What would make your job easier so you can focus on what really matters?

And when was the last time you asked that question of your team?

Too often, we hem ourselves in, letting restrictions we KNOW aren't reasonable, productive, or helping us advance our mission become our default operating mode. We assume we cannot address the needs or challenges staff bring to our attention, or that everyone just needs to "do more with less."

But what would it take to get out of that default mode and into a better way of working?

For most executives I advise, here are 3 things that make a world of difference.

There's a strategy secret I share during every board and executive team retreat I facilitate.

It's this truth → strategy is only right in retrospect.

Which means there's no guaranteed win. No single right answer.

• Can we use data to inform our strategy? Absolutely.

• Can we learn from other successful organizations and models? You bet.

• Can we focus on what we do best? We can and should.

But a big part of nonprofit leadership is understanding that you will have to make decisions without having all the information - or the guaranteed "right answer" - you wish you did.

I recently sat down with the team at Capterra to discuss some of the top opportunities and challenges facing nonprofit organizations - and their leaders - in 2024.

We cover topics like:

• Creating strategic clarity

• Reducing mission creep

• Preventing and addressing burnout and challenges with staff retention

• Getting the most out of the technology you have

• How leaders can reduce stress and get more strategic

• And more.

When I’m talking to nonprofit CEOs and department heads across the United States, I sometimes get asked if there is one objective I'd recommend every organization include in their strategy.

If I had one, it would be this.

Last week in Costa Rica, my surfing instructor shared some of the best life - and leadership - wisdom I've heard in a long time.

Walter's teaching style was a great fit for me.

Before we got in the water, he demonstrated how to carry the board, choose a wave, prepare to catch it, and the mechanics of popping up to standing.

Then, we went out into the water, and he had me practice - quizzing me along the way.

This week, my sister and I are on a “sister vacation” that we’ve been planning since July.

Getting here was its own adventure, with several cancelled flights and other mishaps.

Still, we worked it all out and have enjoyed settling in, the change of scenery, and the time to relax and cultivate some space for reflection.

This morning, we woke up to some unexpected news.

Sometimes, strategy conversations get stuck because we’re so busy debating details that we’ve lost sight of the bigger picture.

Here are 3 critical questions that often get missed during nonprofit strategy and planning conversations.

If your executive team and Board haven't tackled these already, add them to an upcoming agenda now.

When we think about our annual plans - or even New Year's resolutions - so often, we focus on new starts.

New projects we'll kick off.

New priorities we'll focus on.

New habits we'll adopt.

New starts can be helpful.

But creating the kind of focused attention that helps us, our teams, and our organizations move in the right direction isn't just about starting or adding things.

One of the most powerful strategic moves you can make as a leader is to decide what you'll stop doing.

I don't know about you, but after returning from the holidays, my inbox is intense this week.

My email and social media feeds are chock-full of messages about setting new year's resolutions, how to perfectly plan the year, getting those goals, and lots of other high energy and expectations for what 2024 will become.

As a strategist and advisor, I frequently talk about how important it is to have a vision or direction for where you're headed.

But I have a confession to make.

If you’re thinking about the kind of energy you want to bring into this next year, here’s a little inspiration from my 8-year-old.