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Rethinking Growth, Right-Sizing, and What Success Really Means

Dear Reader

We talk about growth a lot in the social sector.

Revenue growth.
Team growth.
Geographic expansion.
New funding secured.

And it is easy to equate growth with success, because in many ways it feels like proof. Proof that the work matters. Proof that funders believe in you. Proof that momentum is on your side.

When I talk about my time as a CEO, I often frame it this way too. Revenue grew. Teams expanded. We moved from one country to three. All clear markers of growth.

That next grant or partnership brings a genuine sense of validation.

Growth feels like success

But over time, and across different leadership roles, I have learned that growth does not always equal success.

Impact is not only about the dollars raised or the number of people reached.

It is about the depth and durability of transformation, and the degree to which communities have the agency to sustain it.

By communities, I mean both those directly impacted and the governments responsible for leading and sustaining change.

When communities are not truly at the centre co-creating solutions, shaping priorities, and holding systems accountable, impact risks becoming temporary, however well funded or well intentioned it may be.

Right-sizing as a leadership discipline

At the same time, many organisations are facing another difficult and often misunderstood reality: right-sizing.

Too often, right-sizing is treated purely as a reaction. Funding tightens. A grant ends. Forecasts shift. Action becomes urgent. In many ways, it is seen as the opposite of growth.

But right-sizing should also be understood as a leadership discipline, not just a defensive move.

At its best, it asks a harder and more strategic question:

How can we deliver long-term transformation more effectively and efficiently?

Answering that question requires leaders to step back and look honestly at structures, costs, and ways of working. It means being tough on what is essential for the next phase, not simply preserving what worked in the last one.

I have been told ...

I see it differently.

In the non-profit sector, we are stewards of resources entrusted to us for impact, not for organisational preservation. That carries a responsibility to be disciplined, fair, and transparent, even when the decisions are uncomfortable.

Across both private sector and non-profit roles, I have seen that the hardest leadership moments often sit at the intersection of these two themes. Letting go of growth for growth’s sake. Right-sizing not because you must, but because you should. Choosing depth, effectiveness, and long-term outcomes over growing.

You may not always be liked when you make these calls.

But when you lead with clarity, empathy, and integrity, you create the conditions for impact that lasts.

What if we started measuring success not by how much we grow, but by how deeply communities are able to own and sustain their own change?

Warm regards,
​Liz​
​Strategic Advisor | Former CEO | Founder, Volante

Based in Kenya, available globally