Nonprofit Leaders: You Don’t Have to Have All the Answers

I'm not gonna sugarcoat this. We are being traumatized.

As environmental nonprofits navigate this political mess and news cycle, leaders are carrying the weight of their teams’ concerns, hard mission pivots, and their own personal fears. I’ve had more executive coaching calls that start with tears and expletives this year than I can count ... and we’re only in February.

But we can't allow ourselves to fall into a trap of isolation.

A client told me recently they joined a group of local CEOs. They locked their phones away and just sat in a room together. No agenda. Just space to be real. They laughed, cussed, cried, shared strategies, and left that room feeling a little bit lighter. Now they can bring that optimism back to their team.

That’s leadership.

Leading through ambiguity doesn't require all the answers. It means surrounding yourself with the right people to figure it out with. Ask yourself:

• Who’s in your inner circle? Who do you trust to hold space for your fears and help you think through solutions?

• How are you modeling strength and vulnerability for your team?

• When was the last time you picked up the phone and checked in on a peer? Not to talk business, but just to ask, “How are you doing, really?"

These are some of the questions I pose to my coaching clients, to help them build their own life raft. After all, we're all just bobbing and weaving and adapting and pivoting in this storm, together.