Set A Goal That Scares You!

Send us Fan MailWhat if the biggest thing holding your nonprofit back isn’t budget, bandwidth, or the board… but the size of the goal itself?In this energizing conversation, Julia C. Patrick turns the spotlight inward for a rare public coaching session with Keith Ellis, “The Impossible Success Coach.” Together they tackle a leadership problem every nonprofit executive and development team knows too well: the endless list of “important” goals that leaves you busy, stressed, and still frustrated come October.Keith’s premise is bold: stop aiming for incremental wins and start committing to the goal you genuinely believe you can’t reach — the one you keep dismissing because it feels out of reach. Why? Because “normal” goals create too many options. If your organization wants to raise 20% more this year, you can name 1,000 tactics… and you’ll spend the year guessing which ones matter most. But when you pursue a truly audacious target, the noise fades fast. Suddenly, there are only one or two moves that can realistically change the outcome — and your operational strategy gets clean, focused, and decisive.The conversation also goes straight at board dynamics. Julia asks the question every nonprofit leader has whispered after a board meeting: how do you keep governance from chasing shiny objects? Keith reframes it as leadership sales: connect the vision to what board members already want, then “herd the cats” toward one clear, motivating aim that’s bigger than everyone’s comfort zone.Most powerful: the episode redefines success as more than results. Keith argues the real payoff is who you become while building the capacity to achieve the goal — and that’s exactly how nonprofits scale beyond last year’s limits.“If you set an impossible goal, it’s actually easier to achieve than a normal goal.” — Keith Ellis 00:00:00 Welcome and transformational goals 00:01:26 Why Keith Ellis uses the word impossible 00:02:09 Wishes come true and you are your own genie 00:04:07 Why aiming bigger can make progress simpler 00:06:11 How to choose one goal instead of 100 00:09:04 Fundraising example 20% vs 200% vs 500% 00:12:40 Tracking goals and building motivation 00:16:40 Keeping boards focused and aligned 00:19:27 Preventing board disengagement when work gets hard 00:23:27 The real payoff becoming more capable 00:28:38 Homework question to find your audacious goal Find us Live daily on YouTube!Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn!Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_ShowOur national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PTSend us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: [email protected] us on the web:The Nonprofit Show