Insights
Leadership insights and community resources for those building capacity in themselves and others.
Conflict, Compensation, Community
These are three words I've been hearing lately when I sit with nonprofit leaders, not as separate topics but as three threads of the same conversation: conflict, compensation, community. None of them are new, but the frequency has picked up. Conflict shows up first inside the team, most often in the relationship between staff and their own manager or organizational leadership. In one recent stretch of coaching calls, five out of six sessions centered on some version of the same tension: how to...
What Happens When HR Is Slow and the Manager Is Stuck? (Schaumburg Nonprofit Leaders Forum, June 2026)
"It is not my responsibility to carry their feelings." There is a difference between supporting your team and absorbing what belongs to them. Finding that line is a challenge in any management position, and understanding it does not make it easier to hold. This professional development intentionality carried into Nonprofit Leaders Forum, supporting Schaumburg Township-funded agencies. (www.goodworksresults.com/nonprofitforum) Two partner consultations brought live challenges to the center. One...
The Infrastructure of Community
What happens when leaders serving the same community meet? They offer to be resources for one another: A family advocacy program links with a housing provider. An immigrant services organization connects with a behavioral health agency. Four new working relationships form from a single meeting. Connection isn't just networking. It's infrastructure. What Emerges from Convening Cross-sector...
When Leaders Show Up
Federal uncertainty, funding scarcity, and heightened community need. These are the conditions leaders across our region continue to navigate. Through coaching business owners and nonprofit leaders, facilitating forums, and conversations across sectors, I'm humbled by how our community leaders are choosing to show up. Doing the Personal Work Leaders are showing up by learning to set boundaries...
Translating Overwhelmed into Action: Nonprofit Leaders Forum (Hanover Township)
How do you translate "we're overwhelmed" into concrete numbers that leadership will act on? How do you build the business case for resources when you're caught between proving need and protecting capacity? Eleven partner agencies serving Hanover Township residents tackled these questions at our Nonprofit Leaders Forum, hosted by Family Service Association of Greater Elgin. Two consultations...
Building Trust Through Peer Learning: 2025 Bloomingdale Township Forum Impact
What happens when you give leaders a space to be real with each other for an entire year? The final session of the 2025 Nonprofit Leaders Forum serving Bloomingdale Township answered that question: trust builds, leadership confidence grows, and a professional network emerges that strengthens how leaders serve families across the community. Partners reported significant growth in their awareness...
Forum Impact Report (Township of Schaumburg) – Fall 2025
I recently presented a midpoint Impact Report on the Nonprofit Leaders Forum to the Township of Schaumburg Mental Health Board. View Impact Report Then I asked the Board: What keeps you up at night? Waitlists. Agencies with backlogs in an overburdened system. Access barriers—residents don't know where to start. Network isolation—agencies that need to work together more effectively. When agencies...
Capability vs. Capacity: Nonprofit Leaders Forum (Hanover Township) Explores the Difference
A powerful distinction emerged at the inaugural cohort of our newest Nonprofit Leaders Forum for agencies serving Hanover Township residents: the difference between capability and capacity. Understanding what can be done versus what should be done. How do you protect capacity for building a new program when you're pulled into administrative tasks and staff needs? How do you manage three...
Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley – Community Resource
Access to early intervention and developmental support can be life-changing for children and families—but wait times at most facilities stretch for months, leaving families without answers or support. Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley fills this critical gap, ensuring families get the help they need without the barriers that often delay care. Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley serves...
The Lonely Leader: The Squeeze of Leading from the Middle
Leadership is lonely. I've written about this before, but spending three years facilitating forums with mid-level nonprofit leaders has given me a front-row seat to just how true this is—and how specific the challenges are for those leading from the middle. What makes mid-level leadership uniquely challenging? Mid-level leaders occupy a distinct space in nonprofit organizations. They're not the...
How Do You Want to Show Up?
We're living in a season that feels heavy—uncertainty, tension, challenges that seem beyond our control. It's easy to feel overwhelmed about how to move forward. Recently, someone asked me a thoughtful question: "How do you want to show up in this season?" Not how should I show up according to someone else's playbook. Not what role do I need to perform? But genuinely—who am I, and what am I...
Why Visionary Small Business Owners Need an Integrator
Small business owners are dreamers. That's their superpower—they see possibilities others miss. But that same visionary thinking is often a blind spot that prevents them from scaling beyond their own capacity. I'm currently working as an Integrator for a growing business, and I'm watching this pattern play out in real-time. The founder has big ideas, deep client...
Strengthening Nonprofits in Township of Schaumburg (Nonprofit Leaders Forum)
The profound importance of mutual support—hearing each other, facing challenges collectively, and even sharing moments of laughter—contributes to a sense of community, balance, and a safe path for growth. This is the essence of the Nonprofit Leaders Forum, empowering nonprofit leaders serving Township Of Schaumburg residents with tools and a strong network. (Learn more:...
“We are helpers, and we do not give up.” (Nonprofit Leaders Forum – Bloomingdale Township)
"We are helpers, and we do not give up." This call to stay in the action emerged during our October session of the Nonprofit Leaders Forum (Bloomingdale Township serving agencies), capturing the spirit in the room. But what does it mean to be a helper when you're managing 13 clinicians with pressure from above and below? What does it mean to be a helper when your interns and volunteers...
Understanding Community Mental Health Boards
Imagine a local entity dedicated solely to ensuring your neighbors have access to vital mental health, developmental disability, and substance use services. That's precisely the power of Community Mental Health Boards, often called '708 Boards' in Illinois. In Illinois, this legislation enabled the establishment of 708 Boards, requiring local referendums and a local tax to fund community...
Finding Perspective Through Service
I have found that intentionally focusing on the needs and experiences of others is a powerful way to gain perspective and stay grounded. The opportunity to serve, to connect with people from different backgrounds, and to contribute to a shared purpose larger than my own is incredibly meaningful. My inspiration for this comes from the words and actions of Jesus, who willingly chose “not to be...
Startup Spirit, Community Heart: What Connects Local Nonprofits and Small Businesses
Within the tapestry of our local communities, two distinct organizations stand out: community nonprofits and small businesses. While their missions may seem divergent at first glance—one driven by social impact, the other by profit—a closer look reveals surprising shared characteristics crucial for a flourishing community, with common ground found in: Shared Foundations and Goals: Nimble...
Elevating Nonprofit Leadership: Takeaways from the Hanover Township Advisory Forum
Celebrating the culmination of the Nonprofit Leadership Advisory Forum for Hanover Township's 2024-2025 cohort, our final forum session highlighted the value of this program. By providing validation, acceptance, and a supportive environment for candid peer-to-peer conversations, this forum has empowered mid-level leaders to build a strong network with trusted relationships, expand their...
Bloomingdale Township Nonprofit Leadership Advisory Forum: August 2025 Highlights
Designed to build capacity for nonprofit managers serving Bloomingdale Township residents, the Nonprofit Leadership Advisory Forum cultivates a space for honest exchanges, allowing peers to find practical assistance through shared burdens and celebrated triumphs. Our recent session was hosted by @NAMI DuPage on the DuPage County campus in Wheaton, IL. We learned about NAMI's valuable work...
Schaumburg Township Nonprofit Leadership Advisory Forum: August 2025 Highlights
Our recent Nonprofit Leadership Advisory Forum (www.goodworksresults.com/advisoryforum) was a special experience, warmly hosted by @GiGi's Playhouse Inc.- Down Syndrome Achievement Centers flagship in Hoffman Estates, IL. We were inspired by their bright, inviting space and their incredible dedication to offering all services for free, powered by effective use of volunteers and staff. We...
Supporting Middle Managers in Hanover Township with Actionable Strategies (Nonprofit Leadership Advisory Forum)
Thrilled to share key insights from the latest Nonprofit Leadership Advisory Forum (goodworksresults.com/advisoryforum), held around a dining room table at Wildwood Commons in Elgin, IL. This capacity-building program provides a robust peer network for nonprofit leaders serving Hanover Township residents (hanover-township.org) . Yesterday's session focused on challenges faced by middle managers,...
Building Consensus: My Work with a Community Mental Health Board
I recently completed a meaningful consulting project, partnering with the DeKalb County Community Mental Health Board (DCCMHB) to facilitate collaborative decision-making on their organizational capacity. This project powerfully reinforced how a thoughtful, inclusive process strengthens organizational dynamics and enables vital decision-making within community organizations. My primary goal was...
Advisory Forums: A Trusted Peer Network for Leaders
Management isolation, knowledge gaps, and stalled development hold back organizations from the confident and compassionate leaders they need. Advisory Forums are a proven capacity-building program that directly addresses these challenges by delivering a trusted peer network, facilitating shared learning, and enhancing professional skills. What Do These Forums Look Like? Advisory Forums provide a...
What Community Leaders Need: My View from the Frontlines
From the entrepreneurial spirit of small business innovators to the unwavering dedication of public and social services sector professionals, I support a diverse spectrum of community leaders. My goal is to be a compassionate, capacity-building partner. What I consistently observe among these individuals is a profound commitment to their communities, often coupled with a shared set of challenges...
Questions to Draw Out Solutions
It all started when I received coaching myself. (Thanks again, Mike!) That experience didn't just help me; it ignited a passion for coaching within me. Before I knew it, I was fully immersed in training, accumulating coaching hours, and ultimately earning a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) certification. One question I often hear, especially while training others to...
Top 10 Gains from 2025 Coaching Session
I coach business owners, executive leaders, and managers. Here are some tangible gains my clients have experienced from our 2025 coaching sessions: Defined Business Niche: Defined a more precise target market, aligning projects for maximum impact. Conflict Resolution Skills: Applied structured, empathetic communication strategies, resulting in more constructive and effective conflict...
Executive Coaching?
I'm often asked, “So, do you give advice?” or “Is it like therapy?” when I mention I'm an executive coach. Let me share my vision for coaching and how I can help you achieve your goals. Coaching is about having a thought partner. I'm here to listen deeply, ask the kind of questions that spark new insights, and help you uncover...
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