Lead Like Big Mama: Reflections, Milestones, and Moving Forward

Grant Seekers: the FINAL Big Mama’s Playbook for 2024!

Well, it seems that last week’s post on accountability struck some nerves – empowering readers to actually hold other people accountable for their actions and why. Glad to help, good for you! This week, I wanted to take a look back- share some highlights and reflections from this “Big Mama”. And as the year ends, I am celebrating ten months since Lead Like Big Mama launched on February 19, 2024. This date holds significance for me as it is my late mother’s 100th birthday. The background image that I chose is from a patchwork quilt that my grandmother (aka Big Mama) stitched by hand over a half century ago. (Yes it’s still in good shape!) You can read back through previous posts to find out about some of the people in my life who have taught me some valuable lessons and shared some pearls of wisdom, or as some would say, “sentence sayings” that were passed down.

Lead Like Big Mama is based on my career and takes you along a journey of the diverse roles in the nonprofit sector: as program staff, executive leadership, board members; those interested in building strong and fiscally sound organizations. As a learning resource, you will find a range of topics that can apply to running any type of healthy, engaging, and successful workplace, no matter its size or tax status. This inaugural year of personal stories, practical tips, and downloadable resources explored areas like fund development, grant writing and how to build a healthy working/effective board. Other topics include:

• The Value of Intergenerational Communication

• Workplace Culture & Organizational/Board Development

• Nonprofit Leadership

• Emotional Maturity (in workplaces, groups/family); and in addition to the weekly posts, this year, Lead Like Big Mama created opportunities to build a community by:

• Launching a series of webinars on fund development and grant writing basics - specifically for novice grant writers & seekers.

• Hosting virtual gatherings and trainings where a mix of intergenerational leaders came together to learn, share, reflect, and connect.

Maybe you have found some new learning or a bit of priceless wisdom here! Wherever you are along your path, there is always something new to learn or look at from a different vantage point. One of my goals for Lead Like Big Mama is to share some knowledge and wisdom that I’ve gained from a career dedicated to service in social work, government, nonprofit management, community health, and education.

To my readers, thank you for coming along! I am humbled by the outpouring of love, support, and inspiration. I hope my leadership wins and pitfalls will continue to inspire and equip you wherever you find yourself along your leadership journey. You must remember that we are ALL leaders, whether you are presumed to be a “leader” by some title you hold, or as a powerful “unassuming leader” that someone quietly looks up to as a role model.

Sharing My Lessons and a Call to Action.

Navigating through the ranks in various levels of government and the nonprofit sector, along with my grant writing efforts that have garnered millions of dollars in funding over the past two decades, blended really well with my macro social work background. I have learned some things about organizational/workplace culture; emotional maturity and its impact on group decision-making and interactions. I’ve learned there are some behaviors and situations that transcend generations. I’ve worked with hundreds of nonprofits of all sizes across the country doing some amazing work, Yet many are struggling due to a lack of infrastructure: strong leadership, active board engagement, strategic planning, fund diversification, and a basic understanding of nonprofit management, especially on the business/fiscal side of things.

For the past 40+ weeks, Lead Like Big Mama covered technical subjects/topics i.e. grant writing and nonprofit management as well as some intergenerational themes and insights; learning and wisdom gained about leadership, life and adult development. From the many nonprofit stories I’ve heard from my clients, some that triggered a memory or two of similar personal experiences where I have learned some valuable workplace insights and life lessons.

Moving Forward.

Right now, I want to spend a little time resting my fingers and eyes away from a keyboard! Big Mama needs to assess, reflect, recharge, and redistribute priorities! Lead Like Big Mama will return sometime after the holidays, with a renewed commitment to pass the baton on. This is my quest, my legacy, to help build more wise elders and servant leaders who have valuable lessons to share with other leaders and dreamers in our communities & organizations.

Yes, this endeavor has kept me busy, with creative energy, and inspiration. And it has shown me, as another wise elder cautioned me about when I started down this path, that I needed to be careful, that this endeavor of love could turn into a “real” J-O-B. (Thanks Myrna…)

Lead Like Big Mama gives me a new purpose – it keeps my creative spark going at age 70. And I’ve wanted to write something for publishing. My thought, as a published author some type of book - maybe some fictional work like a novel that has a beginning, a middle, and an end. This site touches that need/goal. And Lead Like Big Mama will have its own evolution like a novel – with a beginning, middle and an end! It makes one point clear: life’s not scripted.

Here’s to hope, healing, and hugs...and happy holidays from Big Mama!

Weekly wisdom, in their own words:

“Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to the error that counts.”

⦁ Nikki Giovanni (1943 – 2024)

Free 45-minute brainstorming session! Interested in starting 2025 with professional development/leadership coaching or nonprofit consultation? Reach out to me!

Don’t forget…FINAL Big Mama’s Playbook for 2024!