Leadership impact often happens not despite the hard times – but because of them
Whether you are an emerging leader, transitioning into leadership, or a transformational leader working in your professional brilliance, you’ve likely had days where you pause and question yourself, wondering, “Am I doing enough to have the impact I want to have?”
It’s a common question—but also a vital one. It signals reflection, humility, and a recognition that leadership isn’t static. Growing into your leadership role is one thing; growing into your leadership style is another, deeper layer entirely. The first is about competence. The second is about consciousness.
Beyond résumé skills
When we describe ourselves as leaders, most of us can list the five or so core skills that show up on our résumés: strategic thinking, communication, project management, fundraising, and team development. These skills are valuable, but only tell a portion of the story.
Leadership in the nonprofit world—especially in Canada’s unique context of community-driven, resource-conscious, values-based work—draws on a richer blend of skills and experiences. To see those attributes clearly, it helps to look beyond the job description and focus on who you are when things get hard.
One question I ask those who are questioning their leadership capacity, is: “What challenges have you faced over the past year?”
At first, there’s hesitation. Then comes the outpouring of: staffing shortages, board transitions, expectations beyond resources, burnout, funding uncertainty, community crises. The list flows easily. But what comes next is the insight: from every one of those challenges, there’s growth.
Growth vs. challenge
Consider the nonprofit sector of 2024–2025 in Canada—a period of adjustment after pandemic disruptions, inflationary pressures, and an evolving donor landscape. Many executive directors, program managers, and volunteer leaders faced tough circumstances of stretched budgets, shifting community expectations, and an increasing move towards a digital-first work environment.
When we really look at these post pandemic stories, we can see that every difficulty has left a leadership imprint of:
- Resilience from navigating uncertainty.
- Responsiveness from adapting quickly to new realities.
- Empathy from seeing human struggles and pressures.
- Commitment from applying measured approaches to complex situations.
- Curiosity from seeking better ways.
Once leaders make the shift and see the strengths that come through moments of adversity, it becomes easier to recognize that leadership impact often happens not despite the hard times – but because of them.
So many of us fail to see growth, and instead only see pain points. Tenure, time and perspective help adjust that view. And truly the pace of nonprofit life doesn’t always leave time to pause, but it must become a part of our leadership strategies. Seasoned professionals need to help newcomers to the \ team see their growth despite the pain points.
Reflection is not a luxury—it’s a leadership muscle
Leaders need to see themselves not only as responders to circumstance but as change agents. And, we must demonstrate this practice so that our teams can see that having challenges is not all bad. A better strategy is to embrace challenge and change for all that we gain from it. I boldly suggest that innovation and creativity often come from crisis events. Dare I say the word “pivot”? We are experts in this.
Our nonprofit sector, where impact is often measured in profit margins, should be viewed in lives changed, communities connected, and systems nudged toward fairness. That kind of work demands leadership that goes beyond average—it calls for those who are purpose-driven to step up.
Transformational leaders—those who elevate people, organizations, and communities—don’t usually start out envisioning themselves as change agents. They evolve into it through bold awareness, courage, and consistency.
Simply put, impactful leaders create strength in their community and teams, through self reflective, intentional growth.
So, if you find yourself asking, “Am I doing enough to have impact?”, tweak the question slightly and ask:
- What am I learning from the challenges I’m facing?
- What strengths have I gained through this difficulty?
- What would change if I celebrated my growth as clearly as I do my goals achieved?
Leadership in the nonprofit world is not defined by applause or external benchmarks. It’s defined by the growth within us, our teams, and our communities as well as applying the lens that we see change and challenge through.
Every Canadian nonprofit leader (from a youth program coordinator in a rural community to an urban-based foundation executive) carries that same transformative potential. What makes the difference is focus, ensuring we pause to recognize both the challenges and the development happening in real time.
At the end of the day, leading in Canada’s nonprofit sector isn’t about getting everything perfect—it’s about moving forward and making a real difference. When you treat every challenge as a chance to learn and grow, you don’t just help your team, you inspire others too.
Lead with thoughtfulness, with heart, and by being true to yourself. You’ll help build to build a sector where roadblocks turn into opportunities for good.
Sherry Schaefer is Director of Emerging Leaders at Chavender. As a leadership coach, Sherry leads mid-level professional training and mentorship, empowering individuals to realize their value and leadership potential. With over 35 years in healthcare, including 15 years as Foundation Director at CapitalCare Foundation, she spearheaded capital campaigns raising over $25M and organized major events for up to 500 attendees. sherry@chavender.com
