The Modern Humanitarian and International Development Leader: Make a Greater Impact During Uncertainty as a NGO Leader While

Aid for Aid Workers
  • 5.0 (17)
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  • Updated Weekly

Are you a humanitarian or international development leader who wants to make a greater impact — without the overwhelm and burnout? This podcast is for NGO, INGO and UN leaders who want to build high-performing, empowered teams in uncertain and stressful environments — while protecting their time, energy, and wellbeing. Each week, you’ll learn practical, coaching-informed strategies to help you: - Lead with more clarity and confidence - Empower diverse teams to perform at their best - Reduce overwork and decision fatigue - Increase productivity without sacrificing your values - Meet the evolving demands of the modern humanitarian and development sector I’m your host, Torrey Peace — leadership coach and founder of Aid for Aid Workers. With 12+ years working in humanitarian and development settings and coaching hundreds of leaders across the UN, INGOs, and civil society globally, I’ve seen firsthand how overwork and overwhelm have become normalized — and how unnecessary they truly are. The good news? There is a different way to lead. Join me every Monday for short, practical insights that help you step out of overwhelm and start leading with greater impact, sustainability, and purpose. 👉 New here? Start with listener-favorite: A Surprising Way to Ensure Team Success: https://www.aidforaidworkers.com/blog/success-7

  1. 4d ago

    How Unchecked Assumptions Are Impacting Your Decision Making

    In this episode, we unpack the power of distinguishing facts from assumptions—a skill that’s not always intuitive but essential for reducing stress and making sound decisions. If you're struggling to lead with clarity, this conversation is for you. In this episode you'll discover: How to identify common mistakes that distort your perception of reality.Practical techniques to turn vague assumptions into concrete facts.How clarifying your thoughts can reduce stress and enhance leadership outcomes. Tune in now to gain powerful insights that will help you lead with confidence and clarity—so you can make high quality decisions! REGISTER FOR FREE WEBINAR: "How to Feel Better During Hard Times as a NGO Leader" This one hour webinar will give you practical tools to understand the source of your uncomfortable feelings, solutions to address those feelings so you feel better immediately. Come to the live call to discuss your particular situation and what you can do to step away from stress and into action. Please register by selecting your preferred day and time below: Wednesday, March 12th - 10am to 11am Bangkok time Monday, March 17th - 2:30pm to 3:30pm Bangkok time Monday, March 17th - 8pm to 9pm Bangkok time Tuesday, March 25th - 10am to 11am Bangkok time Tuesday, March 25th - 8pm to 9pm Bangkok time This podcast empowers international development and humanitarian leaders to achieve high performance teams, fostering diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing, overcoming burnout and overwhelm, while maximizing impact and productivity.

    How Unchecked Assumptions Are Impacting Your Decision Making

  2. Sep 28

    Why High Performers Get Trapped in Busyness

    Do you ever end your day exhausted, inbox overflowing, and still feel like you’ve barely made progress on what really matters? If that sounds familiar, you might be suffering from High Performance Syndrome — a hidden trap that affects nearly every NGO leader. It’s what keeps you busy but not productive, constantly “on” for your team, chasing perfection, and running on a treadmill that leads to burnout instead of real impact. In this episode, you’ll learn why this mindset is so common in the humanitarian and development sector — and how to break free from it so you can finally lead with focus and ease. Here’s what you’ll gain from tuning in: The ability to recognize the subtle beliefs and habits that drive overwork and dependency in your team.Practical mindset shifts that free up your time and energy for what truly creates impact.A simple process to reframe “I have to be available all the time” into a healthier, more effective way of leading. Hit play now to uncover how letting go of High Performance Syndrome can help you work less, lead better, and create the impact you’ve always aimed for. WATCH ON YOUTUBE HERE What Is Your Leadership Style? Free Quiz: Want to know how to lead better? It starts by understanding your leadership style. To find out yours, take my free quiz “What Is Your Leadership Style” - you’ll immediately find out your default style, how it may be impacting your team and a few practical ways to become an even better leader. Just click on the link fill out your quiz and click submit. This podcast empowers international development and humanitarian NGO UN leaders to achieve high performance teams, fostering diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing, overcoming burnout and overwhelm, while maximizing impact and productivity.

    Why High Performers Get Trapped in Busyness

  3. Sep 21

    When Protecting Your Team Becomes Disempowering

    Have you ever decided not to give someone feedback because you thought they would become defensive? Or not told someone about an opportunity because you assumed they were already too busy? Or avoided a difficult conversation because you didn't want to upset the other person? It can feel considerate. It can even feel like good leadership. But what if, without realizing it, you're actually taking away that person's ability to choose for themselves? As leaders, we sometimes make decisions for other capable adults based on assumptions about what they can or cannot handle. We tell ourselves we're protecting them. But in doing so, we may be taking away their agency, information, learning, and opportunities to grow. And there's another side to this: we may also be taking away our own opportunity to grow as leaders. In this episode, you'll learn: How seemingly caring leadership decisions can unintentionally disempower othersWhy our assumptions about how someone will react can start to feel like factsThe important difference between being responsible for how we communicate and trying to control someone else's reactionWhy discomfort is not necessarily the same as harmHow avoiding difficult conversations can prevent both you and your team members from developingWhy empowerment requires trusting people with choices, feedback, opportunities, and sometimes uncomfortable truthsA simple set of questions to help you recognize when you may be deciding what another adult can handle Sometimes empowering someone isn't about giving them more responsibility. Sometimes it's about trusting them enough to give them the information, let them experience their own emotions, and allow them to decide what happens next. And trusting yourself enough to handle the discomfort that may come with it. Watch on YouTube Here

    When Protecting Your Team Becomes Disempowering

  4. Sep 14

    Why Some Uncertainty Feels Exciting—and Other Uncertainty Feels Terrifying

    Have you ever wondered why some uncertainty can feel exciting, while other uncertainty feels terrifying? Starting a new job, moving to a new country, or taking on a new challenge can involve enormous uncertainty—and yet we may feel confident we'll figure it out. Meanwhile, uncertainty around funding, conflict, organizational change, or politics can leave us feeling anxious and powerless. So perhaps uncertainty itself isn't the problem. In this episode, Torrey explores what shapes our experience of uncertainty—and why our beliefs about what might happen, where we focus our attention, and how much we trust ourselves to handle what comes next can make such a difference. You'll also learn why your relationship with uncertainty matters not only for your own resilience, but for how you lead your team—and how looking back at everything you've already navigated can remind you that you're far more capable of handling uncertainty than you may realize. In This Episode You'll Learn:Why some uncertainty feels exciting while other uncertainty feels threateningThree things that influence how we experience uncertaintyHow focusing on what you can't control can increase feelings of helplessnessWhy trusting your ability to respond may be more useful than trying to create certaintyHow your relationship with uncertainty influences the way you lead your teamHow your past experiences can help you build greater confidence and resilience in the face of the unknown Key Quote“Resilience isn't certainty that everything will turn out the way you want. It's knowing that uncertainty can be present and you can still move forward.” Reflection QuestionsWhat uncertainty are you facing right now?Where are you directing most of your attention—toward what you can influence or what you can't?What have you already handled that you once didn't know how you would handle?What did those experiences teach you about yourself?What strengths did you discover because you needed them?What evidence does your own history give you that you can respond to whatever happens next?How do you want to show up as a leader while you don't yet know what comes next? Watch on YouTube Here

  5. Sep 7

    Using Difficult Circumstances to Become a More Impactful NGO Leader

    Are you feeling overwhelmed by uncertainty in the humanitarian and development sector? As a leader in this field, you're no stranger to unpredictability. But when circumstances feel out of your hands, it can lead to paralysis, anxiety, and doubt about your next steps. In this episode, I share a powerful shift in perspective that can help you break free from fear, refocus, and take meaningful action—even in times of crisis. Here's what you'll discover in this episode: Why resistance to reality creates more suffering—and how acceptance leads to empowerment.How to reframe challenges as opportunities to grow stronger, instead of feeling like a victim of circumstances.Practical strategies to move from overwhelm to clarity, so you can lead with confidence despite external uncertainty. Don’t let difficult circumstances hold you back—press play now and learn how to take control as a modern NGO leader! What Is Your Leadership Style? Free Quiz: Want to know how to lead better? It starts by understanding your leadership style. To find out yours, take my free quiz “What Is Your Leadership Style” - you’ll immediately find out your default style, how it may be impacting your team and a few practical ways to become an even better leader. Just click on the link fill out your quiz and click submit. This podcast empowers international development and humanitarian leaders to achieve high performance teams, fostering diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing, overcoming burnout and overwhelm, while maximizing impact and productivity.

    Using Difficult Circumstances to Become a More Impactful NGO Leader

  6. Aug 31

    The Real Reason Your Team Keeps Asking for Help

    Is your team’s lack of action a knowledge problem—or a confidence problem? Misdiagnosing this could be holding them (and you) back. If you’ve ever felt frustrated by showing your team how to do something over and over only for them to hesitate or keep asking for help, you’re not alone. This episode dives into why this happens and offers a powerful framework to help you move from frustration to transformation in your leadership. In this ten minute episode you'll discover:Learn the key differences between knowledge and confidence problems of team membersHow to address knowledge or confidence problemsGain insights into creating sustainable, high-performance teams that act independently. Press play now to learn what may be blocking you from a high performance team! WHAT IS YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE? QUIZ Want to know how to lead better? It starts by understanding your leadership style. To find out yours, take my free quiz “What Is Your Leadership Style” - you’ll immediately find out your default style, how it may be impacting your team and a few practical ways to become an even better leader. Just click on the link fill out your quiz and click submit. This podcast empowers international development and humanitarian leaders to achieve high performance teams, fostering diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing, overcoming burnout and overwhelm, while maximizing impact and productivity.

    The Real Reason Your Team Keeps Asking for Help

  7. Aug 24

    The Stories That Are Holding You Back as a Leader

    Have you ever wondered how much of your daily frustration comes from assumptions—not reality? In this episode, we dive into the unconscious stories we tell ourselves that shape how we act, react, and lead. These mental narratives may seem harmless, but they often influence our decisions, damage our confidence, and limit our leadership growth. In this episode you'll discover: A powerful question that can instantly shift your perspective and decision-making.How small mindset shifts can unlock new outcomes in your professional and personal life.Try a simple weekly exercise to identify and challenge limiting stories so you can lead more intentionally. Listen now to uncover how challenging one internal story could change everything in your leadership journey. NOW ON YOUTUBE What Is Your Leadership Style? Free Quiz: Want to know how to lead better? It starts by understanding your leadership style. To find out yours, take my free quiz “What Is Your Leadership Style” - you’ll immediately find out your default style, how it may be impacting your team and a few practical ways to become an even better leader. Just click on the link fill out your quiz and click submit. This podcast empowers international development and humanitarian NGO UN leaders to achieve high performance teams, fostering diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing, overcoming burnout and overwhelm, while maximizing impact and productivity.

    The Stories That Are Holding You Back as a Leader

  8. Aug 17

    What Emotions Reveal About Your Leadership

    Have you ever wondered why two people can experience the exact same moment—and walk away feeling completely different? As a humanitarian or development leader, you’re tasked with managing people through uncertainty, change, and challenge. But what if your team’s biggest roadblock isn’t the workload or logistics—it’s the thoughts behind their emotions? This episode dives into the psychology behind emotional responses and how your mindset might be shaping your results more than you realize. In this episode, you'll discover:How to interpret emotions as “road signs” that reveal hidden thoughts and beliefs.Learn a coaching technique to help your team shift from self-doubt to self-belief using curiosity.Gain clarity on how to lead with confidence by transforming the way you relate to both your emotions and your team’s. Listen now to uncover the mindset shift modern leaders use to create confident teams and stronger outcomes—starting with one emotion at a time. NOW ON YOUTUBE Becoming the Modern Humanitarian and Development Leader Course What Is Your Leadership Style? Free Quiz: Want to know how to lead better? It starts by understanding your leadership style. To find out yours, take my free quiz “What Is Your Leadership Style” - you’ll immediately find out your default style, how it may be impacting your team and a few practical ways to become an even better leader. Just click on the link fill out your quiz and click submit. This podcast empowers international development and humanitarian NGO UN leaders to achieve high performance teams, fostering diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing, overcoming burnout and overwhelm, while maximizing impact and productivity.

    What Emotions Reveal About Your Leadership
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Are you a humanitarian or international development leader who wants to make a greater impact — without the overwhelm and burnout? This podcast is for NGO, INGO and UN leaders who want to build high-performing, empowered teams in uncertain and stressful environments — while protecting their time, energy, and wellbeing. Each week, you’ll learn practical, coaching-informed strategies to help you: - Lead with more clarity and confidence - Empower diverse teams to perform at their best - Reduce overwork and decision fatigue - Increase productivity without sacrificing your values - Meet the evolving demands of the modern humanitarian and development sector I’m your host, Torrey Peace — leadership coach and founder of Aid for Aid Workers. With 12+ years working in humanitarian and development settings and coaching hundreds of leaders across the UN, INGOs, and civil society globally, I’ve seen firsthand how overwork and overwhelm have become normalized — and how unnecessary they truly are. The good news? There is a different way to lead. Join me every Monday for short, practical insights that help you step out of overwhelm and start leading with greater impact, sustainability, and purpose. 👉 New here? Start with listener-favorite: A Surprising Way to Ensure Team Success: https://www.aidforaidworkers.com/blog/success-7

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