Cynder Sinclair: Local Nonprofit Opts for Unique Co-Leadership Model

Are two heads really better than one? Leading From Within (LFW), an esteemed local leadership organization, is aiming to find out.

Rather than the typical approach of hiring one executive director, they have just hired two.

The new co-executive directors, Katya Armistead and Elizabeth Scharpf, come from very different backgrounds. Armistead is a retired educator, and Scharpf comes from the social enterprise sector.

They both agree the difference in their backgrounds could be part of the secret sauce of them as a team.

“We will be making informed decisions from our work together without getting stuck in old paradigms of how to get things done in a nonprofit,” Armistead said.

“Working together at LFW allows us to profoundly touch the leaders in the organizations that care for our local communities, and at a time when those leaders and organizations are under great stress,” Armistead said.

Ken Saxon founded LFW in 2008 as a high-quality professional development platform for nonprofit leaders.

Over the years, his vision has spawned several dynamic leadership development programs including Courage to Lead, Emerging Leaders, Katherine Harvey Fellows, Leading for Community Impact, and Growing Edge Leaders.

“Since its founding, LFW itself has evolved through several different internal leadership models from volunteer-run to a half-time ED to a full-time ED and now to a co-ED model,” Saxon said.

“As a leadership organization, we aspire to be thoughtful and innovative on the leadership front. Our board is very excited about this next stage, and we’re motivated to work hard to help Elizabeth and Katya be successful as LFW’s co-leaders.”