We Are For Good Podcast - Gather At The Well: Holding Fast + Staying Steady When You Need it the Most

Host: Lindsey Fuller
Release Date: April 9, 2025

In this enlightening episode of We Are For Good Podcast, host Lindsey Fuller delves deep into the concept of holding fast and staying steady amidst the tumultuous challenges faced by nonprofit professionals. Through a blend of personal anecdotes, practical strategies, and somatic practices, Lindsey offers invaluable insights for leaders striving to maintain resilience and steadfastness in their missions.

1. Introduction to Holding Fast

Lindsey opens the episode by introducing the central theme of holding fast—a resilient stance that transcends mere navigation through uncertainty. She underscores the importance of remaining steadfast in one’s core principles and mission, especially in the face of relentless external pressures.

“Holding fast doesn’t mean freezing. It means showing up as the change leader that you are.”
[08:45]

2. The Essence of Holding Fast

Delving into the definition, Lindsey explains that holding fast is about more than just maintaining direction; it’s about being unmovable on core principles while remaining open to growth and feedback.

“I am unmovable on the core principles that guide me every day in life.”
[04:30]

She differentiates behaviors like procrastination, doomscrolling, and perfectionism as signs of emotional dysregulation rather than personal failings. These behaviors are viewed as interruptions to socio-emotional processing, signaling the need to recenter.

3. Somatic Practices for Grounding

Lindsey emphasizes the importance of somatic grounding techniques to maintain inner stability. She guides listeners through practical exercises such as:

• Weighted Blankets: Using a weighted blanket or a heavy object to create a sensation of grounding.
• Bilateral Stimulation: Engaging both sides of the body through rhythmic tapping to anchor oneself during moments of unrest.
• Gaze Stabilization: A practice to clear vision and enhance focus by directing the gaze in different directions while managing breath and shoulder tension.

“This practice allows you to recenter your inner ear... send that balanced energy from the inner ear all the way through your nervous system to hold fast.”
[34:20]

4. Practical Strategies for Holding Fast in Professional Settings

Lindsey provides actionable strategies to help nonprofit leaders stay aligned and resilient:

• Revisiting the Mission: Continuously aligning actions and programs with the organization’s core mission.
• Seeking Feedback: Regularly obtaining insights to ensure policies and practices remain consistent and effective.
• Keep-Stop-Start Exercise: Evaluating which initiatives to maintain, halt, or launch based on their impact and feasibility.

“Holding fast to what we know is working and making the greatest impact.”
[20:10]

5. Personal Anecdotes and Lessons Learned

Sharing her own experiences, Lindsey recounts a challenging year where her organization secured no new funders. Instead of overhauling programs, she chose to hold fast—refining existing programs, strengthening relationships with current supporters, and fostering team development.

“When I got here at the teaching well... it was a blow. It can really put you in a place of desperation and it can shake your foundation.”
[17:05]

She highlights the importance of knowing your brand and thriving within your lane, resisting the urge to reinvent everything in times of crisis.

6. Building Team Resilience and Alignment

Lindsey outlines a framework for team alignment and resilience, structured around different timeframes:

• Weekly Syncs: Regular meetings to ensure alignment on priorities and collaboration.
• Monthly Organizational Updates: Transparent sharing of budgets, projects, and significant updates to maintain team cohesion.
• Quarterly Director Retreats: In-person strategic planning sessions to disrupt stagnation and foster positive momentum.
• Annual Strategic Plans and Board Retreats: Flexible annual planning to remain adaptive without rigid long-term constraints.

“A really solid rigorous annual strategic plan helps us to remain adaptive and responsive without being so rigid that we aren't able to duck, move, weave and stay nimble in the face of change.”
[25:40]

7. Emphasizing Self-Care and Collective Care

Recognizing the intense pressures on nonprofit leaders, Lindsey advocates for both self-care and collective care. She encourages leaders to:

• Schedule Personal Time: Allocate time for somatic practices, self-care activities, and social connections.
• Foster Reciprocal Relationships: Surround oneself with supportive and positive individuals to maintain energy levels.
• Ask for Help: Overcome the hesitancy to seek assistance, emphasizing that asking for help is crucial for sustained resilience.

“If you're feeling overwhelmed... build in predictable sustainable cadence of invitations towards unity.”
[45:15]

8. Closing Insights and Encouragement

In her closing remarks, Lindsey reinforces the message that holding fast is an active form of leadership. She reminds listeners of their inherent resilience and the legacy of overcoming obstacles left by their ancestors.

“Holding fast doesn't mean freezing. It means showing up as the change leader that you are.”
[58:30]
“When we stand in our values and move with compassionate consistency, we actualize our missions.”
[59:45]

Lindsey concludes with affirmations and a call to action for leaders to schedule three ways to tend to themselves in the coming week: one somatic, one self-care, and one social.

Key Takeaways

• Hold Fast to Core Principles: Maintain unwavering commitment to your mission and values while remaining open to growth.
• Implement Somatic Practices: Utilize grounding techniques to manage stress and maintain resilience.
• Structured Team Alignment: Establish regular meetings and updates to ensure team cohesion and adaptability.
• Prioritize Self and Collective Care: Balance personal well-being with fostering a supportive team environment.
• Active Leadership: Embrace resilience as an active form of leadership, embodying the change you wish to see.

This episode serves as a beacon for nonprofit leaders navigating the complexities of their roles, offering practical tools and heartfelt encouragement to remain resilient and steadfast in their invaluable missions.