Explore every episode of the podcast Aid for Aid Workers Leadership Podcast

If you want to make a greater impact on your team and work while avoiding overwhelm and overwork, check out this FAN FAVORITE episode from the new podcast "The Modern Humanitarian and Development Leader"! You can find it wherever you're listening to this episode!  Just search for "The Modern Humanitarian and Development Leader" and make sure to SUBSCRIBE for the latest updates! ------------------ Ever feel like you're drowning in your workload and still not making the impact you want?

In this episode, we tackle a critical issue facing humanitarian and development leaders today: burnout. Discover why traditional ways of working are causing you more harm than good and how you can break free from this cycle.

In this 11 minute episode you'll learn:

1. The real reasons behind burnout that you might not be aware of and how to address them.
2. Gain insights on how to become a modern leader who maximizes impact while reducing stress and overwhelm.
3. Learn how to acquire practical skills to empower your team, enhancing productivity and fostering a high-performing, inclusive work environment.

Don't let overwork and overwhelm hold you back—listen to this episode now and start your journey towards more effective and sustainable leadership! -----------------

Are you a humanitarian or international development leader who wants to make a greater impact, but without the overwhelm and burnout? If you want to create a high performance team that meets the changing demands of the humanitarian and development sector without sacrificing your well being, check out "The Modern Humanitarian and Development Leader" podcast.

In less time than it takes you to drink your powdered milk Nescafe, you will learn how to empower a diverse team to perform their best despite cultural and personality differences, what's keeping you from greater productivity and how to overcome it and how to meet the leadership needs of the modern humanitarian and development sector while making a greater impact and avoiding burnout.

I'm your host, Torrey Peace, and after 12 years working in humanitarian and development, As well as coaching hundreds of leaders across the UN, INGOs, and civil society globally, I have observed first hand the overwork and overwhelm that is so common and leads to burnout. The good news is that I've also discovered how you can lead differently in order to step out of overwhelm and start making a bigger impact than you thought possible.

And I want to share it with you. Join me every Monday to learn practical insights and tips to help you become a modern humanitarian and development leader. And on Wednesdays for inspirational quotes to get you through the week. Check out "The Modern Humanitarian and Development Leader " podcast on any platform you listen to your podcasts.

I recommend you start with episode one, "Say No to Burnout in the Humanitarian and Development Sector: how to do less and make a bigger impact". See you there!

Why this is the last podcast episode of The Aid for Aid Workers Leadership podcast, and how my decision to end it will help you become a better leader.

In this podcast you will learn:

• Why I have decided to end this podcast after 300 episodes!!
• 3 things that most humanitarian and dev’t leaders are not aware of that prevent them from leading better
• Next steps you can take to make a bigger impact without the overwhelm and burnout

To learn more about the launch of "The Modern Humanitarian and Development Leader" podcast visit:  www.aidforaidworkers.com/email 

In this episode I provide five habits you can easily practice to become a better leader in humanitrian and international development.  You'll learn how to incorporate these habits into your work week, and how they can help you become healthier, more motivated in addition to getting better results from those you lead.

This interview is a bit different - and that is because it is not from an aid worker perspective on humanitarian leadership, but from the donor perspective!   In this interview an individual working for a large, global donor shares, well, the good, the bad and the what you should never do when working with a donor.

He has a lot of great advice for all you leaders who interact with donors whether during visits, or during stakeholder meetings or when leading a project. I think this will be extremely useful for you and give you some insight on what donors want from INGO leadership.

In this interview you will learn among other things:

• What a donor may expect out of an INGO leader
• How to create a positive relationship with your donor
• How to set up your team for success in donor interactions
• The most surprising thing for him about working with INGO leaders
• The best way to seek information on new opportunities

 For more episodes on how to broaden your impact, please visit www.aidforaidworkers.com!

We’ve all been tortured by the same old “let me show you ALL my results” presentations in aid work. They all blend together after a while. So how can you make your public presentation (sharing of Baseline or Endline Results or Strategy) more memorable?

Well you’re in luck, because in this episode I share three proven ways to conduct a presentation that will leave your stakeholders thinking “wow that organization is amazing! I can’t wait to see what they come up with next!” Through these three ways you’ll wow your audience and make them curious for more - so that you can be seen as a leader in your sector, and not just another presentation they feel obligated to attend.

The humanitarian and development sectors are changing and we as leaders need to understand how our roles are changing in order to make the most impact.  

In this episode, we dive into the essential strategies leaders need to consider for enhancing equity, resilience, and accountability in global development organizations. With insights from Christine Sow, CEO of Humentum, listeners will learn practical approaches to overcoming bureaucratic bottlenecks and fostering a healthy organizational ecosystem. This discussion is particularly relevant for those struggling with operational inefficiencies and seeking to become better leaders for their teams.

In this episode you will:

1. Gain actionable strategies for building an agile and resilient organization that can swiftly adapt to external and internal shocks without compromising core values.
2. Learn how to cultivate a values-driven organizational culture, where principles guide everyday decisions and interactions.
3. Discover effective ways to shift power dynamics within your organization, empowering teams and promoting equity at every level.

Tune in now to unlock the secrets of operational excellence and transformative leadership in the humanitarian and development sectors— and start revolutionizing your organization today!

Resources mentioned:

• Humentum Website
• Report: Cultivating a Healthy Global Development Ecosystem

Office gossip can be very damaging to a team and organization, not to mention the reputation of yourself and others!  Gossip can lead to low staff morale, feelings of mistrust, and even problems with staff retention.  It is therefore essential that we understand how to recognize gossip, what it is and why it happens.  In this episode I share this as well as five ways you can turn the toxicity created by gossip into an opportunity to reinforce a culture of trust, open communication and respect with your team.  

- Originally published June 2019

Have you ever considered the way you lead others could be adding to your workload?

Just as the way humanitarian and development work has evolved over the last 50 to 60 years, so has the need to lead differently.  

In this episode you'll learn:

• How leadership has evolved in the humanitarian and development sector and current requirements of the Modern Humanitarian and Development Leader 2.0 (today's leaders)
• When to use different leadership styles effectively to get the most from your team
• How to know if your leadership style is adding to your workload, or lessening it

Stop creating more work for yourself and learn how to become the Modern Humanitarian Leader by listening now!

Do you feel stretched thin by work demands, struggling to carve out time for impactful projects?

In this episode, we uncover three often-overlooked strategies for time management specifically tailored for humanitarian and development supervisors.

Here's what you'll learn:

1. Gain insight into setting effective boundaries on your time and your team's time, empowering you to prioritize tasks strategically.
2. Understand the importance of respecting scheduled work time, avoiding the trap of overcommitment and burnout.
3. Identify and overcome "High Performance Syndrome" thoughts that may be sabotaging your productivity and learn how to coach yourself towards greater effectiveness.

Listen now to unlock the secrets of effective time management and maximize your impact in your leadership role!

Have you ever found yourself lost in the wilderness, not sure where to go or how to get there, surrounded by the unknown and potential danger?

Just like navigating unfamiliar territory, defining and achieving impactful goals in humanitarian and development work can feel like wandering without direction.

Without a clear vision, leaders risk inefficiency, aimlessness, and missed opportunities for positive change.

Discovering the roadmap to impactful leadership is crucial in today's complex world, where every decision can make a difference in the lives of many.

In this episode, you will learn:

1. Insight into the importance of defining personal impact goals as leaders in humanitarian and development work.
2. Strategies for identifying strengths, values, and areas of excitement to fuel impactful leadership.
3. Techniques for setting clear and measurable goals to track progress and ensure meaningful outcomes.

 Ready to chart your course towards impactful leadership?

Tune in now to learn how defining your vision can be the first step in navigating the wilderness of humanitarian and development work.

Are you constantly overwhelmed with a never-ending stream of interruptions at work?

Whether you're a humanitarian and develoment leader in the field or managing a team remotely, the pressure to always be available might be hurting your productivity more than you realize.

In today's fast-paced work environment, the expectation of constant availability can lead to burnout and decreased effectiveness. This episode dives deep into the myth of the "open door policy" and explores how prioritizing uninterrupted, focused work time is crucial for both individual productivity and team development. Learn how rethinking your approach to availability can lead to better outcomes and a healthier work-life balance.

Here's what you'll learn:

1. Discover the damaging effects of High Performance Syndrome and the myth of always being available.
2. Learn practical strategies for setting boundaries and reclaiming focused work time without sacrificing your role as a supportive leader.
3. Understand how fostering independence within your team can lead to greater productivity and proactive problem-solving, ultimately driving more impactful results in your humanitarian and development work.

Ready to break free from the cycle of busyness and reclaim your productivity? Tune in to this episode of the Aid for Aid Workers podcast to uncover practical strategies for balancing availability with focused work time. Don't miss out – your effectiveness as a leader depends on it!

Will you achieve your goals within a year?

Many of us "hope" we will.

But hoping alone will not get you to that promotion or to achieve that certification.

There are two things that you need to do in order to successfully achieve your goals.

And it comes down to how you use your time.

Find out more in this episode.

NEW!!!!  Episodes are now accompanied by full transcript!!! 

Please find full transcript below, or you can visit the link here and when you push "play" the corresponding text will be highlighted.

Wouldn't it be nice if a time management tool could solve all our problems as humanitarian and development leaders?

Unfortuntely, it doesn't work that way.

While time management tools can be helpful, there is something else you need to address before you can use them effectively.

Something that will have a much greater impact on your time management.

It has to do with the way you THINK about your time.

After coaching hundreds of humanitarian and development supervisors, I have found there are common ways of thinking which prevent them from taking control of their time and making the impact they want.

Listen to this episode to find out more.

NEW: For a full written transcript of this episode, please visit the link here.

Previous Episodes Mentioned:

How Respecting Your Own Time Leads You to Having More of It

What is a common fear of leaders in humanitarian and international development when it comes to coaching their teams?

The fear of losing respect.

Losing respect because their team sees them as needing to have all the answers.

So if they start asking their teams what they think, then the team will question their authority.

I understand the reasoning behind this concern, especially in certain cultures where leadership is more directive.

But how true is it?

And is it really true we need to provide our teams with answers all the time?

In this episode I share how this way of thinking can limit your growth as a leader - and how to use a more balanced approach which will motivate your team and take pressure off of yourself to need to know it all.

NEW:  For a full written transcript of this episode, please visit the link here.

Previous Epsiodes Mentioned:

How a Coach Approach Increased the Impact of Her Work - with Inonge Wina-Chinyama

Three Main Leadership Styles: Advantage of Each and When to Use Them

When I was a leader in the international development and the humanitarian sector, I had many reasons to rush.

There is always a deadline - whether a proposal, a project need or a government request.

And yet there are consequences for being in a hurry and just trying to get things done.

In this episode I share the importance of slowing down to understand and listen, and my own experience with what happens when we do not.

For a full written transcript of this episode, please visit the link here.

The word "feedback" in the humanitarian and development context can create feelings of anxiety, fear and anger.

And yet, your team says they want feedback.

So what is it they REALLY want?

Most likely they want to grow, or become a better version of themselves in some way.

The problem is if we don't know how to have that conversation, we can actually create the opposite effect - that is, a team member resistant to change.

In this episode I present how to see feedback the way your team wants to receive it, and how to make it a regular conversation that is productive and helpful for all involved.

The best leaders adapt their leadership style based on their team's needs.

I like to think of the saying "wearing different hats" where one hat (way of leading) may be appropriate for one environment but not another.

Similarly, we shouldn't always be leading one way.

Sometimes you need to manage, sometimes you need to teach and sometimes you need to coach.

Knowing the differences, the advantages and disadvantages of each and when to use them can help you understand how to create a stronger, more motivated team.

Learn how to know which you are using the most and how it may be impacting those around you in this episode.

Mentioned in this Episode:

The Coach Approach Leadership Style digital course - registration now open!

As a leader who wants to strengthen your team, sometimes you need to teach them, and sometimes you need to coach them.

There is a time for each - either your team member needs information to take action (training) versus needing self-reflection (coaching).

I see many frustrated leaders who think they need to teach something - yet again - for someone to take action when in reality what's blocking them is something deeper, such as lack of confidence or motivation.

Understanding when to use coaching versus teaching can save you a lot of frustration and help your team become stronger faster.  This is what we discuss in today's episode.

It's that time of the year!  

If you're like many of the supervisors I know, you are probably delaying having them.

Performance planning conversations!

These conversations are one of the most important discussions of the year, but many of us see them as a "have to do" and not a "want to do".

Why is that?

From my experience, it's not that performance planning conversations are bad.

It's that we are not doing them effectively.

An effective performance planning discussion should leave you and your team motivated and excited.

In this episode I share simple things you can do to have more productive and motivating performance planning discussions.

Conversations that you look forward to having - and your team too.

As a leader you influence the level of diversity on your team.

Allowing greater diversity results in your team contributing ideas and more innovation.

And greater contribution/ideas = greater impact.

In this episode we explore the story of Little Richard, an African American performer who despite many obstacles was able to be himself, resulting in him becoming one of the most influential people on rock and roll.

So what allowed Little Richard to do so well, and what can you do as a leader to encourage diversity on your team?  

Listen to find out.

Resources mentioned:

Little Richard: I Am Everything documentary

There are many ways to lead in the international development and humanitarian sectors.

Whether it's by using a coach approach leadership style or by mentoring others, there are many ways to demonstrate leadership that benefit those around us.

In this episode guest Fiona Macaulay (Founder of the Women Innovators and Leaders Development Network or WILD Network) shares how this year's WILD Forum will fulfill the theme "Lead at Every Level, Everywhere."

We discuss how all of us can be better leaders, what to expect from this year's WILD Forum and how to get involved.

Resources mentioned:

WILD 2024: Women's Global Leadership Forum

How we spend our time each day directly relates to our likelihood of achieving our goals.

If we spend our time on what I call "empty calorie tasks" we will probably not change or grow much.

But if we prioritize high quality tasks related to our goals, we will more likely achieve them.

Understanding how to prioritize our time so we achieve our goals is one of my 2023 Lessons Learned.

In this episode I share a helpful way to make decisions so you are on the path to achieving your 2024 goals.

Are you approaching work from a scarcity mentality or abundance mentality?

A scarcity mentality leads to fear, stress and worry.

An abundance mentality leads to calm, motivation and inspiration.

Over the past year I have learned that approaching things from an abundance mentality not only benefits me but others as well.

And it is a lot more enjoyable way to work.

Listen to this episode to learn more.

I have taken time over the last few weeks to reflect on my top lessons learned for 2023.

These lessons can help you achieve your goals for 2024 - faster and better.

I am sharing them in a three part episode - starting with how I have learned to not rely only on one or two ways of reaching a goal.

If you want to grow more as a leader, this lesson will help you greatly increase your chances of doing so.

Asking your team "how can I help?" is a great way to show your support.

But knowing when to ask this question can make it more helpful to your team member - and ultimately to you as a leader too.

In this episode I explore the best way to ask "how can I help you?" as a supervisor in order to empower your team and not keep them from growing.

Most of us prefer working for a leader who we feel cares for us over one who only cares about results.  

Many research studies confirm the same: empathetic leaders create higher performing and more motivated teams.

Chances are if you're listening to this you are already a caring leader, but there is an opportunity that many leaders overlook which is so simple and yet goes a long way when you want to demonstrate caring for your team. 

In this episode I share this simple thing you can start doing immediately, and how it may reveal things you did not even know which can create a happier, more motivated team that creates more impact.

If you find yourself saying things like "my team knows not to follow my bad example (working long hours, for example)" then this episode is for you.

So many humanitarian and development leaders I work with think they are the "exception to the rule".  That is that their team does not follow their unhealthy work style.  

But how true is that really?

From my experience, it's not.

In this episode I show you how you are influencing your team's behavior more than you think, and what may motivate you to change it.

You have a lot on your to do list.  Between all the meetings, email and your everyday obligations, things get busy fast!

And yet, one of our most important priorities as supervisors can be one of the ones we delay doing the most - that is developing our team.

How can you find time to develop your team while also keeping your other priorities?

Listen to this episode to find out!

Resources mentioned:

- How to do a Time Audit (from previous episode How Will You be Remembered as a Leader Part One)

How have you done achieving your annual goals?

Sometimes it feels like there's some magic formula that we are missing which will allow us to achieve our goals.

Thankfully, that's not true.

Achieving our goals comes down to one thing.

And that is: how we have prioritized our time.

The way we use our time compounded leads us to the results we have today.

The good news is that means you can make a change.

If you choose to use your time on the things that will result in a stronger team or you as a stronger leader, you can achieve it.

One obstacle that I see humanitarian and development leaders create for themselves is the idea that later will be better.

After I finish this proposal, or donor visit, or final report, or whatever... THEN I will have the time.

But that is just not true.

There will always be things to do.

Things that make you "busy".

So knowing this, how can you prioritize what you know will make the most impact?

Learn more in this episode.

Resources mentioned:

Not Enough Time and Later Is Better

You're listening to this because you want to grow as a leader.

One way to do that is to be aware of your mindset.

Having the right mindset, or perspective, can motivate us to grow and improve.

But having the "wrong" mindset can lead to the opposite of growth.

One limited mindset I see in humanitarian and development supervisors is when they tell themselves "they already know" something.

"They already know" about this person.

Or "they already know" about this skill.

Or "they already know" about this experience.

And guess what?

Saying "you already know" shuts you down to looking for anything new.

The opposite of growth.

How might you be limiting yourself with what "you already know"?

Listen to this episode to find out.

Whether you know it or not, you have a certain way of leading your team.

They are used to you doing things a certain way.

So if you suddenly change that without saying anything...

It could be very disruptive, and unproductive.

In this episode I share what I've learned about how to introduce a new way of leading to make it successful, in part by making the transition more comfortable and inclusive.

Resources Mentioned:

The Coach Approach Leadership Style

Are you the hero or the victim of your story?

Sometimes we may be a victim - and not even realize it.

And when we are a victim - we become helpless and hopeless.

This means we don't act, we don't grow and we don't help ourselves or others.

Because we see our situation as "reality" - rather than seeing it as a story that can change.

In this episode I share how to recognize when you are in victim mode and what you can do to get out of it.

Resources mentioned:

The Coach Approach Leadership Style course - enrollment is now until December 1st for the February cohort

When we communicate with others, and especially when coaching, the quality of our questions can have tremendous impact on the outcome.

We can have good intentions, but a question which is leading or directive can shut down a conversation and limit the creativity and resourcefulness of those you work with.

In this episode you'll learn how to know if you are asking leading questions, and what to do about it, so you can communicate more effectively and develop your team at the same time.

There are many benefits of a proactive team.

A more proactive team means greater diversity of thought, higher team motivation and more time for you to work on the important things on your to do list.

Sometimes just asking your team what they think is not enough to make them more proactive and independent.

There are reasons why some team members may be hesitant to offer their ideas or make decisions on their own.

In this episode we explain these reasons, and then address what you can do so your team will start thinking for themselves, offering solutions and providing ideas that you never even considered.

We often hear the word "coach" and think it means the same, whether someone is a leadership coach or sports coach.

But all coaching IS NOT created equal.

Sports coaching and leadership coaching are actually very different, and in order to know which we are doing, it's important to know the differences.

So we don't end up "sports coaching" our team.

This is a common misunderstanding I see people make, and one worth clarifying.

Join me in this short episode as I explain the differences between sports and leadership coaching, so you can know which you are doing, and what changes you might want to make.

Has this happened to you as a humanitarian and/or international development leader?

You have a meeting with your team, or community, or implementing partner, and you think you've agreed on what to do next.

You come back a week later, and find out... nothing has been done!

Why is that?

The more responsibility we take for our team, the community, government, implementing partner (or even your kids!) not taking action on something, the more likely we can fix it.  

Because chances are, there's something we have done that ended up with them not taking action.

If you want to learn the most common reasons things don't get done (after your team has agreed to do them) and how to overcome them, listen to this episode!

Do you have fun at work?  If so, how often?

I think most of us can use more fun in our work and personal lives, but rarely do we stop to think about how to INTENTIONALLY create it.

Having fun at work has been linked to greater productivity, staff morale, and creativity.  And it doesn't require a big budget or extra time during the week.  

You can have fun while still working!  How can you?  Listen to this episode to find out.

This week registration opens for "The Coach Approach Leadership Style" coaching course and to give you an idea of what we cover, I am sharing the top three mistakes I see new humanitarian and development leaders make when coaching, and how you can overcome them!

I'm showing you how these might impact the quality of your coaching, and how to increase your effectiveness with a few small changes.  

To check out enrollment for the coaching course visit here.

Understanding how to acknowledge our team can be the difference between gaining their trust and breaking it.

It's more than just saying "nice job!" or "you're amazing!"

In this episode I share tips on how to acknowledge (hint, it's different from a complement) and how you can use it to motivate your team's performance and productivity.

Do you spend late nights thinking about all the things you have to do?

Are you distracted worrying about future funding?

Do you worry about bigger issues not within your control such as climate change or the economy?

If so, this episode is for you.

I share two practical and easy tips to help you overcome stress and overwhlem.

So you can feel calm and focused.

And focus on what truly matters - the present moment.

Resources mentioned:

What's Your Story?

What would you love to accomplish beyond what's in your job description?

Not the "have to do" but the "WANT to do".

Something that if you accomplished it, you would be so proud - and would make lasting impact on your team and beyond.

Many of the leaders I work with have not thought about this.

At least not intentionally.

In this episode, I give you some ideas of what it looks like to go beyond your job description, and achieve something great. 

Your own leadership legacy.

And it doesn't take extra work.

It's more about making the way you work more focused, and intentional.

So when you leave your current role, you can do so with pride at what you've accomplished - your own legacy.

Has your organization returned to five days in the office?

If so, how was the reasoning behind it communicated to you?

Or maybe you made the decision for your team.

I have been hearing more and more of organizations going back to the five days in the office work week.

There is nothing wrong with that, but it seems that also the majority of people I've talked to don't fully understand what the rationale behind this decision is.

And when we don't understand the reasoning - we tend to create our own in the form of gossip.

In this episode I explore the idea of five days in the office versus a hybrid office-remote approach, and the reasons I could see to justify each one.

Unfortunately I believe many of these decisions are being made more out of fear and scarcity than trust and motivation for staff.

What do you think?

You can let me know here and I will share it on a future episode.

There are certain behaviors that over time have become acceptable and part of being a successful leader.

These include working long hours, sacrificing relationships and even sacrificing our own health.

Part of this problem is that the leaders that are named "successful" by society (especially in the western world) are actually following these same toxic behaviors.

In this episode I share why it is so important we stop naming toxic examples of leadership as successful and what you can do to help make this change.

It amazes me how common it is to have a toxic boss in the humanitarian sector.  Unfortunately these toxic supervisors drive talented people out of the organization and do more harm than good.  If you are one of those suffering with a toxic boss, this episode is for you.  I share how to survive in this situation based on what's worked for me in the past and for others I've coached.  

When we plan our Development Plans for the year, and we want to be stronger in a certain area, we usually assume we need a training.

And that may be partially true.

But training alone does not guarantee action.

Have you ever wondered why your team member attends a training on how to be an amazing presenter, and then still does not want to present?

Or maybe they learn how to have a difficult conversation, but they still avoid having it.

Many times the real reason we don't take action does not have to do with training or knowledge.

It has to do with our perspective.

How we are seeing a situation, and how we feel about it.

That's why when we send someone to a training and then nothing happens, it could be that they still don't feel confident.  Or they have some kind of fear about it.

Until that is addressed, it is likely your team member will remain the same.  

In this episode I share examples of this inaction and what can be done to overcome it.

Sometimes we get lost in the busyness of our day, and we forget what leadership really is.

True leadership is not about using our power to make others follow our commands.

True leadership is about inspiring and motivating others to WANT to follow us.

How do we do that?

In this episode, we review what it means to lead, and how to know when we are leading versus doing something else, and the best way to motivate others to want to follow us.

When you are coaching or learning to coach your team to better performance, you want to do it well.

I see this with my students when they first start learning how to coach.

They know they need to ask a series of questions to help their team think through their own problem.

And so they want to know which is the RIGHT question to ask?

What questions are the right questions?

In this episode I explore how there are no right questions (sorry to disappoint), but there are questions you can ask that will lead to deeper conversations and greater reflection.

I also test your ability to pick up on emotion from someone's tone of voice, which can help you help your direct report to name their own feelings in a situation.

Everyone has one or more moments in their life they will never forget where they were or what they were doing when an unexpected event took place.  For me it was a typical hot sticky evening in South Sudan, with a broken generator in the hundred degree heat.  I remember getting up in the night to douse my hair with water to cool down enough to get to sleep, and lying back down hearing fireworks (or maybe gun shots?) through my open window.  The next morning we discovered indeed those gun shots overnight signified the government splitting in two and the country tumbled into a Civil War.  As things escalated and we sought how to adjust to this new reality, it was an emotional time period and one which was especially stressful for our national staff, most of whom fled with only their families to hide from the onslaught that followed.

Looking back on this time period, I am curious how I would have handled managing a country program of over 400 staff during this time, and how to keep everyone united despite all the chaos.  In order to explore what she experienced and what she was thinking during this time, I asked Lorraine Bramwell, the Country Representative at the time, to share her lessons learned.  In the interview Lorraine is very honest about her thoughts and feelings, as well as what she learned which made an impact and that which maybe could have been done differently.  It is always easy to reflect back and think what we could have done or would have if we were in the leadership position, but in a situation like this you will really not know unless you are in the middle of it.  That said, it is to our advantage as leaders to learn from others who have been in difficult situations that we may never experience but heaven forbid if we should, we at least have some ideas on how to handle them.

Burnout is an ongoing topic of discussion in the humanitarian and development sectors.

Like others I am always seeking ways to help aid workers avoid burnout.

Recently I came across a webinar by Marcus Buckingham in which he spoke of how certain people effectively avoid burnout.

And I wanted to share the takeaways with you.

With a humanitarian lense, of course.

You can start avoiding burnout, and make work more enjoyable... starting even today.

Learn more in this episode.

Resources Mentioned:

Love and Work by Marcus Buckingham