Resilience is already on your list to address burnout. What else is within reach?


June 2026

Hi Reader,

Since we last talked, I've been to San Diego, Riverside, Puerto Vallarta, and all over the Bay Area. I love the whirlwind — the variety, the people, the energy of being in many rooms at once. And I'm also craving something rooted. Ground under my feet. A morning that doesn't start in a different zip code.

I'm sitting with both of those things right now, without trying to resolve them. Which, it turns out, feels very on-theme for this month.


For Team Leaders

The burnout conversation is everywhere...

The burnout conversation is everywhere right now. And that's good — nonprofit teams are carrying a lot, and naming it matters.

Most of the interventions you're hearing about are aimed at individuals: rest more, set boundaries, build your resilience muscle. Those things matter. And Christina Maslach's research points to something that gets less airtime.

Workload isn't the leading indicator of systemic burnout. It's one of six. Today I want to give some attention to one in particular: control. Specifically, the alignment between the autonomy and decision-making authority people believe they need to do their jobs — and what they actually have.

This shows up everywhere:

  • Who finalizes a document
  • Who sets policy
  • Who controls the budget
  • Who decides how the team responds when priorities shift

When that alignment is off — when decisions are too concentrated at the top, or when it's simply unclear who holds what — something corrosive sets in that resilience practices alone can't touch. People start to feel like things are happening to them rather than with them.

The good news: this is a lever you can actually reach for. Sometimes it means shifting who makes decisions. Sometimes it's adopting a decision-making framework the whole team can use. Sometimes it's transparency — making visible what was previously assumed. Sometimes it's simply asking: have we pushed down control to the right level, or are we too top-heavy?

Where has our team lost agency that we could actually reclaim?

Consider bringing this question to a team meeting. Not everything will be reclaimable — some losses are real, and naming that honestly matters too. But there's often more within reach than teams realize, once they start looking.


For Coaches

We have burnout, too.

The same burnout pressures your clients are navigating? You're navigating them too. The uncertainty, the pace, the weight of holding other people's hard things. Coaches aren't exempt — and the individual resilience practices that help your clients only go so far for you either.

One of the levers within reach for coaches is how intentionally you tend your own practice. Not as a to-do item. Not as a credential requirement. As something that actually restores you.

That's what I've been thinking about as I shape what supervision can be — not a checkbox, but a genuine container for reflection, exploration, and craft. Starting this summer, I'm launching SuperVision Tuesday — a rotating group supervision format that tries something different each time. Some sessions will use creative tools. Some will be more structured. Some will go places I haven't planned yet. The through-line is exploration: leaning into what's possible in supervision rather than settling for what's familiar.

If you're a coach who wants to tend your practice with more intention — and maybe have some fun doing it — I'd love for you to join us.


A great read

The Burnout Challenge

If the autonomy and control piece landed for you, Christina Maslach and Michael Leiter's The Burnout Challenge is worth your time. It's accessible, research-grounded, and offers a framework — the six-factor model — that gives you language for what your team may already be feeling.


On a Personal Note

Blooming

One more thing — I'm putting the finishing touches on something I've been wanting to create for a while: a guide to navigating burnout at the team level. Not individual wellness tips. The systemic stuff. The levers within reach.

Before it goes live, I'm looking for 6 reviewers — people willing to read a draft and tell me honestly what lands, what's missing, and what needs more. If that's you, just hit reply with "I'm in" and I'll be in touch.

Enjoy a bloom from my hydrangea,

With warmth and a quiet week ahead,

4200 Park Blvd, Box 428, Oakland, CA 94602
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B3 Coach

I help small to mid-size nonprofit leadership teams navigate strategic changes intentionally, effectively, and confidently through coaching engagements. My mission is to weave together the fabric of people for a stronger community.

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