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Are you an accomplished young professional already serving as a nonprofit leader?

Are you ready to magnify your impact through dynamic collaboration with your peers?

Independent Sector is pleased to announce the second year of the American Express NGen Fellows Program, which builds the capacity of 12 under-40 professionals from IS member organizations to shape the future of the nonprofit community.  Visit the IS website to learn more about the benefits of participation in the fellows program, the selection process, and how to apply.  Applications are due March 29, 2010.

NGen fellows will enjoy a series of exceptional opportunities over the course of nine months, including collaborating with other under-40 leaders, interacting with established mentors, and contributing to IS’s work on nonprofit impact and leadership. Independent Sector will host the 12 fellows at our D.C. offices for a kick-off event in late August, and they will receive complementary registration and lodging to take part in the IS Annual Conference in Atlanta, October 20-22.  These experiences will culminate in a six-month group project that advances their leadership skills and contributes to the ability of emerging leaders to collaborate on sector-wide issues.

The American Express NGen Fellows Program is just one part of IS’s NGen initiative, which is designed to deepen the nonprofit talent pool by developing the leadership opportunities and professional networks of emerging leaders.  Mark your calendars now for targeted NGen events open to all under-40 leaders in Atlanta October 19-20, and watch for more information on the IS website soon.

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On Monday, Sam Davidson wrote “Great leaders are known for having great ideas. Innovation is not limited to the highest ranks in any organization, but those who have proven time and again that they can brainstorm solutions, improvements, and new initiatives will be known as the best of leaders in any field.”

All leaders in their feild began, as Sam says, by presenting ideas, none of them had a good idea everytime.  Da Vinci was the first to suggest humans could fly and Magellan was the first to suggest the world was round.  In both cases these men were considered crazy, but neither stopped with the first “no”.  Today we know both men were right.

I’m not suggesting you may become Magellan or Da Vinci just by bringing your ideas up at work, but you’ll never know if you don’t try.

Right out of college I was ready to share my ideas.  I thought it didn’t matter who the authority was I could share what I thought.  I shared my ideas freely, but after a while I began to feel like the young one in the room and stopped sharing as much.  For a while I just kept quiet in my seat during meetings.  After months of staying quiet I began working with a director that asked for my ideas.  It was a relief to feel I could share again, and I began again doing it freely, but not with out practicing a few of the things I learned from my first experiences.

It can be uncomfortable sharing ideas, but if you don’t do it, you’ll never know if your ideas are going to work.  To help you get more comfortable sharing ideas, I recommend:

Finding someone you can bounce ideas off first. Whether you have a mentor you can trust for sound advice or a colleague that’s always a safe place, it never hurts to start your idea somewhere.  Sharing your idea with a neutral source could give you the boost you need.

If you think of something right it down.  Then visit your ideas page frequently. I often right down ideas I have during meetings and then revisit them a few times during the meeting or even a day later if I have that option.  Writing them down and then revisiting your ideas gives you a chance to decide on the best context to present them in or even if you want to present them at all.  Be careful not to use this as an excuse for not sharing.

Take a few moments each day to brainstorm. If your team is working on a new project or if you are looking for a new way to reinvent the one you have been working on, taking a few moments to diagram some new options will give you a head start.  Quiet brainstorming sessions allow you a moment to rejuvinate your thoughts and push programs forward.

Do you have a story about sharing your ideas you’d like to share? Or tips about how to share them?  Comment here or post a tweet with the hashtag #devleadership.

Next week look for a continuation of our series when Sam and I explore how to build your leadership skills through challenging the status quo.