Why Strategy Means Choosing Capabilities, Not Projects The Nonprofit Leader's Guide podcast

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Why Strategy Means Choosing Capabilities, Not Projects

4d ago 46:40

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Strategy should feel like motion, not maintenance. We sat down with two chief strategy officers—Jennifer Riha of I Am Boundless and Ravi Dahiya of YAI—to explore how nonprofits serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and behavioral health needs can make disciplined choices amid shifting regulations, payer demands, workforce shortages, and rapid technology change.
We dig into what separates firefighting from future-shaping and why “strategic hibernation” rarely fits health and human services. Jennifer walks us through Boundless’s Vision 2030 process—9,000-plus stakeholder inputs, market scans, and benchmarking—and explains why the organization chose capabilities over project lists: integrated care, resilient teams, data fluency, and operational reliability. Ravi shares how culture and middle management stabilize YAI through leadership transitions, and how pilots, tele-crisis services, and proactive advocacy can convert unmet needs into reimbursable models that scale across states.
You’ll hear concrete tactics for navigating political volatility with scenario planning, reading early policy signals, and protecting assets that matter no matter who’s in office. We also tackle the toughest questions leaders avoid: Can this program become financially sustainable? Are we uniquely positioned to do it well? What will we stop so we can invest where demand and impact are strongest? Along the way, we highlight workforce design moves—flexibility, supportive supervision, and career pathways—that matter as much as wages in a tight labor market.
If you lead a nonprofit and feel stuck in reaction mode, this conversation offers a clear path to regain focus, align teams, and build services that endure. Follow the show, share this episode with a colleague or your board chair, and leave a review to help more leaders find it.

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Chapters

1. Setting The Strategy Question (00:00:00)

2. Defining Strategy Beyond Plans (00:02:35)

3. Hibernation Versus Intentional Pause (00:03:24)

4. COVID’s Pressure And Growth Lessons (00:06:10)

5. Rising Expectations From Payers (00:10:05)

6. Workforce Volatility And Technology (00:13:00)

7. Shaping Policy Through Pilots (00:16:25)

8. Planning For Political Volatility (00:18:27)

9. Building Vision 2030 At Boundless (00:22:02)

10. Surprises From Stakeholder Input (00:27:08)

11. Choosing Capabilities Over Projects (00:31:05)

12. YAI’s Strategic Refocus And Culture (00:34:20)

13. Practical Leader Questions And Tradeoffs (00:38:05)

14. One-Word Strategy And Daily Habits (00:41:05)

15. Mission Moment: A Small Big Win (00:44:20)

16. Closing Thanks And Resources (00:46:05)

61 episodes

#Boundless #Non-Profit #Business #Scott Light