“I don’t think I’m ready for this.”

If you’ve ever had that thought after stepping into a leadership role, you’re in very good company.

In fact, it’s probably one of the most common stories I hear from nonprofit leaders.

Someone gets promoted because they’re great at their job. They’re asked to supervise a practicum student, cover for a manager who’s away, or lead a small team. Before long, they’re managing people, navigating conflict, giving feedback, and making difficult decisions.

The problem?

Almost nobody taught them how to lead.

Great at the job. New to leadership.

Most nonprofit leaders didn’t study leadership in college or university. We learned how to be counsellors, social workers, fundraisers, accountants, program coordinators, therapists, educators, or administrators.

Then one day someone handed us the keys to leadership.

It’s exciting. It’s flattering. It’s also terrifying.

Suddenly you’re expected to motivate people, resolve conflict, coach staff, build trust, manage performance, and somehow make it all look effortless.

It’s no wonder so many new leaders feel overwhelmed.

You’re probably not an imposter

You’ve likely heard the term imposter syndrome. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the label.

What many leaders experience isn’t that they’re frauds. It’s simply that they’re doing work they’ve never been taught to do. Imagine asking someone to drive a bus without ever giving them driving lessons. Would we expect them to feel confident? Of course not.

Leadership works the same way.

Feeling uncertain doesn’t mean you don’t belong in the role. It usually means you’re still learning the skills the role requires.

Leadership isn’t a personality trait

One of my favourite ideas comes from Brené Brown. She describes leadership as a collection of learnable skills. That’s good news.

Great leaders aren’t born with some special leadership gene. They learn. They practice. They make mistakes. They reflect. Then they get a little better every day.

That’s exactly how you became skilled in your original profession. Leadership deserves the same approach.

Replace fear with curiosity

When we’re overwhelmed, our brains tend to ask questions like:

• What if I fail?
• What if everyone figures out I have no idea what I’m doing?
• What if I make the wrong decision?

Those questions don’t move us forward.

A better question is simply:

“What can I learn?”

Curiosity changes everything. Instead of trying to prove yourself, you begin building yourself.

You start reading. Listening to podcasts. Watching videos. Asking experienced leaders for advice.

Trying new approaches. Reflecting on what worked—and what didn’t.

That’s how confidence grows. Not overnight, but steadily.

Find people who will lift you up

Leadership can feel lonely, especially when you’re new. One of the smartest things you can do is find a mentor or coach. Many experienced leaders are surprisingly willing to help if you simply ask. Don’t assume they’re too busy. Some will be, but many remember exactly what it felt like to be where you are now. We all need people who lift us up so that we can, in turn, lift up others.

Learning doesn’t have to be overwhelming

You don’t need another university degree. You don’t need to spend hours every day studying leadership. Even one hour a week makes a difference. Read an article, listen to a podcast, watch a webinar, and then try one new leadership skill with your team.

Then reflect on how it went. Small, consistent learning compounds over time.

Set one leadership goal

If there’s one leadership skill you want to improve this month, write it down. Maybe it’s having difficult conversations, or giving better feedback, or learning to delegate. Perhaps its building trust with your team. Whatever it is, make it specific.

Then give yourself a simple action plan:

• Practice the skill.
• Try it in a real situation.
• Reflect on what you learned.
• Repeat.

Progress beats perfection every time.

You are not alone

When I became an Executive Director at 26, I had very little supervisory experience.

I remember feeling excited, proud…and completely overwhelmed. Looking back, I wasn’t an imposter. I was simply inexperienced. There’s a big difference.

If you’re feeling the same way today, I hope you’ll remember this: 

• Leadership is learned.
• Confidence is built.
• Experience comes one conversation, one problem solved, one challenge met, at a time.

You don’t have to know everything. You just have to keep learning. And that’s exactly what this community is all about.