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! ------------------...

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...

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 wit...

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 d...

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 th...

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 prac...

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 crea...

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'...

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: Gain insight into setting effective boundaries on your time and your team's time, empowering you to prioritize tasks strategica...

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 po...

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...

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 tra...

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...

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 cultur...

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...

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 mem...

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 a...

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 t...

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...

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...

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...

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 episod...

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 mo...

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...