Lisa Scales on Leadership Lessons from Over 25 Years at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank

The L3 Leadership Podcast with Doug Smith

Lisa Scales has been President and CEO of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank since 2012. She holds a JD degree from Boston University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences from Seton Hill University. She serves on the Board of Directors at Adagio Health and is an Advisory Board Member for the Center of Supply Chain Management at the University of Pittsburgh, the Center for Community Engagement at Robert Moore University, and the University of Pittsburgh Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership. She is a member of the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics Board of Fellows and an Advisory Team Member for the Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership. She currently serves as Chair of Feeding Pennsylvania. In 2018, Lisa received the Greater Pittsburgh Athena Award, and in January of 2021, Pittsburgh Magazine honored Lisa as Pittsburgher of the Year.

Today, Lisa joins me on the podcast to share the lessons she’s learned in over 25 years of working her way up and leading within the same organization. She talks about the power of vision and impact and notes that hunger and food insecurity aren’t always recognizable. She stresses the importance of volunteering and advocacy, tells about what the food bank does besides handing out food, and explains why food banks are so important. She offers her advice for leaders who are frustrated that they’re not being promoted as quickly as they would like, noting that, if you love what you do, you won’t be obsessed with career progression. She redefines fundraising, and she posits that a leadership journey is a marathon, not a sprint.

“I hope you lead with your authentic self, and you are asking questions, and you’re collaborative, and you’re bringing people together...when you do that and you have a great team with you, you can really accomplish so much.”

- Lisa Scales

Key Takeaways this week on the L3 Leadership Podcast:

● How Lisa got into nonprofit work

● The different faces of hunger and food insecurity

● The importance of advocacy

● Advice for leaders looking for a promotion

● Knowing when to say no

● Why fundraising isn’t about asking for money; it’s about developing relationships

● The importance of pacing yourself

Mentioned Resources:

● The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank Website

● Donate

● Volunteer

● The Gleaning Program

● The Child Nutrition Programs

● Caste: The Origins of our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

● Henne Jewelers

● Beratung Advisors

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