Leading up to the Center for Nonprofit Advancement’s Annual Celebration on October 18, we are delighted to share with you insights from the finalists for the Gelman, Rosenberg & Freedman 2011 EXCEL Award. This award recognizes and spotlights outstanding leadership among Washington-area nonprofit chief executives.

Higher Achievement is a nonprofit organization that provides middle school children from underserved areas year-round academic enrichment programs and preparation for top high school placement. The organization invests in talent and hard work and delivers over 650 hours annually of rigorous academic training during the most critical time in a child’s development: middle school.

Meet finalist Richard Tagle, CEO of Higher Achievement.

Tell us about your leadership style and how this contributes to your organization’s success.

Servant-leadership is how I would describe the way I lead. I often describe my work as the leader as the one at the bottom floor holding steady the ladder so that others can climb up.  I want my staff to feel like they are growing personally and professionally in the work they do and the mission they execute. My leadership is not about me being in the forefront or about being popular or seen as the “head.” I provide clarity of path (where we are headed), access to resources (so staff can focus on the work and not where resources come from), and setting the stepping stones on that path so that we know where we are coming from. This is where being data driven and evaluation-oriented comes in. If you do not know the benchmarks and results you are after, then you are bound to travel in circles. Knowing what your results are and how those results were generated allows the leader and others in an organization to elevate the work in multiple ways.

What advice would you offer for other nonprofit leaders?

Hire the best staff you can and focus on their professional development. If they feel like they are growing and learning in their work, they will aim to get better and better at it and produce better and better results. Use data and evaluation to know what results you are generating and how you were able to generate it so not only can you replicate that strategy but also improve it. Also, give time to yourself to think. Take a day or two to really reflect on the issues you are encountering, and how best to address them. Oftentimes we have a knee jerk reaction to challenges not fully realizing if these are external issues that happen beyond our control or if these challenges arise because of something inherent in the way we do things.

What does this award mean for you and your organization?

Personally, the award is flattering but unnecessary -- I do this work because it is fulfilling, not because it shines a light on me.  I could be doing corporate work, or working for a family business back in the Philippines. But the work I do is the most fulfilling, most rewarding work I could ever do.  No award is needed to make me realize that.  But for Higher Achievement – and other organizations in which I am a trustee (DC VOICE, Nonprofit Roundtable, National Summer Learning Association) – it is a solid and credible recognition of what we collectively have put in place: solid, stable organizations that are making a difference in the communities in which we live and thrive. I have lived in Washington, D.C. for over 25 years and it has given me a lot in terms of professional fulfillment, deep friendships and growth opportunities. The award would mean that I was able to contribute back even in a small way.