The Founder and Sharing Your Challenges
It’s normal to feel overwhelmed. There is a fine line between “faking it until you make it” and shooting yourself in the face. Get into the habit of sharing your challenges. I have two groups; my team members, and my friends and family. I share very different things with each of them, but taken as a whole, I’ve covered 90% of the challenges I face on a daily basis.
Everyone on our team is equal with regards to communicating challenges and finding solutions. All of our voices are equal, with some voices having decision making power. It is important to have a team that understands that the organization’s challenges are the responsibility of the individual and the whole. This should be cultivated by you at the very beginning. Create a work place that you and your team feel comfortable sharing challenges.
I have a small group of people that I feel comfortable sharing the emotional challenges I face. This group of people need to be able to listen, hear the difficulty I face, say that they believe I’m capable of succeeding, and never ever recommend I quit. That last point is important because as one of my closest friends likes to say regarding my life, “you’re killing yourself for charity.” My response to that is, there’s a lot worse things to kill myself for. He’s there when I need him, and knows when to step away to let me do my job. When you find these people, bring them onto your team.
Tom Stader
Tom is based between China, Vietnam and the USA. In 2008, he founded The Library Project, a nonprofit organization that has impacted over one million children in Asia. His writing explores social entrepreneurship, specifically nonprofit organizations operating in developing countries, philanthropy and governance.
Tom Stader
Tom is based between China, Vietnam and the USA. In 2008, he founded The Library Project, a nonprofit organization that has impacted over one million children in Asia. His writing explores social entrepreneurship, specifically nonprofit organizations operating in developing countries, philanthropy and governance.