It makes me feel uncomfortable
We shouldn't be trying to do more for less. We should be doing what matters most - with discipline, intentionality and willingness to make hard calls.
I know this isn't easy. Leaders are holding so much - keeping the organisation afloat, supporting teams, managing stakeholders and still trying to carve out time for strategy and reflection. Finding the headspace to step back and make these big decisions can feel impossible.
Yes, funding is tight. Yes, costs have gone up. But the answer isn't to stretch already stretched teams. That leads to burnout, disengagement and mission drift.
This is a moment for leaders to:
- Be ruthless in prioritisation - What actually drives impact? What needs to stop? What's your end game? Where are you heading? What is just noise?
- Cut or redesign programs - Not everything can be (or should) survive.
- Redesign your structure - Reactive restructures often just pile more work on fewer people. Instead, design a fit-for-purpose organisational design aligned with your strategy and resources.
- Get under the skin of your cost base - Compare your costs to three years ago. Where have they grown? Can you clearly link that growth to better outcomes or strategic shifts? It's often sobering but clarifying.
Above all: treat every pound (or dollar or shilling) as if it were your own. That mindset fosters deliberate investment, not default spending - a value I picked up from a previous organisation that still guides me today.
Boards have a big role here too:
- Support courageous decisions
- Ask uncomfortable questions
- Help leaders think long-term, not just survive the short-term
The best boards I've worked with balance challenge with empathy. They understand just how tough it is to lead through uncertainty and they lean in to help, not just critique.
Let's stop pretending we can cut and still deliver the same or more. That's wishful thinking.
What we can do is redesign, refocus and double down on what really matters.
That said, it's not all doom and constraint. Efficiency isn't the enemy of impact. You can run your organisation more effectively with the right structures, systems and talent.
Leaders should be exploring how AI can enhance productivity, strengthen operations and unlock new ways of working. In that sense, yes - sometimes you can do more for less. But only with the right investment, not by default.
And we need to think more boldly.
Mergers. Consolidations. Shared services. Ideas that have felt off-limits may now be the smartest way forward.
I'll be writing more about these themes in the weeks ahead.
Because this is hard work. But it's the work of real leadership
If that resonates, I'd love to connect.
Warmly,
Liz
Strategic Advisor | Former CEO | Founder, Volante
Based in Kenya, available globally
