After the Storm: Leading When the World Feels Heavy

It’s been just over a week since the heartbreaking news from Kerr County and the Hill Country first broke. As we’ve taken time to process it ourselves and continue to lift up the families affected in prayer, we also recognize how close to home this tragedy feels. While JSS wasn’t directly impacted, much of our work has centered around Christian camps - sacred spaces that hold deep meaning for so many of our clients and their families. With that in mind, we want to acknowledge this unique kind of grief and share this post from the heart.

For those of us who live and lead in Texas, or serve Christian camps and schools across the country, this tragedy feels painfully close. Many of us know someone or know someone who knows someone connected to the flood. The degrees of separation are few. Whether or not your organization has direct ties to the area, many of us still feel connected in one way or another.

As more headlines roll in, you may be finding it hard to focus. It is a cruel irony to feel the tension between gratitude and sorrow - gratitude to be far away and safe, while at the same time feeling a deep sadness for what so many are going through. And yet...the budget still needs balancing. The next campaign email still needs to go out. The newsletter still needs to be written. The next major gift still needs to be stewarded. Your staff still looks to you for what to say and do next.

This is the burden, and the beauty, of nonprofit leadership. The work doesn’t stop. But wise leaders know when to pause, breathe, and lead from a place of compassion.

We shared a similar post back in October, shortly after the devastation of Hurricane Helene. Many of the points still apply - the work must go on, even when it feels daunting or even awkward.

So, leader, how do you keep going when your heart hurts? How do you keep leading with integrity when the weight of the world is heavy? How do you strike a balance between continuing to push your mission forward while it feels unfair that so many have lost so much?

Here are five reminders and practices to help nonprofit leaders navigate this kind of moment with compassion and clarity.

1. Name the grief - don’t let it go unmentioned.

As a leader, you set the tone. It’s okay (and necessary) to acknowledge the sorrow, even if your organization isn’t directly impacted. Even if no one is talking about it, someone on your staff is probably thinking about it. By failing to even mention it, you’ll leave your team (and maybe your followers or supporters) wondering if you’re even aware. And in case you haven’t noticed, Millennials, Gen Z-ers, and Gen Alpha like to talk about our feelings.

Start your next staff meeting with a prayer. Send a simple email to your staff expressing solidarity and condolences. Offer to talk or pray with anyone who needs it. To your staff, send a list of resources or practical ways to help - maybe even join together on a single GoFundMe cause for a bigger impact. 

2. Lead with your humanity, not just your hustle.

You don’t have to pretend to have it all together. In fact, people trust leaders more when they’re real. Both things can be true - you can still be the one steering the ship and you can also say, “This is a really hard week.” If you’re tired, say so. If you’re just plain sad, say that too. If your to-do list feels heavy and overwhelming, invite others to carry it with you. You don’t need the perfect words. You just need honest ones.

When leaders lead from their humanity, they give everyone else permission to do the same. We’re all human, after all. 

3. Adjust the pace, not the mission. (It’s ok to slow down!)

The work is still important. And deadlines still exist. But this might not be the week for five Zoom meetings and the launch of a brand new initiative. Can you pause your campaign for a day or two? Can you give your team some breathing room without dropping the ball? In the wise words of Ross Gellar, “Pivot!”

Leadership isn’t about stopping altogether. It’s about reading the room and moving with wisdom. 

4. Reframe the tone of your communication.

If you're sending a fundraising email, launching a campaign, or asking for support, take time to revisit the tone of those communication pieces. People are tender right now. They’re looking for purpose, not pressure. Giving to your campaign may not be top of mind at the moment and forcing them to make it a priority will only come across as insensitive.

Your messaging doesn’t have to keep referencing the tragedy, but it should reflect the emotional temperature of your audience. 

5. Stay rooted in hope.

This is the gift of faith-based leadership: we know the storm doesn’t get the last word! Even when the waters rise and our questions are plenty, we believe in a God who sees, restores, and walks with us through the valley. That hope doesn’t have to feel polished. It doesn’t need a shiny bow on top. But it does need to be present in your team’s conversations, your donor updates, and in your own heart.

Your mission still matters! Maybe even now more than ever. Keep doing the good work.

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If you're feeling like you're supposed to "have it all together" right now, here’s a gentle reminder: you don’t have to be the strong one all the time. You have permission to hurt too!

But you do need to be the honest one. The present one. The one who keeps showing up with open hands, even when it's hard.

The storm passed, but the ache remains. So keep leading. Keep listening. And let compassion, not pressure, set the tone.

Leader, you’ve got this.

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If you’re looking for a reputable place to donate to help flood victims, Convoy of Hope and Catholic Charities USA are two great faith-based options: