We are pleased to share excerpts from EPIP-Chicago‘s recent interview with Sharmila Rao Thakkar, executive director of The Siragusa Foundation and an Exponent Philanthropy member. See part 1 and part 2 of the full interview on EPIP’s blog.

What comes to mind when you think about leadership in philanthropy?

Learning. I find that, to be a leader in this sector, one must be ready and willing to keep on learning, to realize that we are not the experts. We wouldn’t be effective in our roles if we thought we had all the answers. This work is about partnership and collaboration, not only in our offices, but with our colleagues, with researchers and teachers, and, perhaps most important, with those on the ground doing the work, our grantees, our communities’ leaders. I also think it’s important to realize that we can’t always get it right—that mistakes, failures as they like to say, happen. But I see it all as learning, part of the learning process to ultimately get to “better.” With this comes the absolute necessity in understanding the past, the history; it’s really quite difficult to move forward without knowing from where we’ve come and been.

Trust and patience. “Change moves at the speed of trust.” You must understand before you can be understood; you must know before you seek to transform. Relationship building is key. I’m reminded of the proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”

Generosity and flexibility. Whereas planning and preparation are critical, things don’t always go as planned. We’ve got to be flexible. We’re in the business of caring, and that generosity must extend over to how we treat others personally and professionally. How we act, what we say, what we don’t do or say, carry a message. Whether we like it or plan on it, philanthropy carries such a responsibility and privilege.

Empathy. We cannot underestimate the power and importance of empathy in this work—the emotion and meaning, the heart, the values. We often bring our whole selves to our work in philanthropy, and it’s important to gut check that against what we’re doing. At the end of the day, philanthropy is about this love of humanity and human connection, and we must maintain and keep strong that bond to one another and continually ensure we are aligning with our core values.

Courage and confidence. Be bold in your thinking with a sense of urgency so as to inspire and energize, but practice with patience and confidence such that those around you come with you and are allowed to lead. Patience plus persistence equals progress.

Although EPIP (Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy) members don’t define “emerging” as young, many of us are. What would you suggest to manage the challenges of being taken seriously as a young grantmaker?

This is a tough one! I think, even as we age, depending on how we look, act, and speak, we can be perceived as “young.” It’s a persistent challenge and often one I hear women face more than men. I don’t like hearing “I wear my hair up.” “I keep my glasses on.” or “I always wear a suit to make myself look older.” We shouldn’t have to do these things to gain credibility! I believe that age should be no barrier and, although that is the generally accepted principle, I know all too well that doesn’t always pan out. I am a strong proponent of letting your actions and words and product speak for you. Make sure you are putting your best self and work forward. Think before you act, plan, and always be prepared. As you go through your career, you’ll always be learning. With more experience, you’ll see how invaluable it is to anticipate and forecast… knowing the answer is also not always the answer. Knowing when to say I don’t know or asking questions vs. questioning is just as important as being able to deliver what you do know. We can try to put ourselves in the other’s shoes, seeing things from their perspective. A coach, a mentor, even practicing with a peer can help you keep putting your best you forward.

What are some resources that address task-based/tangible skills (e.g., project management) and leadership skills (e.g., coaching, patience, managing up, conflict resolution) simultaneously?

Nowadays there are many formal educational programs and opportunities in addition to the informal colleague-to-colleague workshops and sessions that are also an incredible resource. Certificate programs, graduate courses of study, and one-off workshops or training programs provide education on the “hard skills” and soft skills that are called for in leading our nonprofit and philanthropic organizations.

Many of our local universities offer leadership seminars, certificate and degree programs, and workshops in nonprofit management, leadership development, and philanthropy (DePaul, Loyola University , North Park University, Northwestern, University of Chicago). Local organizations such as the Young Nonprofit Professionals, Arts & Business Council, Council on Global Affairs, the Donors Forum, and Community Media Workshop also provide training sessions and workshops of relevance. See this list for local and national leadership development and fellowship programs that build content learning and personal –professional skill development into the curriculum.

Whereas such programs can certainly provide a foundation, I believe our learning is constant and continual. We need to flex those muscles once trained and practicing often is the way to progress. Develop a set of mentors, of peers—I like to call them my cabinet—folks you spend time with in the professional space who see you in action that you can periodically ask for feedback on how you’re doing with specific areas that you’re working on and looking to grow in.

You can also keep learning and growing by volunteering to be on a committee, board, or associates board. It’s a way to be exposed to different work environments, styles, and projects and learn beyond the few ways your workplace offers. You may also want to consider being a mentor yourself, formally or informally. Again, I find it a way to continue sharing lessons learned but also test and practice them as well as gain feedback from another on what’s working and what’s not.

Coaching can also be a worthwhile experience, one I’ve had the great pleasure of participating in several times over the past few years. You should be ready to come with general areas you’d like to work on (e.g., board management, staff relations, time management) and feel comfortable sharing specific scenarios that have been challenging. Part of leadership development is realizing that it involves ongoing learning, assessment, tweaking. A good coach takes the time to get to know you and understand where you want to go. They often start with some sort of personality and skills assessment as a baseline from which to begin the coaching. Benchmarks for growth both through the experience and long term are helpful to establish and revisit often.

What are some strategies for working in small teams? As in, when it’s just you and the ED?

Communication, preparation, and planning are key. Establish the how, when, and what ahead of time and be as clear about work plans and styles as possible, setting expectations, defining goals, documenting progress, handling setbacks, managing delays or failures, reporting, rewards, etc. This comes under the guidance of, “Don’t wait for a question or issue to become a problem.” But if it does, know that you have an outlet because you’ve established a culture of openness, both for giving and taking feedback, and trust that you’re on the same page toward reaching a larger goal.

I would also say taking ownership and initiative is invaluable. It may not be stated in the job description, but you should expect to always try to figure out an answer first and come prepared with an approach or idea—and know that it may be encouraged but not necessarily always implemented. Also, having a sense of humor, practicing humility, being aware of boundaries, and learning to not take things personally is helpful.

Small teams require a lot of understanding and flexibility, cooperation and independence, trust and reliability, resourcefulness and entrepreneurship. These are characteristics of any good employee, but, particularly in small teams, the “all hands on deck” mindset—a willingness to roll your sleeves up and jump in—is the norm. You are sometimes learning more in such environments. Don’t say no or turn down opportunities to take on new work. Suggest where you can and reach as you are able. Going the extra mile will be appreciated.

What is something you wish you had known before taking the job?

How to say no without feeling bad! But is it really possible to be objective in this work? And that there’s never enough time and resources to do everything we want—how to maintain the day-to-day while creating space to move a bigger agenda forward.

Honestly, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I was sure I was going to be on a learning journey and grateful for such an amazing opportunity, but I couldn’t have imagined then how many aspects of foundation operations would grow to be part of my job. Philanthropy, working in a foundation, is so much more than giving away money. It’s about ongoing learning, informing the work, unearthing opportunities, exploring solutions, collaborating, and sometimes just keeping things going. There’s a lot of thought and planning and thought and planning… sometimes the cyclical nature of the job feels like you’re in maintenance mode, but the skill, ability, and energy to keep the bigger picture at the forefront, to bring things into perspective, remembering the why, is a role I have enjoyed taking on.

Career roadblocks? How do you mitigate/get over them? 

Communication. I’ve learned that often the one way to address a challenge or problem is head on. We may not always know the full story and where another is coming from if we don’t ask and if we’re not clear with our needs, wants, and intentions. If you have done your due diligence, practiced your presentation, made the case, offered a solution, and tried your best to make it work and indeed it’s a full on road block, well how do we usually navigate road blocks? We take a detour, go another direction. If you can’t “go sideways” (i.e., find a route within to keep moving) AND there’s not an outside source like a mentor or coach to help walk through solutions that may not be visible AND you can no longer grin and bear it (because the reward to come could be worth it), then it may be time to make that pros and cons list and think about next steps.

Back to that “gut check”: Is this working, not in your control, are you happy, are you growing, are you learning? If you answer no to all these questions I agree it’s time to move on. I don’t believe we need to be appreciated and recognized for each and every success, but if you can’t find space in the space to be you and work on developing the next phase of you in addition to the former then that’s a clear sign there’s another route worth exploring. The journey is not always straight and clear, but the path you forge with these road blocks actually clears the way for a much brighter future that you’ll only get to experience having traveled the past, with all that it allowed you to grow through.

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Sharmila Rao Thakkar is the executive director of The Siragusa Foundation. She is responsible for providing expertise on and directing all operational, programmatic, and administrative functions of the foundation. She guides the board’s funding decisions, engages the next generations in their leadership development, and provides strategic direction on grantmaking and other grantee outreach and community partnership initiatives. Sharmila co-chairs the National Center for Family Philanthropy’s Non-Family Peer Network and participates as an advisor/mentor in Exponent Philanthropy’s Next Gen Fellows Program. Sharmila also serves on the boards of Allowance for Good, the South Asian Philanthropy Project and the Women’s Funding Network.