionate commitment for grassroots nonprofits and community-based work, she bring incredible insight and depth to her work. Check out her blog and her website and you'll see what I mean. Follow Nancy on Twitter.

Pam: Pamela Grow is all about creating simple fundraising and development systems that will help you build a sustainable funding stream. A sought-after speaker and presenter on soup-to-nuts development and fundraising, she's the author of Five Days to Foundation Grants and the free Grow Report, which is available through her blog. Follow Pam on Twitter.

Who are some of your favorite community change agents? Here's how to spot them.

Creativity is the process of generating ideas. It involves divergent and random thinking, and mixing up a range of possibilities. By its nature it's chaotic. Creativity produces lots of possibilities, only a small number of which have real potential. This means that you must also accept that creativity will produce a great many useless ideas for every one worth running with.

Innovation is the process of choosing and selecting one or more of the ideas generated in creativity mode so as to exploit their potential. It involves convergent and focused thinking. It is systematic and selective. Innovation is rational and organized, and by its nature practical. Its outcome is to produce a workable solution, so the starting point is to discard useless ideas.

As individuals and organizations, we need to practice the processes of both creativity and innovation until they become deeply embedded skills. By using both of them we can dramatically improve performance, but they do need to be linked and sequenced correctly.

Good executives tell it like it is. They know that transparency can hurt, and they're not afraid of the discomfort that sometimes comes along with it. They've got courage, and they understand that great things can only be achieved through honesty, openness, and with ethics.

This rule is simple. If you made a mistake or you think you've gone in the wrong direction, admit it - and sleep better at night. This is as easy as it sounds, though it isn't for the weak at heart. The ability to fess up is a trait that every great, transparent leader possesses. It's harder to tell it like it is than it is to avoid the truth, but even when you avoid the truth, you're not fooling as many people as you think.

Every plan should be a living document - a blueprint for the organization's ongoing activities. Adequate resources must be allocated, both human and financial. The organization's personnel, including management, staff, board of directors, support staff, and volunteers, must be educated about the plan and motivated to implement it. A plan is a commitment to action - a commitment by people with their own ideas, attitudes, preferences, concerns, and needs. People must see the strategy's relevance, feel they are capable of implementing it, understand the required behaviors, know whether they have achieved the objective, and be rewarded for doing so.

Put your idea down in words. Great leaders place great importance on writing down their vision, their idea, their central driving purpose - and then sharing them with others. First articulations are difficult to create, but painfully necessary. Force yourself to pen a speech, a brochure, a film, or, if you must, a PowerPoint deck that helps you recount your team's vision. You'll immediately recognize your idea's vulnerability. Then rework its expression until it can fully withstand slings and arrows.

Earlier this month, nonprofit marketing guide Kivi Leroux Miller posted some great tips on her blog that are sage advice for any nonprofit leader. Here's an abridged version:

1) Define your niche. Don't try to be everything to everyone.
2) Hire and mentor smart people. Never underestimate the value of your really good and really smart staff members, no matter how young or old they are.
3) Be transparent. Hold integrity and truth in the highest esteem, and admit right away when you screw up.
4) Be willing to experiment.
5) Get out there and update as you go. You don't have to wait until you have all of the details to start conversations with your supporters.

See Kivi Leroux Miller's full post here.

According to a recent blog from Scott Anthony at Harvard Business Publishing, constant transformation is likely the hallmark of every industry right now. Although his post wasn’t focused on the community benefit sector, his basic advice definitely applies. Here’s an abridged version:

(1) Success now requires not just doing it better, but mastering the ability to do it differently.
(2) You have to ask what your customers need and want. And then you’d better get good at doing it.
(3) Every organization has unique DNA. Those that are seeking to intentionally mutate that DNA need to provide space for new ventures.

Read Scott Anthony’s full post here.

In general, do not say anything, do anything, or write anything down that you would be unhappy (or devastated) seeing in tomorrow’s newspaper.

We all know those powerhouse people and organizations that seem to be everywhere. They are invited to speak at every conference, have C-level Board members who regularly open doors for them, get invited to submit grant proposals from private foundations, and get all the media coverage. How are they doing that? Among other things, they're likely recruiting and developing "Connectors," "Mavens," and "Salespeople" to their volunteer and staff teams. Described in detail by Malcolm Gladwell in The Tipping Point, here are some characteristics of the three groups:

Connectors

* Have an amazing ability to draw people to them. People want to be associated with them.
* Have what we used to call "huge rolodexes" and now call "extensive networks" or "loads of contacts."
* They know everybody who's anybody, and if they don't know them, they know someone who does.
* They run in several circles at once. The diversity of their contacts is part of their allure.
* They collect like-minded people, detractors, and strangers alike. They know the CEO of the largest local corporation, the Starbucks barista, the dry cleaner, and all of the people with whom they sat on a jury 5 years ago.

Mavens

* They are information brokers.
* They are well-read, and up-to-date on current events.
* They are curious and inquisitive and love to learn from the people around them.
* They are data centers that store interesting (and sometimes offbeat) information.
* They love to share what they know. Just ask, and they'll have both information and a valuable perspective to contribute.

Salespeople

* They are happy, outgoing, and "the life of the party."
* They are charismatic, charming, engaging.
* They easily build rapport and engender trust.
* They are the ultimate persuaders, and leverage their keen attention to effectively sway others.
* They have quick responses at the ready to naysayers and pessimists.

Have you surrounded yourself and your organization with Connectors, Mavens and Salespeople? Are you cultivating these roles within your team?

As part of my work within the sector, I do a fair amount of executive search and leadership recruiting. While every organization is different, there are several traits that are always on the “must-have” list for leaders. Whether you’re a seasoned nonprofit or NGO leader or a member of the rising next generation, the questions below may help you assess your own leadership strengths, as well as identify areas for growth or change.

18 Traits of Successful Nonprofit and NGO Leaders

(1) PASSIONATE: Are you a passionate advocate with a reputation for innovating, leading through challenging situations and fueling change? Can you inspire others while fostering creativity, teamwork, a commitment to excellence, and mutual respect?

(2) COMFORTABLE: Are you “at home” in a start-up grassroots environment, yet comfortable within a larger structure and hierarchy as well? Do people of all backgrounds relate to you easily and vice versa? Do you actively find ways to engage people to help them feel comfortable around you? Do you like leading alongside others and sharing the helm? More on shared governance.

(3) MULTI-FACETED: Are you tenacious, diplomatic, and results-oriented? Can you be a pit bull, a great dane, and a springer spaniel all at the same time? Can you remain authentic, yet instinctively know when one approach or style may serve you better?

(4) CONFIDENT: Do you possess the ability to move self confidently through uncharted waters? Do you have an internal compass that helps guide you while also relying on all available navigation tools? More on steering through change.

(5) FINANCIALLY SAVVY: Do you understand the critical importance of strong financial management, even if that isn't part of your primary role? More on financial savvy.

(6) OUTCOMES-FOCUSED: Are you focused on setting and then meeting or exceeding measurable goals and do you have a clear roadmap for doing so? Do the words "benchmarks, dashboards, and outcomes" make you smile? More on dashboards, and more on measuring outcomes and performance.

(7) STRATEGIC: Are you a strategic thinker with excellent planning and analytic skills? Do you use plans and tools to guide your own priorities and work? Can you see the forest and the trees and is that the lens that you use?

(8) MARKETING-ORIENTED: Do you understand the importance of marketing and have the ability to leverage marketing tools to rapidly build community awareness and to catalyze new relationships? Have you embraced social media and Web 2.0 as essential marketing tools?

(9) RESPECTED: Can you work effectively with and quickly gain the respect and support of various constituencies, including board members, staff members, consultants, potential donors, and other community leaders?

(10) CURIOUS: Do you stay up-to-date on current events? Are you inquisitive and interested in many topics? Do you ask questions and clarify perspectives? Do you seek out opportunities to continue to learn and grow? Do you spend time figuring out “what makes people tick?”

(11) TRUSTED: Do people value your integrity? Are you honest and fair with an emphasis on transparency? Are you able to admit your own mistakes and allow others to learn from theirs? Are you ethical? More on transparency, more on building trust, and more on ethics.

(12) TEAM-FOCUSED: Can you tear down silos and replace them with high-performing cross-functional teams? More on "Silo Disease" and how to stop it.

(13) ENERGETIC: Are you filled with energy and ready to leverage it 24/7/365 in service of your organization's mission? Do you intuitively know when you need some “down-time” and ensure that you find moments to rest and renew?

(14) FUN-LOVING: Can you laugh at yourself and help others bring humor into their lives to relieve stress and build the team? More on using humor as a leadership tool.

(15) PEOPLE-BUILDER: Are you a "go-to" person? Do people value you as a mentor, coach, and resource? Are you always looking for ways to build others and cultivate personal and professional growth and development? Do you regularly give praise and feedback? More on praise, and more on mentoring.

(16) NETWORKED: Are you a “people collector” and a connector? Do you regularly seek advice from your own mentors and external advisers? More on connectors.

(17) COLLABORATIVE: Are you always on the lookout for opportunities to collaborate, partner and work closely with others to further your joint missions and reach your vision? More on collaboration.

(18) CHANGE AGENT: Are you a community change agent? Find out.

What would you add to this list? Just log in and share your comments below with our growing membership (1,000+) of nonprofit and NGO leaders!