Planning isn't magic. But building a realistic plan will save your team from trying to pull a rabbit out of the hat to meet expectations.

While listening is essential to leadership, it cannot stop at facilitating debate – leaders must eventually put a stake in the ground and guide people to action.

Accountability fails when responsibilities are ambiguous or people don't follow through. Follow these practices to increase clarity and commitment.

It can be tempting to define our mission as a broad "umbrella" encompassing many needs (and funding sources). But unless we focus on specific lanes, we risk diluting our impact.

The typical response to solicitations for input? Crickets. Avoid the frustration of stakeholder silence by giving them draft content (even if it's wrong) to comment on first.

Change is often desirable. Even necessary. Here are three keys to persuading a team to upend long-standing ways of doing things and embrace new goals or methods.

It's hard to get ahead when you feel like you’re moving from crisis to crisis. But by making some time for strategic leadership, you can stop inevitable crises from turning into chaos.

Faced with a request, we might think our only options are to say "yes" or "no." But there are many ways to respect the request - and requestor - without overcommitting ourselves.

Organizational growth does not have to mean doing "more" of something. In fact, growth comes from knowing what to do more of, what to do less of, and what to continue doing well.

We often make others feel blamed by how we raise our complaints with them. Reframing the problem in a neutral way is the first step toward constructive resolution that preserves our relationship.

Your leadership skills and abilities may equip you for your role. But your most valuable asset? How you spend your time. Do your priorities match your organization's greatest needs?

Our fixation on the mission can obscure our view of what the people around us need. Through curiosity, inclusivity, and acknowledgement, we can restore our focus on people.

Even slight inconsistencies in stakeholders' understandings can undercut an organization's goals. Create alignment to amplify your mission impact.

People who enjoy privilege have the responsibility to support those who would risk repercussions by confronting bad behavior.

By focusing on influence rather than direction, offering inspiration, and empowering peers to succeed, we can lead from any position.

We often need to lead through persuasion. But rather than convincing others, try being open to new understanding and pursuing mutual aims.

Getting caught up in our mission, daily demands, or major challenges can cause us to lose sight of what's most important.

In a battle between prevailing habits and careful planning, people's habits will win out every time. Unless you change the culture.

Many organizations put too much stock in strategy documents, and not enough in making strategy an ongoing, value-add activity.

When we understand our core values, they drive our decisions and actions. Seek values that resonate and clarify.