Leading Inside the Reset
The humanitarian sector is at a crossroads. Funding models are shifting, geopolitical pressures are mounting, and the calls for a “Humanitarian Reset” are growing louder.
For leaders, this moment isn’t just about steering through turbulence, it’s about reshaping the way we lead from the inside out.
The New Leadership Landscape
The Reset isn’t only about systems and policies. It’s about culture, trust, and how we treat people in the process. Leaders are being called to:
Rebuild credibility in a time of deep skepticism.
Navigate change transparently, even when answers are incomplete.
Model care and integrity in decision-making.
This requires a shift from managing operations to leading transformation.
What Leading Inside the Reset Looks Like
In practice, this means:
Active Listening: Creating forums where staff can speak openly without fear.
Ethical Consistency: Aligning daily actions with stated values, especially when under pressure.
Human-Centered Priorities: Protecting staff well-being alongside program goals.
Adaptive Communication: Being honest about uncertainty while keeping people grounded.
The Risks of “Business as Usual”
Leaders who treat the Reset as a passing trend risk losing their teams’ trust, and with it, the ability to move forward effectively. Staff are watching not just what decisions are made, but how they are made.
The Opportunity in the Reset
Handled well, this is a chance to repair past harms, strengthen organizational culture, and redefine success to include how well we care for our people.
Handled poorly, it risks deepening disillusionment and accelerating burnout.
Leading Beyond Survival
Inside the Reset, leadership is about more than keeping the ship afloat. It’s about steering toward a future where impact and humanity are inseparable, and where the care we extend to others begins with the care we extend to our own teams.
Holding space with care and solidarity — here’s to staying whole, together,
~ Kate
Thanks for reading The Olive Pages: Fieldnotes on care, clarity, and staying whole
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KRC provides coaching, psychosocial support, and organizational consulting to humanitarian professionals and mission-driven organizations worldwide. Based in lived experience and trauma-aware care, our work helps clients navigate burnout, moral injury, organizational change, and career transitions — while staying human in the process.