Inspiration
We are inspired by great leaders and systems
that bring out the best in people.
Below are a few favorite resources that have influenced our services and approach at Chime.
Leading for Impact®
Leading for Impact® is a two-year program that helps nonprofit leadership teams build skills to successfully balance their organizations’ goals, time, and resources.
At Chime, we deeply believe in the LFI model and our founder has been a lead facilitator and coach since 2018. With permission from Bridgespan, we regularly incorporate research-based tools and frameworks from the LFI program in our work with Chime clients.
Surge Institute
Surge is a movement, built by and for communities of color and designed to empower, educate and elevate leaders in the education systems serving our communities.
We recall sharing a co-working space with Surge’s visionary founder back when there were 2 just FTE. We admire the organization’s growth as they have developed into a national nonprofit changing the face of education.
Five Dysfunctions of a Team
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team is a best-selling management book about a CEO who took control of a dysfunctional executive committee and helped its members succeed as a team.
We find this story relatable, engaging, and practical. It’s a quick read (or an easy listen) and we recommend it for leaders across sectors. We agree with “Trust” as the foundational building block of a highly effective team.
Trailblazing Colleagues
Leila Hoteit is a Senior Partner at the Boston Consulting Group and the global lead of BCG’s Education, Employment, and Welfare sector.
In 2015, we had the opportunity to team with Leila on-the-ground on an education project in the Middle East. She is a driving force for equitable access to education, and we love her points on delegating and networking as she describes in her talk.
The Feedback Fallacy
This HBR article from 2019 is our #1 favorite piece of research on employee development. Three tactical tips from the authors:
- Praise what is working well and dig into specifics of what you see and experience
- Reserve criticism for cases where the proper steps are known and can be measured objectively
- Encourage employees to think about how they have tackled things in the past, and guide them to apply those strategies to their next challenge
Who
Who: The A Method for Hiring is a book about how to “get the right people in the right seats.”
Disclaimer: In our opinion, there is a significant need to revise this book with an equity lens. The chapter on sourcing candidates made us cringe. At the same time, we love the recommendation to create a “scorecard” when hiring for a role and the authors provide clear examples. Consider: what are the measurable outcomes your organization will see from someone who is successful?
Optimal Living Daily
Optimal Living Daily is a free, personal growth podcast in which the host, Justin Malik, narrates blogs on minimalism, personal development, productivity, and life optimization.
We like it. It’s a dose of inspiration while getting ready in the morning or going for a walk. Each episode is 10 minutes or less.
Our kids.
Ellie, Jack, and our 170 former students who inspired us to build our career in the social sector.
We share our clients’ imperative to build a better, more equitable world for all our kids.