Jennifer Recla's Linkedin Analytics

As a nonprofit learning & development leader, I had to juggle: → A 3-year strategy → Multiple program launches → Coaching & supporting my team → Fielding constant incoming requests → Capturing ROI data to prove our impact It was overwhelming. So, I took a step back & asked myself: Where am I spending my time? Here's what I found: ➡️ Managing budgets & vendor contracts. ➡️ Designing & facilitating team sessions. ➡️ Attending weekly meetings. ➡️ Coaching other leaders. ➡️ Leading my own team. I knew I couldn't do it all. So, I categorized everything into 3 main buckets: 𝐍𝐨𝐩𝐞: → Where am I not getting or adding value? → What doesn't need to happen right now? 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞: → Who else can take this on? → Who can I coach to step up? 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩: → What truly needs my expertise? → Where do I add the most value? I started chipping away at the list. My team's engagement went up! They took on new challenges. They grew in confidence. And I finally had breathing room. It isn’t about doing more, it’s about being strategic with your time. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲 "𝐧𝐨" 𝐭𝐨? P.S. Want more exercises like this? I've got a free masterclass coming up in May. Link in the comments.

𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲... 𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫... 𝐈'𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞... Sound familiar? I know that weight. The pressure to support your team, execute on your mission, & show your impact. 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫. Several years back, I felt that same pressure. There was so much I wanted to accomplish: → Present at a national conference. → Run the Disney Marathon. → Launch my own business. → Have a better commute. → Get a promotion. But every time I looked at that list, I felt more stuck. More frustrated. More behind. Until I started adding one tiny word to each item: 𝐲𝐞𝐭. That one word shifted my mindset from pressure to possibility. 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 "𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡" 𝐭𝐨 "𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐭." Now, it's your turn. Write down 3 things you haven't accomplished, but still want to. Then say them out loud, & add "yet" to the end of each. I don't have enough time to focus on strategy...YET My team isn't working well together...YET I'm not confident in this role...YET Let yourself feel that shift. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧'𝐭...𝐲𝐞𝐭? P.S. P.S. Want practical tools to move those “not yets” forward? Join me on May 6 for a free masterclass: "The 3-Step Blueprint for Nonprofit Leaders: Build a Thriving Team Without Overworking Yourself." Link in the comments.

𝐈𝐟 𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝... 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐲... I get it... We're rewarded for answering that email. We feel relief when we make the decision. We get the dopamine hit when we check it off the list. But letting urgency lead narrows your view of what's possible. It treats the symptoms, not the problem. Leading with urgency led me to: ✔️ Work until midnight while pregnant to meet a deadline ✔️ Give a candidate the wrong address (2 hours away!) ✔️ Email confidential information to the wrong people ✔️ Overwork & overwhelm my team & customers ✔️ More misunderstandings than I can count So, what do you do? 1️⃣ Identify what's most important. 2️⃣ Focus on what matters FIRST. 3️⃣ Then decide if it's urgent or not. 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 = Your goals, priorities, values 𝐔𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 = You must do this right now 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 = You can schedule this for later It's easy to fall into the urgency trap. Busy makes you feel important. But you're playing the long game. It's about focusing on what work will have the most significant impact. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮? P.S. I recently spoke with Desiree Petrich on 𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘴𝘴, 𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 about managing your workload. Link in the comments!

𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬. We may not have all the facts... But that's ok, we'll just make it up! Uncertainty makes it hard for us to lead confidently. Our minds fill the gaps with stories (often 𝘶𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘧𝘶𝘭 ones). Shifting your perspective can bring clarity. But how do you do that when emotions are high & the story feels real? In this video, I share a simple exercise I use with leaders to separate facts from stories to help reveal your next step. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭? P.S. Join my free workshop next week. I'll share more strategies for leading through uncertainty. Link in the comments!

"Keeping morale up." "Helping others stay focused." "Being a source of stability for my team." Yesterday, I led a session on 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐲. And these ☝🏼 were some of the challenges participants shared. Can you relate? I've faced similar struggles when: → Transitioning from a public sector supervisor to a nonprofit director → Adapting to a new CEO & shifting organizational structure → Leading a new team while navigating a pandemic Through all of it, one lesson stood out: ➡️ Focus on what you can control. I know. Easier said than done. That's why I shared these three strategies yesterday: 1. Leverage "what's going right" to eliminate or minimize "what's going wrong." 2. Focus on what you actually see or hear vs. the conclusions you're drawing. 3. Provide context (the why), be clear in your message, & share the next steps. These strategies help you stay grounded, find clarity, & create stability. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰? P.S. ICYMI, the recording link for yesterday's workshop is in the comments.

𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐬! This 👇🏼 is why identifying your team strengths matters. My client was struggling with morale & engagement. She was a new leader navigating: ✔️ Strict deadlines ✔️ Differing work styles ✔️ Communication challenges She wanted a team that was: ✔️ Delivering consistent results ✔️ Finding joy in their work ✔️ Building camaraderie And on our recent call, she shared how far they've come. The relief & joy on her face was noticeable. Here what helped her get there: 1️⃣ Identifying individual & collective team strengths 2️⃣ Mapping out how to best leverage them 3️⃣ Aligning work with strengths & preferences Next up: Delegating more to lighten her load while growing her team's capabilities. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤? P.S. DM me to learn more about the Insights Discovery tool I mention in the video!

"Should we all wear the same color?" Our team was gearing up for our quarterly report to senior leadership. It was 2020, & we were 100% remote. One of our team members asked this question☝🏼. She was craving fun & connection. 🎉 We all were! Work was stressful. We were trying to adapt to new ways of working. The uncertainty of everything was weighing on us. Team morale was declining. ⬇️ But then came this simple suggestion. We all chimed in & agreed to wear blue. 🔵 And so began one of many traditions we implemented over the years. Were some of them a little silly? 𝟭𝟬𝟬% 𝘆𝗲𝘀! More importantly, they became a foundation of our culture. How we wanted to interact, connect, & engage. It made us feel stronger & more connected. And we became a team that GOT SH*T DONE! 👏🏼 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲: ✔️ Monday morning hellos via Teams ✔️ Celebration Fridays: sharing our wins ✔️ Monthly virtual no-work-talk lunches ✔️ Annual holiday secret gift exchange 👇🏼 ✔️ Team meeting goals & support check-in ✔️ Quarterly in-person team strategy sessions As a leader, I realized these small moments of connection made a BIG difference. They helped us push through the tough times & allowed us to thrive. --𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞? P.S. Want more tips like this? Join me on May 6 for "The 3-Step Blueprint for Nonprofit Leaders: Build a Thriving Team Without Overworking Yourself." Link in the comments.

"𝐖𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐬." "Our days are packed with meetings." "I can't get work done in the week." "We just need to get in a room together, open our calendars, & start taking things off!" This ☝🏼 was the start of a conversation with a nonprofit exec last year. She was referring to her executive team. So, I started asking questions. → Do you all need to participate in those meetings? → What meetings are taking up the most time? → Who on your team is already attending? → Could someone else go in your place? → Are you adding or getting value? Once we started digging in, we uncovered the root cause. 𝐖𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬! As an exec, you aren't managing the day-to-day anymore. You need to pull yourself out of the minutiae. Zoom out & focus on the big picture. But that can't happen if we're sucked into everything as a SME. (SME=subject matter expertise) Yes, our knowledge may have gotten this role. But it's not where our greatest strength lies. Our greatest strengths are leading the vision & building teams that consistently get results. This is our focus as senior leaders now. We started talking through how to do this: ✔️ Create clear expectations for decision-making ✔️ Mentor other leaders to build their expertise ✔️ Block calendar time for thinking & visioning ✔️ Delegate operational meetings to others ✔️ "Nope" getting sucked into the details It's not always easy to pull ourselves out. We're used to being the go-to person. But if we can't elevate those around us, we'll never be able to lead effectively. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬? 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐳𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲? P.S. If you’re ready to zoom out & lead from a higher level, my "Strategic Leadership Coaching Program" can help you create the time & focus you need to step away from the weeds & lead with impact. Details in the comments.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞! Last week, my daughter ran her own business for a school project. Welcome to the Flower Stand! 🌸 Flower notebooks 🌸 Flower lollypops 🌸 Flower stickers 🌸 Flower pens What made this such a great experience for her? 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐬. → Creativity → Decorating → Detailed artwork → Getting things done She sold her products with confidence. Because she's keenly aware of her talents. And when she knew something wasn't in her wheelhouse... She asked for help. Imagine if we all operated this way in our roles. If we consistently tapped into our strengths... And asked for help when we needed it. What would it be like to feel like this energized & aligned? As leaders, you can take the first steps: → Identify your strengths (there are plenty of tools out there) → Learn how to use them to strengthen your effectiveness → Revisit them daily & focus on tapping into one a week 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲?

"𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒃𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒏 & 𝒍𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓." I agree. I recently gathered feedback from a client to prep for upcoming events. After one of my last interviews, I got an email. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.  𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯 & 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳. I've gotten the deer-in-headlights look when I say work should be fun. Like, really? Yes! It should be! Fun is motivating. It's energizing & uplifting. It can unlock creativity & connection. That’s why I build fun into every engagement I lead. It helps teams open up, collaborate, & generate fresh insights. So, to sprinkle a little fun on your Monday... 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲? BONUS: Tell us why you picked that one. P.S. I'm a 2 today, feeling a little silly & a little snarky after watching the kids without my partner this weekend. If the giraffes aren’t doing it for you, post your own mood pic!

𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬. ❌ It doesn’t mean: • you won't make mistakes. • you're done learning. • you’re perfect. ✅ It does mean • you have tough conversations. • you seek constant feedback. • investing in your growth. • asking for help. When I first stepped into a leadership role, I was nervous. I was working at a hospital for a boss I adored. She had confidence in me, but I didn’t have confidence in myself. I stumbled in the beginning. I made mistakes. Like when I apologized for giving a PIP to my employee. Or had a customer complain about my approach. ➝ 𝗜 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽. I started taking classes, reading books, & seeking other leaders as mentors. Do I feel confident now? 𝗬𝗲𝘀. Do I still make mistakes & have a lot to learn? Also, yes! Leading with confidence is about letting go of perfection & leaning into the belief that you will never stop evolving. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮? P.S. If you're ready to keep growing as a leader, join me May 6 for "The 3-Step Blueprint for Nonprofit Leaders: Build a Thriving Team Without Overworking Yourself." Link in the comments.

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐛𝐚𝐝. Sometimes you're gonna fail. Life is one big experiment. I've made A LOT of mistakes. as a parent, as a spouse, & as a leader. What's gotten me through? Recognizing that there is no "arrival." There's always room to grow. Growth is hard. It's uncomfortable. But my biggest growth has always come from failure. Like my first year as a nonprofit director: ➡️ new team ➡️ sudden pandemic ➡️ small ACTIVE children ➡️ & a shift to remote work I made tons of mistakes: ✔️ Saying "yes" to everything ✔️ Presenting the wrong information ✔️ Sending emails to the wrong people ✔️ Leading discussions that went off the rails What got me through? ➡️ leaning into failures & challenges as learning ➡️ adopting a strengths-based leadership approach ➡️ embracing that everyone was doing the best they could Stay curious. Lead with empathy. Think like a scientist. Leverage your strengths. The more you lean into this, the more your team will thank you. And the better results you'll see. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫? P.S. I dive into this topic in a recent "Empathy Unbound" episode with Andrew Phipps. Link in the comments. P.P.S. What do you think is the most important leadership skill or trait?

𝑰'𝒎 𝒂𝒏 𝒖𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒚 𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒕. I'm working with a client now. We just wrapped up session two. One of her goals? 𝐓𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬. One of her barriers? 𝐀𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲. I asked her to complete an urgency index. (link in the comments) Her results? 46+ Urgency Addiction Did it surprise her? No But it did reveal specific areas she wants to tackle. In our first two sessions together, we covered: ✅ Goals: Time she wants to reclaim & how she'll use it ✅ Actions: New habits for planning, calendar & email management ✅ Mindset: Reframing her relationship with time ✅ Support: Trusted partners to hold her accountable What she's hoping to gain? ➡️ Fridays off! ➡️ More travel! ➡️ Time for herself & loved ones! I want this for you too! I'll post resources in the comments to help you get started. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮? 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐨𝐟𝐟? 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥? 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟? P.S. With my reclaimed time, I would spend more time outdoors in settings like this 👇🏼

"𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐛𝐬?" Years ago, I taught a workshop on team engagement. I shared how appreciation is one of the top drivers. Then one of the leaders attending asked this question. ☝🏼 I responded: "Do you want them to continue doing their job?" 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐬. If you don't acknowledge when someone meets expectations, how do they know they're on track? It costs nothing to thank someone for: ✅ Presenting at a meeting ✅ Getting the report out on time ✅ Following the script on customer calls But the return on appreciation is tremendous. It strengthens trust, increases motivation, & boosts performance. The key is to make your recognition SMART: 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞: be genuine, insincerity destroys trust 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐟𝐮𝐥: tie recognition to your mission & values 𝐀𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐞: keep it fresh, varied, & creative 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭: make it personal, match it to the person 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐲: recognize the action promptly We do a disservice when we only appreciate others for going above & beyond. Everyday actions deserve recognition too. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦? P.S. What's the best recognition you've ever received?

"𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐰𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥." I recently finished Mel Robbins' new book 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘰𝘳𝘺. This sentence gave me pause. ☝🏼 I read it more than once. It made me realize how the need for control has influenced many aspects of my life & how often it comes up in coaching calls. I recall a former coachee struggling with her workload. She had been recently promoted to a nonprofit Director role. "I'm not sure how to get everything done." "I'm using the tools you've provided." "But it's not working." So we talked through everything on her plate. →Me: Who's helping you with that? →Her: No one. →Me: Should you be taking the lead on it? →Her: Maybe not. →Me: Do you have someone on the team that could take it on? →Her: (𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦) →Me: Are you struggling with letting it go? →Her: Maybe. If I'm not leading it, I have less control of the outcome. Ah! Her struggles with workload were less about better systems. They were about letting go of work that no longer made sense for her to lead. 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞. When things feel unpredictable, our instinct is to hold on tighter. But sometimes the real work is learning how to let go. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐠𝐨 𝐨𝐟? P.S. This is a screenshot of me sharing this story on a recent panel discussion with HR Advisory. 👇🏼 P.P.S. If you're navigating a heavy workload or struggling to let go, you're not alone. I help newly promoted nonprofit senior leaders navigate their workload, lead with confidence, & build high-performing teams. DM me to learn more.

"𝐖𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞, 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟?" That's what I thought early in my career. I thought people were trying to annoy me. It wasn't until I took my first assessment that I realized, "𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐞?" "𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞?" Oh my, 20-something-year-old Jen... You've got a lot to learn. My first introduction to a strengths-based approach opened my eyes to a whole new world. Before, I operated with the belief that I had to fix my weaknesses. That made me focus on what wasn't working. And it was exhausting. But once I understood the power of building on what was strong in myself & others, everything changed. I started collaborating differently. Seeing how strengths in others could complement mine. Instead of being frustrated by differences, I saw opportunities for growth. I started leading with more self-awareness. I didn't have to be everything to everyone. I didn't have to be perfect. That was so freeing! 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭-𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐰: I've seen a strengths-based approach transform teams. ✔️ Higher customer satisfaction ✔️ Increased engagement ✔️ More innovation ✔️ Better results Identifying your strengths isn't just a "nice to know." It's essential for building a high-performing team. P.S. I spoke about this topic with Engel Jones on his "12minconvos" podcast (only 12 minutes long). Link in the comments. P.P.S For those who love assessments, here are my results. How about you? ➜ CliftonStrengths: Woo | Maximizer | Communication | Futuristic | Arranger ➜ Working Genius: Galvanizing | Invention ➜ Insights Discovery: Leading Yellow ➜ StandOut: Provider | Teacher ➜ Enneagram: Type 7 ➜ DiSC: High I

𝐀𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 ___ 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡 ___ 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬! Any guesses? We laugh 20 times a day. As kids? 300! I know. We take ourselves WAY too seriously. (But also, who has time for 300 laughs?!) Yet laughter isn't just about joy. 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠. When I was a nonprofit Director... Leading a team & family through a pandemic... Laughter got me through it all. ✔️ Monday morning check-ins with funny gifs & videos ✔️ Monthly virtual lunches with a "no work talk" rule ✔️ My son yelling "Tada!" during a meeting ✔️ Team energizers that made us giggle ✔️ Sharing jokes with my 10-year-old It didn't mean we ignored the challenges. But we knew we couldn't face them without inserting levity in our days. And right now, with all the change & uncertainty... We NEED laughter. It eases stress. It drives connection. It helps us keep going. So, this week, take time with your team to celebrate "𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤." (yes, it's an actual thing) Try out these simple ways to bring more laughter to your workday: → Plan a lunch break to swap hilarious stories → Share your weekend plans, but only with memes → Have everyone share a phone pic that makes them laugh → Kick off a meeting with a "caption this" contest using a photo As leaders, we set the tone. A little laughter to lighten the mood helps us build stronger teams. Here's wishing you a week full of 300 laughs! What's something that had you recently laughing out loud? Or, better yet, share your favorite PG-rated joke in the comments. P.S. If you're a nonprofit senior leader looking to more effectively navigate your workload, lead with confidence, & build a high-performing team, check out my featured section to set up an exploratory call today!

𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 1, 2024: 𝐌𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫. Feeling scared & excited! April 1, 2025: One year later Guess what? Still scared & excited. But here's what's different: I'm more confident. More knowledgable. More grounded in who I am & the value I bring. Because growth never stops. Every new opportunity, challenge, & risk is an adventure. And while I've coached & taught 100s of people over my years in corporate, this last year has taught me the most. About leadership, resilience, & what it takes to build something meaningful. So, here's a quick peek at the last year... 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬: ✔️ 23 speaking events & workshops ✔️ 13 coachees (my lucky number) ✔️ 13 interviews on podcasts ✔️ 11 orgs served Countless new relationships & connections. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫: ✔️ Shifting work based on strengths & increased delegation ✔️ Decreasing turnaround time for customers ✔️ Strengthening team morale & trust ✔️ Reclaiming nights & weekends 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲: ✔️ Find your niche, it will bring clarity ✔️ Set boundaries early, revisit regularly ✔️ Start with one thing, then build off that ✔️ Consistency is essential, keep showing up And, above all else, remember: life is one big experiment. You're gonna fail, learn, fail again, & learn some more. The people who succeed lean into this & know they're playing the long game. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫? P.S. To celebrate this day, I'm taking most of the day to myself. A little pampering, chocolate, & time outdoors.

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 "𝐦𝐞𝐡" 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠? That's how my team felt in 2020. So, we did something about it. A little back story first... It's spring 2020 (𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴). My team needed a morale boost. We felt disconnected. The energy was low. We were used to seeing each other in person. Especially Monday mornings. We'd check in with each other, see who needed support & then dive into work. But when we moved to virtual, we lost that. So we started a new tradition. Monday morning virtual check-ins. Here's what it looked like: 1️⃣ 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐩. "Hey Team! How was your weekend? We took the kids paddleboarding, had lunch in town, then ended with a concert by the water." 2️⃣ 𝐀𝐬𝐤 𝐚 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. "How's our week looking? Anyone need feedback, support, or just a good pep talk?" 3️⃣ 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞. "Sounds like a packed weekend!" "I can cover that session for you. Send me the details." The benefits to the team? ✔ Responding at your convenience ✔ Connection at the start of the week ✔ Asking & offering support to team members ✔ An endorphin kick seeing others "like" our posts ✔ Camaraderie, trust, & productive side partnerships This small habit brought back the connection & energy we were missing. Leadership isn't about big, sweeping changes. It's about consistent, intentional moments like these. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥? P.S. How was your weekend? Mine was full of hiking 👇🏼, playdates, delicious food, & a ladies' night out.

Did you know people are happiest on 𝑭𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔? I know! You're happiest on Friday because you're... ✅ Anticipating your plans for the weekend. ✅ Wrapping up your work week. ✅ Getting time to recharge. I promise I'm not making this up. Curious about the science? (link in the comments) What plans for the weekend are you anticipating? ➡️ An outdoor adventure ➡️ Sunday brunch with friends ➡️ Date night with someone special ➡️ Throwing a birthday party for a parent ➡️ Curling up in a comfy chair with a good book Looking forward to something is energizing & uplifting. And if you don't have plans, steal an idea from above! 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝? P.S. Reach out to someone you work with, say "hello," and ask them about their weekend plans. P.P.S. What's your favorite day of the week?