Navid Ladha on Why Low Pay Is a Leadership Problem, Finding Hidden Remote Roles, and the Future of Social Impact

Navid Ladha (linkedin.com/in/navidladha/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/navidladha/], onpurposecareers.org [https://onpurposecareers.org/]), founder of OnPurpose Careers, joins host Dan Freehling (contempusleadership.com [https://www.contempusleadership.com/]) to challenge the notion that purpose-driven work has to come with lower pay. Navid and Dan discuss why underpaying social impact staff creates wealth inequity that disconnects organizations from the communities they serve (02:53) and walk through what job seekers, board members, and executive leaders can each do to shift this (04:10). Navid shares his take on what AI-driven workforce changes may mean for the social sector (08:44) and the policy levers that could bring more people into this work (12:09). Navid and Dan talk about the growing demand for strategic fundraisers and the case for nonprofits to define an "end game" rather than operate in perpetuity (24:32). Navid identifies the highest-paying, most active subsectors right now (27:38) and Dan describes what he calls the "new social sector" (33:58). Both push back on greenwashing and performative social impact branding (37:09). On remote work, Navid shares findings from running the OnPurpose Careers job board (46:00). He also walks through how he sources hidden roles through his network and how jobseekers can train their LinkedIn algorithm to surface real opportunities (48:59). Recommended Reading: "Sparked [https://bookshop.org/p/books/sparked-discover-your-unique-imprint-for-work-that-makes-you-come-alive-jonathan-fields/15713075]" by Jonathan Fields, "Be Ready When the Luck Happens [https://bookshop.org/p/books/be-ready-when-the-luck-happens-a-memoir-ina-garten/21212711]" by Ina Garten, and "This Is Marketing [https://bookshop.org/p/books/this-is-marketing-you-can-t-be-seen-until-you-learn-to-see-seth-godin/12083742]" by Seth Godin. Show notes at forwardlookingleadership.com [https://forwardlookingleadership.com].