The difference between a scandal and a well-handled incident is having a crisis communication plan. Because when a crisis hits, you don't have time to figure out who says what to whom.

Work-life balance for nonprofit leaders isn't found in working fewer hours or magically clearing your to-do list. It starts with something simpler: taking control of your mornings before the chaos begins.

Achieving work-life balance can feel like you're stuck in your own version of Groundhog Day. Except instead of reliving the same day, you're playing an endless game of whack-a-mole with your workload.

You know that feeling when your inbox, your board, and your program teams are all pulling you in different directions? The urgent requests, critical needs, and passionate advocates for different programs seem to never end. It’s not sustainable. 

When you look up "legacy" in the Oxford English Dictionary, you'll find definitions that are technically correct but are missing something crucial. They're missing the emotional richness that implies a culture that long outlasts a singular person or event.

Here's the thing about leading a nonprofit: your passion is both your superpower and your kryptonite. That passion is beautiful. But it's also something that can lead to burnout. 

So often, nonprofit leaders are drowning in operational tasks that result from a feeling of obligation to be "in the trenches" with their teams. Well, let me tell you something a wise staff member once told me.

As the year winds down, most leaders are focused on closing out financials and planning for next year. But there's one critical piece that too often gets rushed or skipped entirely: annual performance evaluations.

Ever notice how your team can sit through the same meeting and walk away with completely different takeaways? It's not a communication problem. It's an alignment problem.

Part of being a leader is feeling discomfort. Heck, that's just part of life! But not all discomfort means the same thing. 

Too often, we wear busyness like a badge of honor. It feels productive, but here's the uncomfortable truth: when everything gets 60% of your attention, nothing gets the focus it actually needs. 

Knowing you need a vision statement and actually creating one that sticks are two very different things. So, let’s dive into what goes in to actually creating one.

If your team feels disengaged, it’s not a motivation problem — it’s a clarity problem. And it starts with your vision.

I used to think work-life balance was something you achieved — a goalpost to hit. But balance isn't a destination. It's a daily practice, and it starts with choosing progress over perfection. 

Unfortunately, mind-reading isn’t a real skill people have. Most leaders assume their business values are obvious, especially if their team is operating at an acceptable level. But even the best teams aren’t actually mind readers — they just have exceptional clarity. 

I didn’t like hearing that phrase as a kid, and I don’t like hearing it now. It makes me want to pull my hair out! Especially when I see leaders modeling it with their availability.

You've probably heard the phrase "right people, right seats" a thousand times. But let's be honest—actually making it happen is where most organizations struggle. 

Pricing can make or break your business. Set your prices too high, and customers walk away. Too low, and you're leaving money on the table — or worse, operating at a loss. So how do you know if you've got it right?

Sometimes managing a business can feel like you have an instruction manual sitting in front of you, but you can’t find the answers because it’s in a different language. You can see something isn’t working, you might even know what's wrong, but for whatever reason, you can’t access the solution. 

Do you ever feel like there simply aren't enough hours in the day? Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret. There might not be.