Calm Leadership in a Culture of Urgency

3-minute read

A request comes in for a donor profile with an hour's notice. This happens on my team about twice a month, always for high-value prospects. The first minute sets the tone for the whole hour, and it's not about the document. It's about my expression.

The reaction is usually frustration. No one gave a heads-up, and the deadline means we’ve got to drop everything. That feeling is real, but it doesn't help. If I show my stress, my team feels it too, and stressed people make mistakes. My first choice isn't about the profile. It's about staying calm on purpose. My calm is what keeps the hour focused instead of frantic.

What the Urgency Tests

Urgent requests ask for two things. First, deliver a good profile quickly. Second, show everyone that you can handle pressure without falling apart.

No one says that second part out loud, but it matters most. A CEO won't remember if the font was perfect, but they will remember if the room felt steady. Over time, that steadiness shapes your reputation and becomes what people expect.

The First Sixty

I've started thinking of it as a discipline, not a mood. Three moves, all inside the first sixty seconds, before anyone touches the document.

Say the deadline clearly, without emotion. Just state the fact: "We have one hour."

Pick one person to lead. On my team, that's usually our prospect researcher. One person takes charge, and everyone else helps.

Decide what can't change and what can. The hour is set. You can adjust things like formatting, polish, and research depth.

None of this is complicated. That's the point. When you're under pressure, simple is best. The process stays the same, even with a tight deadline. The only thing that changes is how I handle it.

Same prospect profile format every time, urgent or not. I used to think that was a gap. It isn't. A special process for the rare fire drill means my team has to remember two systems instead of one, on the exact day they're least equipped to remember either correctly.

The real discipline is staying steady long enough for the paperwork to do its job.

What I Watch For Instead

I used to judge success by whether the profile was finished on time. It always is, thanks to my great team. Now, I look at something else: does my team seem stressed when we finish?

If they do, that's my responsibility. I let the urgency take over before the deadline did. If they don't, something better happened. They've learned that a last-minute request doesn't have to turn into a crisis, and that lesson lasts longer than any one profile.

Your Turn

Look back at your team's last three urgent requests. For each one, were you calm or clearly stressed. If you don't remember, ask someone you trust who was there. Then write one sentence about what you'll do differently next time a surprise deadline appears.

On My Radar

Oliver Burkeman's Four Thousand Weeks is a book about time, but what stood out to me is his idea that our sense of urgency comes more from how we think about our limited days than from the days themselves. It changed how I hear "this is urgent" before I react. It won't give you more time, but it will help you see which problems really matter.

Coming Next Week

Next Sunday is our first How They Give, a new recurring feature: a profile of a billionaire who gave away $8 billion and stayed off Forbes' radar doing it for fifteen years. If you've ever had a donor demand total anonymity and weren't sure how far that boundary really went, this one's for you.

Until next Sunday,
Christine

PS - This issue was written for the Chief Fundraiser who's had to swallow their own frustration to keep their team on track. If that's more familiar than you'd like, reply and tell me what set it off.

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I’m Christine Bork, Chief Development Officer at the American Academy of Pediatrics.

I write CFW to share what I’m learning as I lead a growing team and try to do the work sustainably and thoughtfully.

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