“How can we decide what to do first, if we haven’t defined what matters most?”

— Elena, The Renegade Nonprofit

Why nonprofit leaders feel endlessly busy… yet the organization still feels leaderless.

Most nonprofit leaders didn’t become leaders because they were trained for it.

They became leaders because they cared.

They were the person who stepped in when no one else did.
They knew the mission.
They knew the work.
They knew the community.

And in the nonprofit sector, that’s all it often takes to end up in the Executive Director’s seat.

But somewhere along the way, something subtle and costly happens:

Their doing becomes their identity.

The ability to fix, produce, jump in, fill gaps, and “just get it done” becomes the backbone of how they lead.

Until one day they look up and realize—

They’re exhausted.
Their team is confused.
The work that really matters isn’t moving.
And everyone is busy, but no one is aligned.

This is the heart of Red Flag #6:

⭐ Invisible Leadership

Not leadership that’s absent.
Leadership that’s everywhere except where leadership actually happens.

⭐ The Most Common Pattern Nonprofits Never Name

Here’s the quiet truth I’ve seen again and again:

Most leaders aren’t invisible because they aren’t working…
They’re invisible because they’re working deep in the work instead of above it.

Invisible leadership shows up in very predictable ways:

• fixing instead of delegating

• rewriting instead of coaching

• doing instead of teaching

• chasing tasks instead of setting priorities

• noticing every operational detail but missing strategic ones

• answering every question instead of building a system that answers itself

These are not character flaws.
They are survival patterns.

Patterns the sector trains leaders into.
Patterns that feel helpful but ultimately drain the organization.

And the consequences are real:
Teams drift.
Priorities blur.
Culture becomes inconsistent.
And leaders quietly burn out.

⭐ The Questions That Reveal Invisible Leadership Instantly

When I work with Executive Directors or founders, I often ask two questions.

Most cannot answer either.

1. “How much time each week do you spend on strategic thinking?”

Very few leaders know.
Most say they intend to make space for it “when things slow down”…
but they never do.

Then I ask:

2. “What percentage of your week is spent with your board, major donors, or key volunteers?”

The silence always tells the story.

And often, it's not that leaders don’t want to lead strategically.
They do.

But the day keeps pulling them into what feels urgent.
And the work only they can do gets pushed to the bottom of the list.

Not because they don’t care.
But because the organization has taught them that activity equals value.

⭐ When Leaders Are Invisible, the Organization Doesn’t Stop Leading—It Just Does It Ineffectively

Here’s the part no one warns leaders about:

When leadership is invisible, the system fills the vacuum.

And it fills it with:

• assumptions instead of clarity

• reactivity instead of alignment

• urgency instead of priority

• workarounds instead of systems

• whoever yells loudest instead of who has the clearest direction

Strong staff begin leading from the shadows.
New staff hesitate to step forward.
Weaker staff wait for direction that never arrives.

Everyone is busy.
But no one is going the same direction.

Invisible leadership is rarely malicious.
But it is always costly.

⭐ Why Leaders Become Invisible (It’s Not What You Think)

The nonprofit sector consistently rewards:

• passion over preparation

• effort over alignment

• heroics over systems

• sacrifice over boundaries

• fixing over teaching

• speed over clarity

So leaders learn to:

• sweep the floor on their way out the door

• rewrite someone else’s draft instead of building their skills

• fix minor operational issues instead of strengthening major strategic ones

• take on work out of habit because it’s “easier” than coaching someone through it

It feels responsible.
It feels faster.
It feels safe.

But it keeps leaders in the weeds and out of the role only they can play.

⭐ Where This Shows Up in The Renegade Nonprofit

In The Renegade Nonprofit, Maya lives this tension early in the book.

She’s beloved.
She works incredibly hard.
She cares deeply.

But her team doesn’t know her priorities.
Her expectations live in her head.
And people look to her for every answer—because she’s trained them to.

She is present everywhere in the work…
but invisible in the leadership.

It’s not until she starts creating clarity (and space) that the organization can breathe again.

⭐ The Shift Renegade Leaders Make

Renegade leaders don’t try to be everywhere.
They don’t solve every problem themselves.
They don’t prize being busy over being effective.

They make leadership visible.

They do it by:

• naming their priorities

• sharing expectations clearly

• giving context, not just direction

• mentoring instead of fixing

• building capacity instead of being capacity

• working above the work so others can work inside it

Visibility is not about being louder.
It’s about making the path clear enough that people can follow you without guessing.

That’s what real leadership creates:

Alignment.
Momentum.
Consistency.
Trust.
Space.

⭐ A Question for You

Where are you visible in the work
but invisible in the leadership?

And what might shift if your team could see your priorities
as clearly as they see your effort?

⭐ Want to Explore This More Deeply?

If Invisible Leadership resonates—and you’re ready to shift how you lead without adding more to your plate—there’s a new resource on the way designed for exactly that.

It’s called the Renegade Success Network.

A space for nonprofit leaders who want to:

• rebuild clarity

• break out of overwhelm

• lead from alignment instead of reactivity

• develop the confidence and practices Maya learns in the book

You’ll hear more about it soon.
If you want the first look, make sure you’re subscribed to my weekly newsletter.