Leadership in Faith-Based Nonprofits: The Power of Identity Boundaries to Bind and Blind
Nonprofit Management & Leadership, Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 461-472, 2010
13 Pages Posted: 6 Jun 2010 Last revised: 27 Mar 2012
Date Written: 2010
Abstract
This case study illustrates the unique challenges of leading a faith-based nonprofit organization within a multifaith constituency in Asia. The core themes of the case are based on research conducted with the staff, executive team, and board members of an international faith-based nonprofit organization in Asia. Specifically, the case focuses on three identity-based leadership dilemmas in relation to (1) creating a shared sense of organizational identity, (2) talent management, and (3) board governance. By describing the challenges faced by the CEO, the case shows how a strong faith-based identification can positively bind an organization together, but also result in organizational blind spots with unintended consequences.
Keywords: Leadership, Management, Nonprofit, Governance, Social Identity
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