In this powerful conversation, Kelly Wells Sittig and Trena Mitchell show us what real leadership looks like under pressure. From losing staff and navigating grief to rallying communities and rebuilding trust, these two leaders offer practical, inspiring lessons in how coalitions can adapt, persist—and even grow—through uncertainty.
- Resilience Doesn’t Wait for Permission
When funding for a critical community project in a rural Arkansas county was eliminated overnight, Trena didn’t fold—she rallied. Her transparency, quick action, and deep relationships sparked new partnerships and creative funding paths. Her story is a masterclass in not letting funding define your mission.- Keep your commitments to the community
- Get creative
- Transparency Builds Collective Strength
Both leaders emphasized honest, clear, and consistent communication during crises. Trena led with truth and solutions, which kept partners engaged and collaborative. Kelly echoed the importance of over-communicating to build trust and unlock collective wisdom in hard times. Kelly also emphasized the need to create a safe space for her teams to ask questions —even if she didn’t know the answers. Open communication creates opportunities for more effective problem-solving.- Communicate proactively
- Problem solve with your partners and staff
- Educate policy makers
- Great Leaders Make the Impossible Feel Manageable
Kelly shared how, like learning a difficult piece of music, she’s guiding her team through uncertainty one “measure” at a time. By breaking complexity into manageable steps and focusing on what can be done today, she’s helping her coalition persist despite unpredictability and grief.
- “Because we do have those mountains of things that people are concerned about right now that do feel insurmountable. I have no idea what things will look like a year from now, and I have very little control over what things will look like for a year from now. But when we can, pull ourselves back and remember that we are also here in this day, and there is good work we can do in this day, regardless of what happens a year from now”
– Kelly Wells Sittig, Iowa Cancer Consortium - Don’t let uncertainty get in the way of work you can do today
- “Because we do have those mountains of things that people are concerned about right now that do feel insurmountable. I have no idea what things will look like a year from now, and I have very little control over what things will look like for a year from now. But when we can, pull ourselves back and remember that we are also here in this day, and there is good work we can do in this day, regardless of what happens a year from now”
Check out our free worksheet on Change Management Reflection. This resource guides you through self-reflection questions that will support you in navigating your change journey.
