Edwin Feulner states, "The objective has always been to build an institution that will outlive me. It has been deliberate. I don't claim to be unduly modest or humble, but it is more important that the institution has made its mark" (as cited by Crutchfield & Grant, p. 154). I think this is especially true for the nonprofit sector. The leader of a business who thrives on making money could leave the business or pass away but the affect on the community would not be the same as the loss of a nonprofit. If a business tanks the person who owned it loses their money and the people who purchased their product will go else where. However, if a nonprofit tanks the clients who rely on that organization may have no where else to go to get the service they need. This why, as Crutchfield and Grant point out, sharing leadership within an organization is so important. Organizations should recognize that their leader will not be around forever and that it would really harm the organization if only one person knew the ins and outs of the organization.

While I think the idea of sharing leadership is straight forward, I also think it is important to be reminded of this. When I first started working as a director in PR, prior to going back to school, I had a very hard time delegating work to people because I wanted to make sure the work was done correctly. I also felt that it reflected poorly on me if I was unable to complete all of the work by myself. My boss used to tell me you have too much on your plate, give it to someone else. When I resisted, she would sit down with me and make me show her all my projects and folders and then she would take away some of the files and give them to someone else. At first, I really felt like I was losing control and it scared me. Over time, and more so now, I realized that part of being a good leader is being able to trust the people you work with to do a great job and to know when to delegate work and when to do it yourself. People who feel included in the leadership decisions of the organization and feel trusted are more likely to feel part of the organization and invest their time in the organization. Especially in the nonprofit field, a good leader recognizes that she (or he) will not always lead the organization and with the best interest of the organization in my mind, builds a board and staff who will be able to continue the organization without her.

There is a reason that there is the saying "two heads are better than one."