The realty of leading an organization is that there will always be good times and there will always be bad times. The love for the work, the love for the mission , and a sense of the stress being temporary sustains a leader during the rough times.

This week I was having a conversation with a  friend of mine who also leads a nonprofit organization.  He was at his wits end and  in the midst of some really difficult issues with his staff. He described feeling stabbed-in-the-back,  ineffective, and be unable to lead his team. Several times in the conversation he talked about it being time for him to leave his job and move on.

I wanted to support my friend but I also wanted to be genuine with him. So I listened.  I told him about some of my dark times and times I wanted to quit. I also reminded him that the dark times pass. I shared my thoughts on how to manage this rough patch. I reminded him that organizations are dynamic and leadership is an ever evolving event. An organization is new everyday. Every day a leader can make decisions and take actions that reshapes things and solves problems to move the organization  toward accomplishing its mission.  And yet, there will still be challenging times.

After we had discussed the ups and downs of leading an agency, I reminded  my friend  he had all the skill he needed to get through this difficult period and continue to move the organization forward. I also told him that only he could decide if his love for the work and the mission  was enough to put up with the  nerve-wracking  times.

At the end of our talk I could tell by his voice that a sense of hope was rising. I’m glad.