Navigating the Now -- a Thread
Keeping your eye on the North Star in a Hurricane
I’m incredibly excited about this series— I mean, this is on all our minds, right? I’m looking at you nonprofit and small business sector. Has there been a day recently you haven’t asked yourself, “Will today be a little less….??” Answer: No. Sorry.
For the next few weeks, we will share our take on how to navigate the changing landscape of today, or as the headline provides, keeping your eye on your North Star in the midst of a hurricane.
When Everything Changes, What Still Holds True?
Change continues to make landfall.
For nonprofit and small business leaders, it can feel like standing in the middle of a hurricane: policies shifting, funding drying up, staff exhausted, missions questioned.
But even in a storm, there’s a constant — your North Star.
This week's issue helps you, your team, and board reconnect to your essential purpose so you can lead with clarity even when everything around you is in motion.
Personal Experience: Let’s Pause for a Story.
Consider where you were on March 13, 2020. On that date, a Friday the 13th no less, I remember exactly where I was. I heard earlier that morning that we were shutting down in-person operations and moving to a completely virtual existence. We all thought this was a two-week commitment, tops. As a team, we masterminded enough to bring the essentials with us and consider the most important elements of our practice — we had to keep the phones open. Working in a large urban school district, you are the hub for so many services and when people aren’t able to meet you in-person, they need to be able to call. In that summer, there were plenty of things we could have done better, without a doubt. But we kept the phones open and served double the number of families that we did in years prior.
It’s critical, when the winds of a hurricane sweep through your world, to keep in mind the most important components of your work. For our team, keeping the phones open and available were a life-line for families who needed information about their child’s educational experience because schools were flooded with competing priorities, minimal infrastructure to handle the volume, and the stress of moving instruction to virtual only options.
I don’t have the data, but I believe completely that our ability to “stay open” by phone that spring and summer provided at least some relief to families going through an unprecedented reality.
Framework: The Minimum Viable Mission (MVM)
In stable times, nonprofits can stretch: expanding programs, trying new pilots, serving broader audiences.
In unstable times, you must contract back to what is most essential.
Your Minimum Viable Mission (MVM) is the absolute core of your work — the part that must survive no matter what.
Think of it as your "if everything else falls away, this is what we still must do" statement.
Try the following questions as reflections for team or Board reflection.
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Example: Low-Income Students of Color
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Example: Increasing access to higher education.
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Example: Equity, dignity, and opportunity
Tool: Rapid Mission Reprioritization Worksheet
Here’s a 30-minute exercise to help your leadership team or board find the North Star:
Write down your full mission and vision.
Identify your "critical impact" — what must endure even if resources collapse.
List all current programs. Mark each: Essential / Important / Optional.
Ask: If we had to cut 50% tomorrow, what do we protect first? Why?
Articulate your Minimum Viable Mission in 1-2 sentences.
→ Optional: Create two versions — "Crisis MVM" and "Stability MVM" to allow flexibility.
Insight: Clarity Beats Perfection
In moments of pressure, perfectionism is the enemy.
Your North Star doesn’t have to be beautifully worded or universally approved — it just has to be clear enough to guide decisions.
Remember:
People will tolerate change better if they understand what will not change.
Staff need anchors, not slogans.
Communities will trust you more when you are real and focused, even if plans shift.
Final Word
In a hurricane, you don’t outrun the storm — you anchor to what matters most.
This week, find your anchor. Hold fast. That’s leadership.
Looking for Leaders to Highlight!
During this series, we’re highlighting leaders in the field who have strategized and led in challenging times. We want to learn more about the key features of leadership that they have hung their hats on to weather the storm.
Nominate a leader you think should be featured in a future newsletter as part of this series! If you nominate a leader, we will thank you in an upcoming newsletter and you will be put into a raffle for a free subscription to the newsletter when we launch our paid version! Reply to this newsletter or message us on LinkedIn!
