Protect the Newcomers: What Elephants Can Teach Us About Leadership in Nonprofits

In the wild, elephants have long captured the imagination of researchers and observers with their deep intelligence, emotional complexity, and fierce loyalty to one another. One of the most striking behaviors seen in elephant herds is the formation of an alert circle—when danger looms, the older elephants form a protective barrier around the youngest members of the herd, shielding them while assessing the threat and planning their response. The message is clear: The newest members matter, and the collective survival of the herd depends on their protection.

There’s something profoundly instructive in this behavior for the world of nonprofit and association leadership. Unlike in the for-profit sector, where it’s common to see the newest team members let go at the first sign of instability or downturn, nonprofits should take a different cue. The newcomers—those newest by tenure—hold fresh insights, represent the evolving needs of the communities we serve, and are essential to sustaining and growing leadership pipelines. They’re not expendable. They’re the future.

And yet, far too often, we fail them.

Embrace Fresh Perspectives

Nonprofits and associations live in a constant tension between institutional memory and innovation. Longstanding leaders carry with them a depth of knowledge, history, and values. But that same longevity can lead to a kind of operational inertia—a comfort with how things have always been done.

Newer staff, board members, or volunteers often enter into this ecosystem with different instincts. They may ask the “why” questions others stopped asking years ago. They spot gaps in relevance, outdated practices, and opportunities we’ve become blind to. They see clearly what a current or prospective member might experience when engaging for the first time. They also carry generational shifts in expectations, technology, and culture.

Rather than merely onboarding them to “fit in,” we need to build structures to learn from them. We need to circle around them—not to protect their inexperience, but to protect the value they bring because they are not yet fully shaped by the status quo.

Invest in Emerging Leaders From Day One

Too often, new hires or recent board additions are treated as liabilities rather than assets in times of change or challenge. But turnover isn’t just a financial and operational burden—it signals an erosion of trust and investment. If nonprofits and associations are to be resilient, they need more than just crisis management plans and sustainability models. They need active pipelines of emerging leaders who are nurtured, mentored, and integrated with care and intention.

This doesn’t mean coddling. It means onboarding that’s immersive, not just transactional. It means engaging new voices meaningfully in strategy discussions, pairing them with institutional mentors, and making clear that their perspectives matter from day one. It means recognizing that leadership development starts not years into someone’s tenure, but in the earliest days—when their observations are sharpest, and their sense of potential is strongest.

Some of the best strategic insights I’ve heard in boardrooms and retreats have come from individuals with the least time in the organization. Why? Because they haven’t learned yet what they’re “not supposed” to say. Their clarity is a gift, and our role as leaders is to create conditions where that gift is not just heard but acted upon.

Think Long-Term Survival

There’s also a longer play here. Many associations and nonprofits face a revolving door problem—constant turnover at the staff, volunteer, or board level. This churn prevents continuity and stunts growth. If you want to develop a reliable leadership bench, the solution isn’t to hope your newest team members stick around. The solution is to invest in them immediately, protect their development, and actively cultivate their potential. This is how you build loyalty, deepen engagement, and grow future leadership from within.

It’s tempting, especially in times of financial pressure or organizational change, to view new hires as the easiest place to cut. But that short-term thinking comes at a long-term cost. Imagine if elephants made that same choice—abandoning their youngest to preserve immediate energy. The herd wouldn’t survive.

We should be forming our own alert circles—not just during crises, but as a matter of strategic habit. Veteran leaders should surround newer ones with support, mentorship, and opportunity. Boards should prioritize the orientation and inclusion of new members as seriously as they do fundraising or bylaws. And executive teams should recognize that onboarding is not a checklist—it’s a leadership pipeline in motion.

Let’s take a cue from the elephants. Let’s protect the future by valuing it now.