Don’t confuse motion and progress.
A rocking horse keeps moving but doesn’t make any progress.
Alfred A. Montapert
Are You a Rocking Horse Leader?
Being busy doesn’t automatically translate into being successful. It does not. If you’re not doing the right things, in the right way, at the right time, a lot of your sweat equity may be wasted. Moreover, your donor’s donations and volunteer’s time aren’t well leveraged when you aren’t making true progress.
Simply being busy is very different than being productive. Those who “confuse motion and progress” don’t yet understand the productivity paradox. Can you afford to be an Executive Director who is ‘moving’ -like a rocking horse- instead of progressing?
“Being a paper-pushing Executive Director, regardless of how many hours you’re in the office, is different than managing smart and leading. Such ineffectual Directors are hard-working, but they aren’t smart Managers or Leaders. A successful non-profit leader understands that a passion-only approach to leadership is a recipe for failure . . . They know their success as a leader isn’t about simply ‘pushing paper’ in the office and running out the door at 5 o’ clock.”
Robin Morgan (link)
