Are You a Martha?

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 yet have the staff to catch them. The phone calls, the grant details, the donor relationships, the emails, the planning – the list goes on and on.

My mentor saw what was happening. And instead of handing me a productivity app or a 12-step time management system, she handed me a Bible story.

The Story That Changed Everything

Luke 10:38–42 (NIV)

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, 'Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!'

'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed — or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.'"

I'll be honest with you: the first time I read this story in this context, I was annoyed. I sided with Martha. Completely. Someone had to do the work! Who was going to get everything done if Mary just sat there?  Who was going to cook?  Who was going to serve the guests?  WHO???

But my mentor asked me a question I wasn't prepared for:

"What if the problem isn't that you need more help — but that you're not doing the most important things?"

That question sat with me for a long time. And over the years — through my own 8 years as an Executive Director and through coaching dozens of women leaders — I've watched it transform the way leaders operate.

Do You Have the Martha Syndrome?

You might be living with the Martha Syndrome if you recognize yourself in any of these:

•        You end every day exhausted — but unsure if you moved anything forward.

•        You're "multi-tasking" constantly (spoiler: multi-tasking is a myth — you're just task-switching rapidly and doing each thing less well).

•        You feel guilty sitting still, even when stillness is what you need.

•        You've written "I just need help" in your journal more times than you can count.

•        Your to-do list is so long it's become a source of anxiety rather than clarity.

If that's you, I want you to hear me — not as a productivity coach, but as someone who has lived every single one of those bullet points.

STOP.

Not because the work isn't important. It is. But because you cannot lead well from the bottom of a pit.

The Leadership Shift That Changes Everything

Here is the wisdom my mentor passed on to me — and the wisdom I now pass on to every leader I coach:

There are many things you have to do.

There are many things you want to do.

But there are a few things that ONLY YOU CAN DO.

Those are the things that must come first. Everything else is less important until those are done.

Each morning, your primary leadership question is:

"What are the 1–2 things I need to do today that only I can do?"

For a nonprofit Executive Director, that might look like:

•        Making a call to a major donor to steward the relationship

•        Reviewing and signing off on the grant strategy before your grant writer submits

•        Having the performance conversation only you — as ED — can have

•        Casting vision to your board or staff in a way that only the leader can do

The Tool That Protects Your Priorities: The Pomodoro Method

Knowing your priority is one thing. Protecting the time to work on it is another. That's where the Pomodoro Technique comes in.

Developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, it's simple:

1.  Choose one priority task.

2.  Set a timer for 25 minutes of focused, uninterrupted work.

3.  Take a 5-minute break.

4.  Repeat. That's one Pomodoro.

Here's how I recommend you use it as a leader:

•        Block 2 Pomodoros on your calendar for each of your 2 priority tasks that day.

•        Guard those blocks like board meetings — they are non-negotiable.

•        Each Sunday, plan the week ahead and schedule your Pomodoros in advance.

•        At the end of each day, give yourself a "star" on your calendar for every day you followed through.

Over time, something remarkable begins to happen. You stop reacting to the constant fires and start intentionally moving the needle. You go from managing chaos to leading with purpose.

That is what leadership looks like from the inside.

Ready to Go from Stuck to Unstoppable?

If this resonated with you, it's not an accident. You are exactly who I wrote my book for.

I'm Dacia L. Moore — Licensed Professional Counselor, leadership coach, former Executive Director and founder of Second Wind Counseling & Consulting. I work with women leaders and nonprofit executive directors who are brilliant, committed, and quietly burning out.

You don't need more hustle. You need the right strategy, the right support, and someone who has walked where you're walking.

📖  Read the Book

From Stuck to Unstoppable: 5 Strategies for Getting Your Second Wind is for the leader who is done surviving and ready to thrive. Pick up your copy and get the full framework that transforms how you lead.

👉  Visit Amazon.com to purchase

🎓  Self-Study Coaching Program (available in June 2026)

Not ready for 1:1 coaching yet? My Unstuck in 5 Days self-study mini-course walks you through the exact process I use with executive coaching clients — at your own pace, on your own schedule.

🤝  Work With Me 1:1 — Executive Coaching

If you are ready to stop surviving and start leading with clarity, confidence, and conviction — private coaching may be exactly what you need. I work with Christian women leaders and nonprofit executive directors who are ready to do the deep work. Spots are limited.

👉  Apply by emailing me at dmoore@secondwindcc.com

You were not called to carry this alone.

You were called to lead. Let me help you remember how.

— Dacia L. Moore, LPC

Founder & CEO, Second Wind Counseling & Consulting

Licensed Professional Counselor | Executive Coach | Speaker | Author

www.daciamoore.com