The Tough Choice That Creates 36 Hours of Pain
Nothing will cause a leader's mind and stomach to churn more than the uncomfortable decision to end someone's employment.
Don’t Let Employee Culture Drift
A healthy organizational culture can slowly drift in the wrong direction without leaders realizing it. Learn how to recognize the warning signs, protect your team's culture, and keep your organization moving toward its mission.
When Leaders Drown in Details
As a leader grows, so does their responsibility. It is easy to get buried in operational details. How do you stay focused on the work only you, as a leader, can do?
Leadership Storms Are Coming
Storms are inevitable in leadership. Some arrive gradually. Others hit before you’re ready. The question isn’t whether they’ll come, but whether you’ll be prepared when they do.
Does Your Team Know How They Advance the Mission?
Your team will be more motivated when each person understands not only their role, but how their daily work helps advance the mission.
The Team Who Got You Here Might Not Get You There
Every organization goes through different seasons, and each season requires different skills from its leaders and team. The people who helped you get here may not be the people who can help you get there.
You Probably Don’t Want a Clone
You probably don’t need another version of yourself. You need people who see what you don’t see, bring strengths you don’t have, and help turn your vision into reality.
You Weren’t Meant To Do It Alone
Big dreams require great teams. A visionary dreamer without a team will struggle to get good work done.
Don’t Let the Valley of Despair Kill Your Dream
If you have ever hit a season where you were losing steam and hope because things haven’t turned out the way you imagined…
This piece is for you.
Unlikely Dreams Take Time to Grow
Most of our unlikely dreams take time to grow.
What seems unlikely today may just need patience and a willingness to keep pushing.
Ten Years Later: Two Ways Police Chiefs and Black Clergy Can Still Help Rebuild Trust
I wrote this five years ago, and I think it's worth reading again.
Four Common Reasons Great Causes Never Get Off the Ground (Part 2)
Avoiding these four pitfalls won't guarantee success, but ignoring them can prevent even the strongest mission from ever getting off the ground.
Some of the Best Causes Never Get Off the Ground
In my experience, there is no shortage of community-changing ideas. Sadly, many of them never make it past the starting line.
The Unglamorous Truth About Nonprofit Sustainability
The nonprofit causes we love have an underbelly that is not so glamorous: they are hard to financially sustain.
The Right Leader for the Season
Leadership is critical in any organization, but especially vital if you are trying to accomplish Unlikely Good in your community. Making sure you pair the right leader with the particular season of growth is crucial.
Will Your Vision Stand Up to Resistance and Mockery?
A shared vision for “Safer Together” helped transform how police departments across York County worked with one another. This excerpt from Unlikely Good tells the story of how that vision became the York County Safety Collab.
Collaboration Sounds Good Until It Isn’t
Most people believe collaboration is the answer. Fewer understand why it becomes so difficult once real people, pressure, and competing visions enter the room.
No Hero’s Welcome
Why do you want to step into this work? Why this issue? Why now? Motivation matters more than we want it to, because only the right kind of motivation will carry you when the work becomes costly.
Who Are You, Mr. Fly-by-Night Do-Gooder?
You cannot build anything meaningful in a place where people are waiting for you to leave.
Resisting the Pressure to Respond
Leaders today are expected to speak into almost everything. A headline breaks, a crisis unfolds, and the question comes quickly: Are you going to say something?
But not every moment is yours. And if you don’t decide what deserves your voice, the world will make that decision for you.