Resist the Urge to Fix Everything

I remember when I first started in my last role as the new Executive Director of a local nonprofit. I was so excited about the challenges ahead of me! Things I could figure out, new challenges to cross off the list, etc.

By day 14, I already had 47 distinct things to fix. A friend, who had been in my shoes said “Cross out 45 of those things. Focus on the first two right now.”

It was such great advice. I use it all the time with my kids… “how do you eat an elephant?” One bite at a time.

Being a new nonprofit Executive Director is like trying to swallow the elephant whole.

The instinct to prove yourself by fixing things fast is the most expensive mistake new EDs make. You haven’t earned the context yet. The thing that looks broken often isn’tm it’s load-bearing for relationships you don’t yet see.

Three questions before you change anything in your first 90 days:

• What problem is the current “way things are being done” actually solving? (Trust me, there’s something there)

• Who would be affected, and have I talked to them? (Super, super important, because you could burn your bridges early if you don’t think about this)

• Is this the right fight to spend my “New Leader” capital on right now?

Your first 90 days aren’t about decisions. They’re about earning the right to make them. And listening. And listening. And listening.

For those who have been there, what’s one thing you wanted to change immediately, and held off on?