What if the most powerful leadership actions… involved building something you’ll never see finished? In this episode, I’m exploring the concept of Cathedral Thinking—a long-term, purpose-driven approach to leadership that can radically shift how you inspire your team, engage your board, and motivate your funders. Especially now, during the giving season, this kind of vision isn’t just helpful—it’s essential. I’ll walk you through why this mindset matters so much in the nonprofit world, and ho...
We’ve been told that a balanced budget is the gold standard for nonprofit leadership — but what if that “balance” is actually hiding the cracks? In this episode, I break down why a neat, balanced budget isn’t the safety net we think it is — and how it can actually create false confidence while your organization is already struggling behind the scenes. I’ll walk you through a shift in mindset: from backward-looking bookkeeping to forward-thinking design. Whether you're building your first budg...
When you’re used to doing everything yourself, letting go can feel risky—maybe even impossible. But if you want to grow your nonprofit without burning out, there’s one crucial mindset shift you have to make: moving from control to clarity. In this episode, I unpack why clinging to control actually makes your organization more fragile, and how embracing clarity can create the stability and freedom you need to lead effectively at scale. I’m sharing the real talk I usually reserve for coaching c...
We’re heading into planning season—and if you’re anything like the nonprofit leaders I work with, your to-do list is already growing. But here’s a question we don’t ask enough: “How will this plan help us say no?” In this episode, I dig into why most strategic plans are more like overwhelming wish lists, and how to flip the script by building a plan that’s not just visionary, but protective. I’ll walk you through the cost of “yes-by-default” planning, and share the three filters I use with cl...
What if the fastest path to scaling your nonprofit wasn’t doing more — but doing less, with laser focus? In this solo episode, I share a story that’s been sticking with me — one that perfectly illustrates the overlooked power of choosing one goal. I break down how singular focus can turn small wins into major momentum and why scattering your energy across too many priorities might be the very thing slowing your organization down. This one’s for any nonprofit leader who’s feeling stuck, stretc...
You know the feeling—you're working nonstop, checking off every task, yet still completely underwater. In this episode, I share why many nonprofit leaders aren't experiencing organizational messiness and chaos because of disorganization or poor time management. It's because they're solving the wrong problem - like mopping up a kitchen floor while the pipe under the sink is still leaking. I break down four types of organizational chaos I see all the time—tactical, strategic, structural, ...
As planning season kicks into gear, I’m sharing one powerful question that every nonprofit leader should ask before setting next year’s goals. It’s a short episode, but it goes deep — because how you approach planning is just as important as what ends up in your plan. If you’ve been feeling stuck in survival mode, quietly absorbing the pressure of growth, or running on grit instead of clarity, this episode is for you. I walk through the subtle but critical difference between bracing and leadi...
You raised the money. You hired the team. You hit your goals. So why does it suddenly feel harder than before? In this episode, I talk about the under-discussed but absolutely critical phase of organizational growth: the flat part—that stretch after a big win where things feel slow, messy, or unclear. I explain why this isn’t a setback—it’s a build phase, a time to stabilize, recalibrate, and reinforce your organization so it can actually hold what you’ve achieved. You’ll hear a story from on...
If most of your week lives in competence—or worse, in weakness—everything slows down. 🧭 Today’s belief shift: Your zone of genius isn’t a luxury; it’s leverage. The more time you spend there, the faster the org moves. Outside your genius, you hire reactively and become the blocker. Inside it, you set a pace others can sustain. Today’s leadership prompt is simple: Which three draining tasks will you delegate, redesign, or delete this month—and which energizing block will you protect weekly? Us...
If you start in November, you’re already late. 🧭 Today’s belief shift: 80% of year-end success is built by October—list health, story assets, pledge calendar, board roles. A calm runway beats a frantic sprint, every time. Today’s leadership prompt is simple: Which week of a 20-day prep sprint will you kick off today? (Week 1: List/Segments; Week 2: Story/Offers; Week 3: Calendar/Cadence; Week 4: Assets/QA) Use code STRONG26 to get 26% off during this series. Want to work together? App...
Stress doesn’t create cracks—it reveals them. Your job is to see them before they break. 🧭 Today’s belief shift: Simple stress tests can X-ray your org and show the first points of failure now. Early fixes are cheap; late ones are costly—especially in Q4. Today’s leadership prompt is simple: For your next pressure point (appeal launch, gala, audit), answer: Where will it fail first? What single safeguard prevents that? Who owns it, by when? Use code STRONG26 to get 26% off during this series....
If a problem feels urgent today, it started months ago. 🧭 Today’s belief shift: Waiting has a cost curve—and the interest compounds. Courage early is cheaper than heroics later. Delay narrows options, burns trust, and raises the final price you’ll pay—in time, money, or morale. Today’s leadership prompt is simple: What’s the one decision you’ll move using 24–7–1? (Define in 24 hours, decide within 7 days, take the first step within 1 day.) Use code STRONG26 to get 26% off during this series. ...
If shiny opportunities keep diluting your plan, your vision needs a lock. 🧭 Today’s belief shift: Vision isn’t just direction; it’s a boundary. It protects the North Star you set in Episode N. Every “yes” spends from a finite account: focus, energy, trust. Choose on purpose. Today’s leadership prompt is simple: For the next request you receive, which answer do these filters produce? Does it advance our 90-day North Star?Is it truly ours to own?Do we have capacity without stealing from higher-...
If your most important work keeps getting bumped to “tomorrow,” you’re in an urgency loop. 🧭 Today’s belief shift: Urgency is addictive; importance is strategic. Important work only ships by design. Pre-committing time and guardrails beats inbox roulette—every time. Today’s leadership prompt is simple: What 90-minute morning block will you protect daily this week—and what reactivity rules will you set to keep it sacred? Use code STRONG26 to get 26% off during this series. Want to work togethe...
If every win creates more strain, you’re likely underfunding infrastructure. 🧭 Today’s belief shift: A budget is a design tool. If you don’t fund the true cost—people, tools, stewardship, reserves—you fund burnout. Under-resourced ops steal focus from programs and make growth feel like a trap. Today’s leadership prompt is simple: For one initiative, what 10–15% infrastructure line will you add—and how will you explain to donors why it protects impact? 📥 Download: True-Cost Checklist + Capacit...
If your appeal is accurate but donors don’t move, the story is missing. 🧭 Today’s belief shift: Data justifies; story decides. Donors fund a narrative they can step into. A clear arc creates urgency without pressure and aligns board, staff, and funders around the same emotional truth. What’s the 10-line story you’ll tell this year-end (Hook → Stakes → Barrier → Your Choice → Change → 1 person’s journey → Invitation)? 📥 Download: Story Arc Mini-Guide + Fill-In Template 🎯 Want story to translat...
If great people are still missing deadlines, you might have a seat problem—not a people problem. 🧭 Today’s belief shift: Good people can’t fix broken roles. The right person in the wrong seat is still the wrong fit. Misaligned seats create invisible drag—duplicated effort, orphaned tasks, and leaders stepping in “just to keep it moving.” 📥 Download: Org Role Alignment Map 🎯 Ready to redesign seats intentionally? The High Performance Team Toolkit gives you clarity tools for roles, outcomes, an...
If every week starts from scratch, you don’t need more hours—you need rhythm. 🧭 Today’s belief shift: Cadence beats heroics. A simple beat—plan → execute → review—turns intention into predictable progress. Rhythm reduces decision fatigue and keeps everyone marching toward a small set of quarterly rocks. 📥 Download: Quarterly Planning Template 🎯 Set your own quarterly cadence using the Post It Planning Toolkit; Do the same for your Board with the Year In A Day Board Alignment & Plann...
If you’re busy all week but nothing meaningful moves, you don’t have a time issue—you have a priority issue. 🧭 Today’s belief shift: A priority is a chosen outcome that makes other work easier or unnecessary. Everything else is either support—or noise. When priorities aren’t explicit, urgency fills the vacuum. Your calendar becomes the boss. 📥 Download: Weekly Panic Filter 🎯 Ready to translate priorities into a quarter plan? The Post It Planning Toolkit gives you cadence and checklists. Use c...
If drafts keep boomeranging back to your desk, you’re not delegating—you’re rescuing. 🧭 Today’s belief shift: Overfunctioning isn’t leadership; it’s a design pattern that trains the system to rely on you. People can’t own what you keep rewriting. Ownership needs guardrails and a gate—not a takeover. 📥 Download: Role Release Tracker 🎯 Ready to replace rescue with real ownership? HR in a Box gives SOP templates, standards, and handoff scripts. Use code STRONG26 to get 26% off during this series...