Life & Leadership with Kim Williams

Episode 48: The Problem with My Promotion When you finally step into the role you prayed for, it can come with more pressure than peace. In this episode, Kim shares her journey of becoming a CEO at 38—and the unexpected challenges that followed. She outlines four practical steps to stabilize your leadership during transition: conduct a full analysis, clarify your vision, set a realistic timeline,...

Ever prayed for the promotion—then panicked once it came? In this episode of  Life & Leadership with Kim Williams , I open up about the moment I stepped into my dream role as a first-time CEO... and immediately found myself drowning in deficit, dysfunction, and doubt. I share how I overcame the shock of promotion by drawing on my consulting background and preparing for leadership long bef...

We all live in the same time in history—but not in the same  season . That’s the critical distinction this episode explores. In this powerful episode, Kim breaks down the difference between  times —what’s happening around us—and  seasons —what God is doing within us. Drawing from biblical truth and her own leadership journey, she shares how misunderstanding that difference nearly ca...

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOUR ORGANIZATION SUDDENLY LOSES A MAJOR SOURCE OF FUNDING? I’ve been there. That moment when you get the news—an expected grant was denied, a major donor shifted priorities, or the economy took a downturn. I know what it feels like to have your budget thrown into uncertainty. It’s overwhelming, and if I’m honest, my first reaction hasn’t always been calm. But after 25 years in...

A recession is looming, donors are giving less, and development staff turnover is at an all-time high. What does this mean for nonprofit leaders?  Your old budgeting strategies won’t work in this new season. In this episode, Kim explores how nonprofit CEOs can navigate financial uncertainty, avoid common budgeting pitfalls, and build a strategy that ensures long-term sustainability—even in an...

In this episode, nonprofit fixer and CEO, Kim Williams shares her personal experiences with the crisis of sudden funding loss as well as the five steps she uses to help her clients transform crisis into a catalyst for success. If you are a nonprofit leader facing any type of significant challenge or crisis, you not want to miss this informative and encouraging episode. 

Episode 43: Priorities & Leadership: Prioritizing in Overwhelming Times In this candid episode of  Life & Leadership with Kim Williams , the focus is on the art of prioritizing when life gets hectic. Kim dives into the challenges of managing a full calendar and an overflowing to-do list, sharing transparent insights from her own past seven days. She reveals how she identified what tru...

Hello leaders! How is life treating you? If you’re anything like me, you’ve got a lot on your plate. Right now, life is hectic, but I’m doing my best to navigate it all while sticking to the strategy God has given me for this season. And trust me, I learned the hard way not to ignore divine direction. When I first stepped into my CEO role at just 38 years old, I took over an organization that was...

In this episode, I share how I navigated a packed schedule filled with leadership demands, unexpected challenges, and external disruptions—all while striving to maintain focus and peace. From adjusting strategies in response to unforeseen changes to managing weather-related closures and political shifts impacting my team and clients, January was anything but smooth. Despite the chaos, I found ways...

As we kick off 2025, I’m excited to introduce a new monthly feature on  Life & Leadership with Kim Williams :  “Ask Kim.”  Once a month, I’ll dedicate an episode to answering listener questions about leadership, strategy, and everything in between. If you have a question, I’d love to hear it! Send me a direct message via Instagram at  Leadwithkim  or on my  Kim Wi...

In this episode, I reflect on the challenges of casting a vision in the face of uncertainty. At first, I hesitated to create a long-term strategic plan for the next five years—a practice we’ve traditionally followed—due to the unpredictable landscape shaped by the pandemic and a new administration. However, I recognized that the absence of a clear and compelling direction could harm organizational...

Do you know your leadership superpower? Most leaders struggle to confidently and quickly articulate what they bring to the table—myself included, even a decade into being a CEO. In this episode, we’ll explore why this is a problem and how getting clear on your unique strengths can transform not just your confidence but your entire organization. I’ll share my journey and help you step into 2025 wit...

Let me let you in on a little secret. Not everyone is optimistic at the start of the new year. Social impact leaders in particular may be overwhelmed with the sense of uncertainty, lack of clarity, and even self-doubt regarding whether or not you have what it takes to lead your agency into the unknown. Your first instinct may be to hide that insecurity by putting on a brave face for your team, boa...

As we approach the end of the year, I’m taking a moment to reflect on the incredible journey of leadership that 2024 has been. The thing about leadership is that no two years are alike — each year brings its own unique challenges and valuable lessons. And 2024 was no exception. In this final episode of the year, I'm excited to share lessons 6 through 10 of my  Top 10 Leadership Lessons for 20...

In this powerful episode, leadership expert Kim Williams shares her  top 5 leadership lessons  to help you navigate the challenges and opportunities of 2024. These lessons are designed to foster growth, clarity, and authenticity—empowering leaders to thrive both personally and professionally in the year ahead. Whether you’re in a leadership role or aspiring to be, Kim’s insights are fill...

If you are visionary social impact leader who is committed to making a real and significant change in your community, now is NOT the time to faint. I know you may be tired, discouraged, and may even a little afraid of what the future holds.  I know you want a break from the relentless and continuous fight for change. I get that. Believe me, I feel that.  It’s okay.  T...

Ask any leader, and they'll tell you: managing people is one of the toughest parts of leadership. And it’s only getting harder. Recruiting and retaining great team members is a growing challenge. In fact, according to the National Nonprofit HR survey, nonprofit turnover is averaging between  20-25%  annually, and development professionals, on average, stay in their roles for just  1...

The thing about leadership is that we are expected to lead regardless of what we are experiencing. We have to lead on good days and lead on bad days. I had to lead during times of family crisis. I had to lead during times of personal illness. I had to lead while my mom was dying and lead during my grief. We have to lead when we are optimistic and lead when we are in despair. In fact, man...

Change is on the horizon for social impact organizations and change is always challenging for leaders.  But here is the good news: We’ve been here before and not too long ago.  Just five years ago, we lead through a once in 100 years worldwide pandemic.  If we spend a little time reflecting on that and other challenging times, we can develop an agile game plan for moving f...

One of the most difficult things about being a leader is sharing bad news. It is stressful and frankly, it sucks. However, it is a part of the job, and it requires sensitivity and strategy. In the last podcast, we talked about how to deal with significant funding loss strategically.  In this episode, we will talk about how to deal with it publicly. 

After over 25 years in the nonprofit industry, I’ve experienced sudden funding loss several times throughout my career and as a consultant I’ve helped dozens of clients navigate it as well. As a consultant, far too many organizations, contact me when it’s nearly too late to reverse the course. Far too few have contingency plans in place for sudden funding loss. It is my hope that this ep...

It's been a while since my last episode. Why the absence? Well, life took a turn. Listen to this mini-episode to hear my brief explanation and receive a little encouragement in the process. With that being said, I am taking a break and I will be back with new content and new podcasts on April 2nd.  - Kim

Leadership draws criticism, most of which comes from people who have never led. They don’t see what you see from the leader’s vantage point, nor do they understand the pressures you face. They don’t know that every “yes” means saying “no” to something else. They don’t know that you were up when they were sleep and that you were working when they were resting. They don’t accept that leaders are peo...

Today, we are going to talk about one of the most difficult yet common questions that every leader faces, “To fire or not to fire.”  No matter how many questions you ask in an interview, no matter how great a candidate’s references are, and no matter how much you thought you knew about the candidate before you hired them, employees will surprise you.  Whether it is the inabilit...

After over 25 years in leadership, I know that growth, without the infrastructure, systems, and culture to support it, will ultimately lead to disaster. So, how do you know when to expand and when not to expand? In today's episode, we will discuss five questions that Kim ask herself and her clients before considering expansion. Let’s talk about it.