The coronavirus pandemic has altered our world — causing untold suffering and economic damage. As nonprofit leaders, we are struggling to cope within a shifting global landscape, reassessing how to work with communities whose needs have only grown in the past year and a half. There is no playbook for uncertain times, yet we as leaders cannot wait for the smoke to clear before we act.

The new reality demands that we stay limber and vigilant as we adjust the pathways to achieving our organizational goals. That may call for broadening our definition of success and enlisting our teams’ creativity as we adapt to shifting circumstances.

In so doing, let us not lose sight of the lessons we’ve learned since Covid-19 first altered our lives. This crisis has taught us that those measures of success we previously looked to indeed look different today. So, it’s not just about internal budgets, but internal agility —having the dexterity and processes in place to recognize and adapt to changing environments. It’s not about state-of-the-art facilities, but a respectful, diverse workplace where employees feel safe and valued. We need to remember that the same qualities that have always driven success — adaptability, ingenuity and resilience — are now more important than ever.

How do we reimagine success? We can start by:

  • Encouraging and celebrating risk-taking: We need to foster an environment where risk-taking is not only encouraged but also celebrated. We have more to gain by leveraging failure than papering over it.
  • Recognizing the small victories: Between these successes and failures, there are plenty of minor wins. Examples include a bill passed that incorporates some — if not all — of the legislative change your organization promotes; shifts in behavior resulting from media campaigns; developing a new partnership with complementary strengths.
  • Building partnerships for broader impact: Which matters more: the number of partners or the breadth of the partnerships? At my organization, Vital Strategies, our partnerships are critical — without our partnerships with communities and civil society, our programs would have far less impact.
  • Communicating in an ongoing and consistent way: Internal and external communication are even more essential during times of change, uncertainty and crisis.

Read the full article about nonprofit leaders by Jose Luis Castro at Forbes.