Nonprofit CEOs fight on when the going gets tough, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
Dear Overworked CEO,
I know you are tired. You are working on your passion project, something that has the capacity to change the world. You are a bright light in a world that is all too dark. You help me believe the future can be hopeful. You bring a smile to my face when I think of you.
I’m not just saying this as your consultant. Our relationship is far more than transactional. I want to commend you on the less glamorous elements of your job. After all, it’s a difficult task to be a beam of light in a bleak, dark world. And yet you continue to strive to find ways to make that world a little bit brighter.
You take up space in my mind that I am all too happy to give to you. I see you in the faces of school children who will have a better shot at college because of you. You are reflected in the faces of the parents who will have the resources they need to give their child the best education because of you. You are manifest in the women in crisis who have hope for tomorrow because of you.
Some days the work is hard. The days are long and the balance sheets even longer. Every task, moment of growth, or donation solicitation feels like an uphill battle. Sometimes, it would be much easier to wave the white flag.
After all, you’re not perfect. You make mistakes, just like the rest of us. Part of what makes your job difficult—and your efforts commendable—is working past those mistakes (just like the rest of us). Your job description reads, ‘maker of hard decisions,’ not ‘maker of perfect decisions.”
And those hard decisions don’t always work out. Sometimes, you and your colleagues face frustration and even failure. And so do I.
I see you. This is so much more than a transaction to me. I don’t see you as purely a revenue stream, but rather a friend. I stand behind your mission not only because I want that future too but also because you’re a leader I believe in and want to emulate. Because of you, I can say with deep conviction that I love my job.
It’s an honor to speak of working alongside you when my friends ask what I’m doing for work now. I do this so we can make a better world for people like my dear friend who recently got out of prison. I do this for the seminary hopefuls in my circle. I do this to continue the excellence of classical education, so my friend’s newborn has an excellent school to attend when that day comes.
In fact, I’d almost say that I love you, because we are working together for a bright and hopeful tomorrow for those we care about.
I believe in you. Through thick and thin, through failure and success, keep going.
For Civil Society,
A Young Member of Your Consulting Team
