Your Greatness is Your Gift to the World
Supporting non-profit and social enterprise leaders in healing from perfectionism in order to find joy and pleasure in their work.
Do not be afraid of your own power. Embrace it, for it is your gift to the world.
- Wildseed, Octavia Butler
Burn Out Is NOT Part of the Job
Unfortunately, we live in a culture that normalizes and celebrates "the grind", the idea that one must over work in order to achieve success. We take medications to numb pain and energy boosters to push past exhaustion. We valorize the athlete who plays on a sprained ankle, and martyr ourselves to causes. We do this because we are taught that it is the only way to GET THINGS DONE. And so we burn out.
We burn out because the system sucks and is set up to exploit labor, unfortunately the non-profit sector is no different. We burn out because we care deeply about our communities and want to MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN. We burn out because the work is super hard and often impossible. We also burn out because we are afraid of not doing enough. We are afraid of failing our team, our community, the environment, the world...
We burn out because of the mythology of perfectionism, because we must be the polished, charismatic leader with all of the answers in a TED talk. We burn out because this individualistic society tells us that "exceptional" individuals are the solution, which is why we carry such a heavy burden of fear and anxiety. We burn out because we are afraid that our individual short-comings could be disastrous.
Embrace your whole self.
The greatest gift you can give as a leader is to bring your whole self to the work. I know this can feel dangerous when we are working in broken systems (especially those of us from marginalized communities), but we cannot heal brokenness with brokenness. We heal from the trauma of perfectionism by embracing ourselves fully.
Reciprocity in community.
The only real and sustainable solutions to social justice issues will come from being and moving in community that is based in mutual respect and reciprocity. Let's be honest, being in community is not always regenerative and so we must cultivate relationships that offer sustenance and mutual benefit; where we can both give AND receive.
Self-care.
Because this concept has been so thoroughly co-opted to sell goods and services, I feel the need to clarify what I mean. What comes to mind when you think about caring for a child or an elder? Luxury vacations? Pedicures? Probably not; you likely think of providing nourishing meals, creating a safe and nurturing home environment, ensuring they get adequate rest, etc. All of these things are self-care; it is not a luxury or a privilege. It is a necessity.
How do we resist burn out?
The greatest strength lies in knowing who you are and embracing it, flaws and all.
- Wildseed, Octavia Butler
How We Can Help
Be Wildseed is a whole person consulting practice based in five foundational principles of leadership:
Curiosity
The beauty and wonder of not having the answer.
Authenticity
Your authentic self is your best self.
Wisdom
Listening to the head, heart, and gut to tap into the resevoir of collective knowing.
Vulnerability
Your tender heart is the ultimate source of your power.
Integrity
Your word is your bond.
I am here to support you on your journey to healing the trauma caused by perfectionism and grind culture. This is not easy work, and you do not have to do it alone. This journey is not about erradicating flaws, it is about learning to see the beauty in your whole self. It is about moving beyond the guilt and shame of not being perfect and tapping into the power that comes from fully owning our delightfully, gloriously flawed selves in order to more fully manifest our gifts.
We are all seeds, destined to grow and flourish in our own unique ways.
- Wildseed, Octavia Butler
Be That Wildseed
There are a couple of ways to work with me:
This is an amazing community that I am co-facilitating with a talented HR specialist, Jodi Rai of heyHumantis.
We Cypher is a vibrant community dedicated to empowering individuals who are engaged in purpose-driven work.
Our platform fosters collaboration, learning, and growth, creating a space where members can thrive together.
We are a community that welcomes everyone while centering the needs of BIPOC individuals occupying positions of power in organizations.
We will be launching this exciting community soon, and are offering a free 30 minute coaching session for the first 25 people who register. Fill out our interest form so that you can get early access once we are ready to go live.
I am accepting a limited number of individual clients right now.
Please sign up for a free consultation if you are interested in learning more.
Join We Cypher
Work with me individually
A Short Story About Me
One might call my personal and professional background "eclectic". I started out in higher education earning a PhD in Philosophy, and quickly discovered I was more interested in applying those critical thinking skills to organization and systems change. I possess a nomadic spirit, have lived all over the U.S. and am now setting my sites on more distant lands. My professional experience is as diverse as the geographies that I have travelled: higher education administration, philanthropy, non-profit leadership, and real estate social entrepreneurship across the East and West Coasts, Southeast, and Midwestern states. I have over 20 years of experience in organizational leadership and organizational development within the nonprofit and higher learning spaces and over 13 years of experience as a college professor.
I also lead a rich, creative life and have always been a “maker.” I spent my her formative years in Detroit and grew up listening to house and hip-hop music and playing music myself. That thirst for art and the power of creation has stayed with me to this day. I am passionate about infusing art and creativity into my life and constantly learning something new. From my work in clay to the worlds of fashion design, thread spinning, and weaving, my artistic pursuits add dimension and balance to my professional life. I love the craft arts, especially clay and textiles and one day plan to settle down to raise alpacas and cultivate the wool for weaving. Presently I run both a national non-profit organization, Nurses for Sexual and Reproductive Health, and a short-term rental business. I am happily married to a gifted social worker, a proud auntie of two beautiful, magical little people, and live between my home base in the Midwest and various countries.
Lina Buffington, PhD