Notes

What Hamilton can teach nonprofit leaders
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Although the world has enjoyed Lin-Manuel Miranda’s masterpiece for over five years, with the release of the recorded version on Disney+, Hamilton has once again become a dinner table topic around the world. I first heard the soundtrack on a long drive and instantly fell in love. The more I listened, I saw a lot of myself in America’s first Treasury Secretary (minus the philandering and propensity to dueling). My college journey has taken the past decade to write (and is still in progress), I have a hunger to succeed, and God knows I feel like I’m always operating like I’m running out of time.
The lessons from Hamilton aren’t purely personal though. Quite a bit can be gleaned for those leading nonprofits and other organizations that serve our communities. Here are a few of my takeaways:
Never write someone off
The opening line of Hamilton elicits the mental image of a young man castigated by society and primed for failure.
How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore And a Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot In the Caribbean by providence impoverished In squalor, grow up to be a hero and a scholar?
When we are working with vulnerable populations, despite our best efforts, we may find ourselves drawn to those who show the most promise or are the most motivated. Although Alexander Hamilton didn’t lack enthusiasm, not all the people we encounter will present with such energy. Life circumstances and challenges can weigh heavily on those with the greatest propensity for success. Our job is to identify and nurture that raw talent and ensure we offer the missing resources which will help shape them into being.
Don’t be afraid of compromise
Although it is unlikely that nonprofits are behind closed doors trading votes on the nation’s future financial system for the location of the capital city, the art of compromise is one that all successful nonprofit leaders should be well versed. Many organizations suffer from pride in ownership over programs, fundraisers, or other initiatives that turn out to be their Achilles Heel. Small community-based nonprofits in particular struggle with being under-resourced yet are the genesis for dynamic solutions to complex problems. This dichotomy can result in organizations needing to partner and collaborate for true success. Unfortunately, when many organizations get to the negotiation table things go less smoothly. Although Hamilton engineered a lucrative trade where he disproportionately benefitted, all nonprofit leaders should strive for balance, mutual benefit, and long-term stability/program delivery when “in the room where it happens.”
Take a break
Recently in a Zoom call with nonprofits throughout my region, I asked: “Since the coronavirus pandemic began in Mid-March, how many people on the call have taken more than two consecutive days off, holidays not included?” Not one of the 30+ people on the call could answer in the affirmative. Yes, we are in trying, uncharted times as our communities are ravaged by COVID-19, but nonprofit leaders are notoriously bad at taking personal time. Whether you use the time away from the office (yes the home office too) to engage in your hobby, travel, or just lay on the couch watching Netflix, time away from the office is crucial. A 2015 study by Nonprofit HR cited burnout as one of the highest causes of employee turnover. My old supervisor had a saying, “Did anybody die? Did anything burn down?” That standard can be used to shine perspective on a bad day, but also reminds us that we step away for a long weekend or more, if we’ve done our jobs correctly, nothing will fall apart in our absence. Maybe you can’t spend the summer on a lake in upstate New York, but please, take a break.
Planting seeds in a garden you never get to see
One of Hamilton’s greatest flaws was his lifelong obsession with his legacy. At the moment of his death (not really a spoiler, right?) Hamilton realizes that you cannot write your legacy and that it’s actually “planting seeds in a garden we never get to see.” The same is true for our work. If we are leading with a cult of personality where the founder/ED looms larger than the mission, something has failed. Our missions and visions are bigger than us; they must outlive us. This concept also shines a light on what our organizations should be seeking to accomplish. Sure, we can do a flashy program that will attract media and donors but fail to achieve long-term impact, or we can roll up our sleeves and do the hard work of fixing systemic inequity and improving access. Now, these aren’t always mutually exclusive, but we should always be questioning our motivation for a new program or initiative and remind ourselves that tending the garden is more important than seeing the flowers.

My Website: https://www.watchcopy.org