You’re Doing the Work That Changes Lives—So Why Hand Off the Power?
Ever notice how the people with the most to say aren’t always the ones with the mic?
Here’s the thing about power: it doesn’t do subtle. It’s loud, insistent, the type to grab the steering wheel and refuse to ask for directions. And yet, nonprofits—the very folks solving problems no one else wants to touch—are somehow letting someone else tell their story. They’re out there, rolling up their sleeves, changing lives, and then quietly handing over the mic. And in that silence? The power slips away.
If you’re down in the trenches, making things happen, here’s the news: you already have power. But why leave it on the table? It’s time to claim it, steer it, and make sure everyone knows it’s yours.
Because power isn’t just in what you do—it’s in how you make people see it. Let’s face it, changing lives is one thing, but if no one notices, that power never builds up enough steam to shift anything. Movements that change the world? They don’t stand around hoping someone will notice. They demand the mic, set the record, and own it.
The Work You’re Doing Is Power
Let’s be honest here: as a nonprofit leader, you’re already doing the kind of work most people would run from—poverty, mental health, systemic injustice, the whole parade of crises nobody wants to sit next to at dinner. Every day, you’re wading into problems so absurd they shouldn’t even exist in the first place. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: doing the work isn’t enough. If people don’t see it, don’t grasp it, don’t feel it deep in their bones, then the power you’re building on the ground never builds enough steam to move anything.
And that’s where the conversation comes in. This isn’t about a round of applause; it’s about making sure your work doesn’t get buried under the weight of a world fixated on the trivial. If you’re not the one guiding the narrative, you’re handing it over to folks who likely don’t get the stakes and probably never will. And once they’re holding the story, well, you’ve already lost half the game before it’s even started.
Shaming the Silence: How #MeToo Turned Pain Into Power
Consider the #MeToo movement. This wasn’t just a handful of brave souls stepping into the spotlight; it was a well-aimed, meticulously orchestrated campaign that yanked power out from under some very well-seated individuals. #MeToo didn’t politely request justice; it stormed the gates and demanded it, exposing truths that had been stuffed in the dark corners of society for ages, like that forgotten Tupperware at the back of your fridge—only, when it came to light, this wasn’t just stale leftovers. It was a blaze.
#MeToo turned shame into a weapon, wielding embarrassment like a sword. It didn’t ease us into the truth or wrap things in comfort; it dropped the truth like a brick on our heads. It forced society to sit up, cringe a little, and finally look at the rotting mess of power, privilege, and the abuses they’d silently protected. The movement wasn’t polite, it wasn’t gentle. It was loud, raw, and unrepentant—and because of that, it worked.
Now, imagine if #MeToo had just whispered quietly, hoping someone might notice someday. The world wouldn’t have budged an inch. The same people would still be running the show, cozily insulated by their victims’ silence. But instead, #MeToo commanded attention, unapologetically saying, “Look at this. Don’t you dare turn away.” And in doing so, it didn’t just alter the conversation; it blew the doors off and made sure nobody could close them again.
Pride and Persistence: The Fight for LGBTQ+ Rights
The fight for LGBTQ+ rights wasn’t about gently requesting visibility. It was, “We’re here, we’re loud, and we’re done waiting.” They marched, they protested, they lived their truth right in the face of a world that kept telling them to sit down and shut up.
Then there was ACT UP during the AIDS crisis. They didn’t wait around for the government to casually acknowledge the epidemic like a forgotten birthday card. They stormed Wall Street, blocked the FDA, raised hell until people had no choice but to pay attention.
ACT UP took the narrative by force, ripping it out of society’s hands and flipping it from shame and silence to one of rights and respect. This was never about waiting for “the right moment.” It was about being impossible to ignore, making people uncomfortable, and refusing—ever again—to hide in the shadows.
Climate Crisis: How Greta Thunberg Made the World Listen
And then there’s the climate action movement, a saga not exactly designed to win Miss Congeniality. People like Greta Thunberg and the Sunrise Movement didn’t walk onto the world stage trying to be liked. No, they showed up to make people squirm, to give complacency a good, hard shove. Greta’s speeches weren’t stuffed with feel-good lines about “saving the Earth” and planting more trees. Her words were loaded with the kind of rage that gets people’s attention—the righteous, fire-breathing kind that leaves audiences wondering if they’re about to be grounded.
Greta didn’t stand there and politely say, “Could we maybe consider taking action on climate change?” She said, “How dare you? How dare you steal my future—and the future of generations to come—with your inaction?” She shamed world leaders into paying attention, delivering a well-aimed slap to their collective conscience. That’s the kind of bold, relentless messaging that doesn’t just ask for attention; it demands it. When you take control of the narrative—when you insist that people notice—you reclaim the power that’s been slipping through your fingers.
And that’s exactly what you need to do as a leader. You’re already doing the work that changes lives, but it’s time to change the conversation. No more politeness, no more quiet hoping people will catch on. It’s time to grab hold of the narrative, shake it, and make sure the world sees your work—really sees it, in all its messy, transformative, revolutionary glory.
Shaping the Conversation Is Shaping the Future
If you don’t take control of the conversation, someone else will. And trust me, they won’t tell your story the way it needs to be told. They won’t understand the depth of your work, the importance of your mission. They won’t feel the urgency of the lives you’re changing. But you? You can change that. You can shift the narrative. You can make your work impossible to ignore.
This is not about self-promotion. It’s about survival. It’s about ensuring that the issues you’re tackling—the lives you’re saving—don’t get drowned out in the noise of a world obsessed with the trivial. You can’t afford to be quiet. The stakes are too high.
You’re doing the work that changes lives. Now it’s time to change the conversation.
If you’re ready to elevate your message, if you’re ready to make sure your work gets the attention it deserves, let’s talk. Book a Fit Call, sign up for the newsletter, and together, we’ll build a conversation that not only amplifies your impact but changes the world. Reach out, and let’s get started.
