Shift from “should” to clear advice and direct requests to remove any sense of obligation or judgment and create an opening to explore (rather than assume) the best course of action.

Using your strategy as a communications tool in stakeholder conversations will foster greater alignment and better results. In fact, your strategy is *the most important* thing to communicate.

There are less-expensive ways to build your team's capacity - for their benefit and yours - than formal training and education.

Decisions have implications for your stakeholders. To build up their advocacy, creating opportunities for input is only half the battle. Proactively engage stakeholders to foster commitment.

Investing the time to get to know your staff - at a human level - is critical to unlocking their creativity and engagement.

When we think of traditional leadership traits, we don't often consider "vulnerability." But it's an important skill of, ironically, the strongest leaders.

What if there were a way to resolve conflicts collaboratively, rather than combatively? There is: a technique called externalization.

Stay in the driver’s seat by using effective boundaries to safeguard your organization from deteriorating culture, mission creep, and other risks – and preserve your own sanity.

Too many nonprofit leaders think “strategy” is just something their board does on a retreat every few years, or is something they can’t afford, or a waste of time. Myths, all!

Unless delaying action would cause worse problems, leading with empathy in a stressful moment is a powerful way to show your team members how much you value them.

When team members are missing the “big picture,” it represents a failed opportunity for leaders to reinforce the why behind everyone’s work. That “why” is important as both a motivator and a guide.

When we disregard our own needs, we risk serious detriment – to ourselves, our teams, and the missions we serve. Taking the time to attend to our individual needs makes us better leaders.

Strategies aren’t meant to be static. By anticipating change and having mechanisms to gather and act on new information, we can stay responsive to shifting conditions.

When vision reflects both enduring aspects of your organization and changes needed to grow impact in the near-term, you can achieve consistent results for your mission - even in times of change.

Compassionate leaders build trust. But starting with self-compassion may be even more important to being an effective leader.

Suppressing - or worse, discounting- emotions in the workplace can be like trying to ignore an elephant in the room. You and your team will have more success dealing with them in a healthy way.

Just as many of us fail to follow through on New Year's resolutions, many nonprofits struggle to put their strategies into practice. These 10 practices will help you make strategy matter.

Building an inclusive environment for your team not only improves performance. It also fosters commitment to your mission and strategy.

Shifting stakeholders from passive supporters to committed co-owners might require a tough shift in mindset, or even operations. But the results are transformative.

What to set better goals that get results? Motivate your stakeholders, your team, and yourself with goals that provide clear meaning and value.