In social impact work, we talk about transformation quite a bit: imagining a better future, setting an ambitious vision, and doing the hard work required to move an organization toward it. From our perspective, the True North goal here is deeper and more expansive impact.
This doesn’t just happen because we write a fantastic strategic plan (which we no doubt must have). It happens when the leaders behind the plan have the energy, inspiration, and commitment to bring that vision to life.
Oftentimes, these leaders, the people we assume need the least support, are actually those who need it the most.
The strongest leaders in an organization are usually the people everyone else relies on. They’re capable, committed, and accustomed to carrying the load. Because they seem to have it all under control, we assume they don’t need the same encouragement, inspiration, or nurturing as others.
Part of the ABW Partners ethos is that we believe strong leaders need to be fed and cared for, too.
They’re already doing hard work every day. And when we ask them to lead change — to dream bigger, rethink what’s possible, and guide an organization toward a different future — we’re asking them to take on even more.
That work is sacred and energizing, but it can also be exhausting.
If we want to create deeper and more expansive impact, we must nurture the leaders doing the creating.
Hope is Part of the Work
Transformation requires more than a strategy for getting from our current state to our desired future state. It requires a deeply compelling reason to believe that future state is possible.
That belief in possibility matters.
Hope and inspiration aren’t extras we get to once the “real work” is done.
They help power the real work.
We see this often with the leaders we work with at ABW Partners. They’re already accomplishing a tremendous amount. Our role isn’t simply to help them do more. It’s to help them see what more might be possible, and then align their organizations around achieving it.
That requires us to nurture the spark that made them want to lead in the first place.
So, how do we do that — for ourselves and for the leaders around us?
1. Surround yourself with people who keep the spark alive.
Leadership is relational. Find the people who inspire you, challenge you, and remind you why the work matters. The best people in your circle are also trusted confidants: people who can help you reframe a challenge, see another perspective, or find possibility when you’re too close to the challenge to see it yourself.
2. Keep learning and growing.
Strong leadership is never finished. Make a deliberate commitment to honing your skills, expanding your perspective, and staying curious. Growth creates energy and gives us new ways to approach challenges that might otherwise feel insurmountable.
3. Define what success actually looks like.
Aspiration is powerful, but impact shouldn’t become a bottomless pit where nothing ever feels like enough. Define success in ways that are ambitious and attainable. Measure progress. Acknowledge it. Celebrate the wins along the way. Sometimes seeing how far you’ve already come is exactly what gives you the energy to keep going.
4. Treat challenges as opportunities.
Transformation rarely follows a straight line. When something doesn’t work, resist the instinct to treat it as failure. Ask instead: What did we learn? What might we try differently? An experimental mindset gives leaders permission to iterate rather than needing to have every answer from the beginning.
5. Create something just for you.
Find something outside of work that fills your bucket, especially something that allows you to create. Paint. Write. Garden. Cook. Make music. Build something. For those of us who spend our professional lives trying to make the world better, there’s something restorative about creating simply for the joy of creating.
Nurturing Leadership is an Investment in Impact
The organizations we work with are tackling extraordinarily difficult challenges. Their leaders are being asked not only to manage what exists today, but also to imagine what could exist tomorrow… and then inspire other people to help build it.
We can’t ask people to continually draw from a well we never help replenish.
If we want deeper and more expansive impact, we have to invest in the leaders capable of creating it.
Give them inspiration.
Give them community.
Give them permission to learn, experiment, celebrate, and create.
Because when strong leaders are nurtured, they don’t just have the capacity to keep doing what they’re already doing.
They have the capacity to imagine, and achieve, so much more.
We’d love to be included in your network of people who keep your spark alive. When it feels right to you, let’s chat.