There's a peculiar contradiction at the heart of nonprofit leadership: we are operating in one of the highest-risk environments most of us have witnessed in our careers, yet we perceive the sector as fundamentally risk-averse. This month's Leadership Lab explored that tension head-on, exploring the idea that the greatest risk many nonprofit leaders face isn't taking a bad risk … it's not taking enough good ones.

This post marks the beginning of “Lab Notes,” a monthly series where we share the discoveries and outcomes from our high-level cohort discussions to benefit the broader nonprofit community. This month, we explored the practice of choosing a "Word of the Year,” and why high-achieving executives, now more than ever, can benefit from a single anchoring theme to strengthen intentional leadership.