The Syndrome that is Silently Burning Out Nonprofit Leaders. NEWSLETTER FEATURE | LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS FROM SECOND WIND In my first years as an Executive Director, I was drowning. Not in apathy but in activity. I was the leader, the visionary, the manager, and — let's be honest — the chief cook and bottle washer. In small to mid-sized nonprofits, the Executive Director isn't just setting strategy. He/She is also doing all the things that fall through the cracks when you don't