I was the Executive Director of a thriving and very busy nonprofit Y. I wanted to go to Hawaii. It was fundraising season and we were gearing up for the annual campaign that lasted 5 weeks. Time for all hands on deck. But I wanted to go to Hawaii.

So I booked the non-refundable flights.

Gulp. Did I really just do that? What the heck was I thinking?!

Here’s the thing. I knew I wasn’t as important as all that, or as others might perceive. We all know that if we set up effective systems and get the right people in place, amazing things can happen. Right? I wasn’t just some spoiled brat stomping my feet and doing the hula. I was exhausted. I hadn’t been out of the office for more than a 3-day weekend in a long time. And when we’re tired – no one benefits from having us around. Trust me on that – we simply aren’t at our best.

But I had fallen into the trap so many nonprofit employees do. We just accept that we’re under- resourced, that a culture where everyone works long hours is the norm, that we must be accessible 24/7, and we work until we have nothing left to give. That can work….for a while. Until it doesn’t anymore and staff productivity and retention start to decline.

I felt like I was dragging every day and I thought I needed to set a better example. I decided to choose a different scenario and head to the beaches in paradise during our peak season.

I chose to make a bold move in the name of our very competent team.

So I talked to my board chair who told me it was a “ballsy move” but he would support me in lining up things so I could get away and feel confident things would run without me during the campaign. That was a key step – securing a champion to work alongside me who understood the goals of leading by example and empowering the team.

We got to work and recruited the right people, with the right attitudes and mindset in place. The team was actually motivated by the challenge because even though in past years I had been the glue that held the campaign together, they were all very involved in the work. Asking a few of them to shift roles and lead a bit differently was a learning opportunity for them. We also had a strong foundation of trust that has been built over time and they knew I wouldn’t set them up to fail.

Then we developed, and revised, and revised again, the training materials and methods of educating everyone involved. And I admit, at one point I wondered if all the prep was worth it. I almost fell back into the old idea of it being easier to do myself. I could always take vacation later. But I knew I would resent that decision, so on we went.

And off I went to Hawaii during weeks 2 and 3 of a very intense, five-week fundraising campaign and I completely unplugged. I did not call in, check emails, or otherwise monitor progress. And I really wasn’t anxious about it while I was gone. Well okay, I admit I thought about work a couple of times, but didn’t get freaked out about it. I felt very confident in the team’s ability to make things happen, and they didn’t disappoint.

When I got back, the team was actually ahead of pace!! Over 80 volunteers were positioned to raise over $250,000. Why? Because we:
* planned well
* equipped the leaders
* educated and supported the volunteer work force

We believed it could be done, and we believed in the people involved.

This scenario confirmed a few things for me. If you envision a train wreck, that is what will happen. But no organization is dependent on just one person. Realize that it takes a village, and your village deserves to be taken well care of and be respected for what they know and can accomplish – then extraordinary things happen.

The 3 lessons to learn:
1. One of the most rewarding things you can witness is observing the leadership that emerges in these kinds of situations.
2. People want to be part of a winning team, and will step up when called upon to do so. They will rise to the expectation when you need them the most.
3. You have a choice. You can choose to surround yourself with people who genuinely care about the mission. People who are committed, who you trust and who will have your back just like you have theirs. You can choose to do things others don’t. Or not.

Me? I will always choose vacation. And you better believe my team can take vacation whenever they want, too!

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