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.”
A Unique Model Emerges
LFW convenes social sector leadership in their own development and fosters a collaborative network of leaders.
The organization is unique to our community in that it is independent (not part of a foundation), and it specifically focuses on the Central Coast, making them distinctly qualified to address issues within our local region.
“LFW intentionally creates opportunities for collaboration, networking and supporting each other, thereby creating a rich soil for working together,” Scharpf said. “Like scientists experimenting with new realities, we continuously look for possibilities.
“Together, we are creating our own leadership development while also becoming part of a network with a common language, trust and understanding. Opportunities to collaborate seem endless,” Scharpf said.
Most recently, Saxon served as interim executive director for 16 months after the previous leader resigned in April 2024.
Recognizing the substantial part Saxon played in developing LFW and planning for sustainability when he stepped out of his leadership role, the board decided to look at leadership in a different way.
“At Leading From Within, we felt strongly that if we were going to get to where we needed to get to as an organization that truly capitalized on their network for greater community impact, we would best be served under a co-executive director leadership model,” said Michael Medel, board president.
“In community leadership work, diverse perspectives are critical. We believe that a co-leadership model will allow us to provide wider insight, better relate to varied stakeholders and ensure the organization is more thoughtful and inclusive in its approach.
“In the nonprofit world, where sustainable impact matters more than quick wins, our co-executive director model supports long-term resilience and deeper impact through collaboration, which is key in a community-rooted organization like Leading from Within.”
Once LFW’s co-executive directors were hired in August, they decided to start with a focused program of listening. They invited nonprofit leaders to come together at weekly sessions and to speak openly about their challenges and needs.
Critical topics such as the effects of ICE raids, the impact of budget cuts and leadership challenges have emerged.
LFW staff members listen. Fellow nonprofit leaders listen. Everyone comes away enlightened.
“This type of leadership fellowship helps everyone think through solutions, figure out what to do and make a plan to get through to the end of the year,” Scharpf said.
Other Nonprofits Incorporate Co-leadership
In 2023, Candid conducted a review of all public charities in their database and found that about a fifth of them — over 10,000 organizations — had a co-leadership model in place.
A recent article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review titled “A Reality Check for Nonprofit Co-Leadership” highlighted some of the benefits of this type of shared leadership.
They point out that co-leadership can be “an attractive option for nonprofits, presenting the structure as a healthier, more relational, and less isolating way to work.”
“Sharing leadership responsibilities between more than one chief executive can help nonprofits in a variety of ways: It can reduce staff burnout and support work-life balance, expand options for navigating leadership transitions, incorporate multiple perspectives into decision-making, and make room for more racial, gender, and other diversity at the top,” they said.
New Leaders With Disparate Histories
Armistead and Scharpf each have unusual leadership backgrounds. Armistead is an established local leader but has never led a nonprofit. Scharpf has led organizations but only on an international scale. Yet, both have unique experiences that complement each other.
Armistead has a doctorate in educational leadership, worked at UCSB for 35 years and was focused on student affairs. She became a volunteer for LFW and eventually joined the board.
Scharpf has a master’s degree in international development and an MBA from Harvard. Her MBA helped her become rooted in using business for good and launched her into using business principles for poverty in the world.
She founded a social enterprise called Sustainable Health Enterprises in Rwanda and New York City.
The board recruited Armistead first, then they created a short video to look for a co-leader. By chance, Scharpf saw the video and applied for the job.
“When I first came to Santa Barbara in 2015, I began to look for ‘my people,’ ” Scharpf said. “My fellowships around the globe taught me the importance of leaning on other community leaders for comfort, guidance and support.”