Leaders
Yes, you can. Together.
Supporting spontaneous leaders
How can we help you pull people together to rise above a crisis?
We’ve got your back
We have worked with and talked to others like you, who want to make a difference. Get in touch with us so we can share what we’ve learned from them, connect you to our network, and cheer you on.
Here are some of the challenges we can help you overcome:
Am I doing it right?
You are trying to do things you’ve never done before. While your path is unique, many of the challenges you face aren’t. We can help you understand the path you’re on, manage your priorities; and give you the confidence you need to accomplish your goals.
What haven’t I thought about?
You don’t have time to consider everything you need to move forward, much less see what you don’t know. We can help you discover what you haven’t thought about – before you get in trouble or create extra work for yourself.
Where can I find help?
You are in a situation where the rules have changed, “normal” isn’t normal, and your usual resources aren’t available. We can help you to navigate this shifting landscape, figure out how to get what you need, and connect you to others who can help you get it.
How do I develop my team?
You will be most effective if you work with a team, even if you don’t think you’re a leader. We can help you to understand and manage the challenges of getting people to pull together in the midst of a crisis.
Advice from the frontlines
Whether you contact us or not, please consider this advice that we have taken from the many crisis responders who have successfully traversed the road that you are on:
1
Just start
Take a step. Take another. Keep going. Don’t let not knowing hold you back.
2
Don’t be afraid to fail
If you do something, you may succeed. If you do nothing, you’ve already failed.
3
Don’t go it alone
Get others to help. Collaboration will make it easier, and help you do more.
4
Build on what you have
Use the skills, resources, and relationships that are available to you. Develop new ones as you go along.
5
Focus
Tackle one problem at a time. Don’t try to do everything at once.
6
Iterate
Get it out there. Get feedback. Adapt. Don’t polish it too much.
7
Don’t be afraid to lead
Leadership is about helping the group to succeed. You don’t have to be a boss to lead.
From our blog
Misunderstandings, Mistakes and Grief
In this message of support for Life After Disaster, we offer a few recommendations for managing misunderstandings, mistakes and grief …
Spontaneous leader helping Turkish earthquake survivors: Go Mesut!
Here is what Mesut Bilgili had to say about his efforts to help earthquake survivors (and the benefits of getting a little encouragement from us).
Six steps of federal disaster assistance – Under the hood of the U.S. federal process
On the sixth day of Thanks and Giving, we give to you … six steps of the U.S. federal disaster assistance process.
From our blog
Misunderstandings, Mistakes and Grief
In this message of support for Life After Disaster, we offer a few recommendations for managing misunderstandings, mistakes and grief …
Spontaneous leader helping Turkish earthquake survivors: Go Mesut!
Here is what Mesut Bilgili had to say about his efforts to help earthquake survivors (and the benefits of getting a little encouragement from us).
Six steps of federal disaster assistance – Under the hood of the U.S. federal process
On the sixth day of Thanks and Giving, we give to you … six steps of the U.S. federal disaster assistance process.
Get involved
Volunteer
Help to mentor spontaneous leaders. We want to connect emerging crisis leaders with those who have been through it, so that they can learn from your mistakes, and benefit from your support.
Volunteer
Help to create short infographics and videos to provide spontaneous leaders with the insights we have learned from others. We need copy-writers, visual designers, illustrators, video production, and educational designers.
Partner
Help us to empower community-led efforts in your community. We rely on community-based organizations to teach us about the needs of their communities so that we can make our support locally relevant and available.
“… even just knowing that you’re out there is a big boost, and saying I can have support, right? Because I’m not gonna lie. It’s felt lonely at times, right? You feel like you’re kind of carrying this thing on your back.”
Leland Franklin
Founder, COVID Compassion Project