160. Leadership Principles for Sparking Change – Part 1 with Jenni Field Artwork

Volunteer Nation

Nonprofit leadership author, coach, and expert Tobi Johnson shares weekly tips to help charities build, grow, and scale exceptional volunteer teams. Discover how your nonprofit can effectively coordinate volunteers who are reliable, equipped, and ready to help you bring about BIG change for the better. Rather than continuing to “do more with less,” achieve abundance for your organization by engaging community talent that helps you do more with more. Society is evolving and so, too, is volunteerism. With over 25 years of experience working in nonprofits, public sector agencies, and grassroots campaigns Tobi is known for her modern “big hat” thinking and straight talk about what it takes to achieve success in today’s world. You will learn how to coordinate volunteers, improve the volunteer experience, recruit volunteers, appreciate volunteers, and do it all more efficiently with the right volunteer management software and digital tools. It’s a mix of interviews and solo shows you’re not going to want to miss. So, if you’re ready to ditch the stress and harness the power of people to fuel your good work, you’re in exactly the right place. Hit subscribe and let’s DO this!

All Episodes

Volunteer Nation

160. Leadership Principles for Sparking Change – Part 1 with Jenni Field

May 01, 2025 • Tobi Johnson, MA, CVA

In this episode of Volunteer Nation, Tobi Johnson sits down with leadership and communications expert Jenni Field for an insightful conversation about what it really takes to lead with credibility in the nonprofit world.

Jenni shares practical, research-backed strategies for building trust, fostering supportive team cultures, and leading with clarity—especially during times of change. Drawing from her extensive experience and her latest book, she unpacks how values-driven leadership can guide organizations through uncertainty and strengthen internal culture.

This is part one of a two-part series you won’t want to miss!

Full show notes: 160. Leadership Principles for Sparking Change – Part 1 with Jenni Field

Leadership Principles - Episode Highlights

[01:42] - Leadership and Influence with Jenni Field
[05:56] - The Importance of Trust and Credibility
[14:22] - Navigating Trust Challenges in Nonprofits
[18:08] - The Role of Credibility in Volunteer Recruitment
[23:17] - Eight Practices of Credible Leadership
[24:26] - Diagnosing Training Program Failures
[25:47] - The Importance of Visionary and Supportive Practices
[34:56] - The Role of Values in Leadership and Culture
[42:23] - Practical Tips for Volunteer Managers

Helpful Links

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.

For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at WeCare@VolPro.net.

People on this episode

Tobi Johnson, MA, CVA

Host