Leading Through Change While Centering Your Values
Crisis leadership insights plus a podcast conversation on business model transformation
Happy Solstice!
December - whew. My recent discovery of a low grade CO leak from my furnace during routine maintenance meant that I spent the first two weeks of this month in a bit of a personal crisis requiring an unexpected end of the year rush to decarbonize my home heating and cooling system. All this happened in the midst of Washington state experiencing several devastating climate storms or “atmospheric rivers.” This month has served as a stark reminder of how we are all impacted even in places considered “resilient.”
More on this saga coming in 2026. Stay tuned for the full story of getting rid of my furnace and what it takes to be a human who cares about tackling the climate crisis in these times.
Fast Company Article - The Critical Move Most Leaders Miss After a Crisis
While a new playful essay may have taken a back seat to furnace replacement, I do have a new piece out in Fast Company - the Critical Move Most Leaders Miss After a Crisis.
Here’s the pattern I noticed: Leaders navigate a crisis as best they can but then the dust settles and their team and board who once operated as trusted advisors and collaborators are MIA, waiting for permission instead of taking ownership. The leader is left standing alone on a mountaintop at a time when they need people supporting them most. Crisis and conditions of uncertainty reinforce top-down culture. And most leaders never actively reverse that cultural shift.
In the piece, I share three strategies for reinvigorating distributed leadership after crisis. This matters more than ever because leading through volatility isn’t a one-time event anymore. It’s the definition of leadership.
Read the full Fast Company article here, and please share it with your friends and colleagues!
Podcast - Leadership by Purpose
I had the joy of joining Monisha Kapila on her podcast, Leadership by Purpose and getting to bring forward lessons from my designing a network realignment strategy as CEO of a global philanthropic network.
Listen here - Episode 4: Leading Business Model Transformation with Sudha Nandagopal: Why Theory of Change Comes Before Structure
“We can't shift a business model until we know our theory of change."
In this episode, Monisha and I explore:
• Why clarity on purpose and values must come before structural changes
• The unique challenges of leading federated networks
• How to test multiple business models through structured experimentation
• Why business model work is continuous strategy, not a one-time fix
• The importance of funding women of color in leadership to innovate
My Questions for You
In both the podcast and the Fast Company article, I find myself circling back to the same questions: How do we lead through change while centering our values? How do we navigate crisis while maintaining vision, clarity, and purpose?
I’d love to hear from you: What's your experience been when leading change or navigating crisis moments?
What other questions do you find yourself circling during times of upheaval?
Circling the big questions with you,
-S
P.S. This is my first Fast Company byline, and I'm actively seeking more opportunities to write for publications on leadership, systems change, governance, narrative, and climate. Know of a good fit? Send it my way!
Ooh excited to check this podcast out! 👏👏👏