Blog Series: Part 3 Applying 12 Step Principles to Succeed, Stay Sane & Save Lives

Part 3: How Emotional Intelligence Helps Us Save Lives

It’s easy to see how emotional intelligence can help us personally and professionally as individuals. But can it actually impact the overall success of an organization? And in mission-driven work, can it really help us save more lives?

I believe it can.

Today, we’re looking at three more principles that illustrate how strengthening our emotional intelligence isn’t just good for us - it’s good for our teams, our missions, and the change we want to create in the world.

1. If You Do What You’ve Always Done, You’ll Get What You’ve Always Gotten

Humans are creatures of habit. It’s easy and comfortable to stick with what we know, even when it’s no longer working. Sometimes we’re afraid to rock the boat. Other times, we’re just too busy or overwhelmed to question the way things have always been done.

But here’s the thing: Innovation only happens when someone is brave enough to ask, “Is there a better way?”

Mission-driven fields move forward because people challenge old systems. We wouldn’t make progress without people willing to question, rethink, and try something new.

If you have an idea or thought, share it.

Speaking up and suggesting another way isn’t criticism, it’s an act of service. Organizations only grow when the people inside them are willing to lead with courage and curiosity.

2. Just Take the Next Right Action

Some days, the workload feels endless. The emails pile up, the emergencies multiply, and it feels like you’re drowning before the day even begins.

In those moments, it’s easy to get stuck in overwhelm. But here’s what I’ve learned:

You don’t have to figure everything out. You just have to take the next right action.

Maybe the next right action is responding to the most urgent email. Maybe it’s delegating a task. Maybe it’s stepping outside for five minutes to breathe before coming back to the work.

When I feel paralyzed, I remind myself: I don’t need to fix the whole day, or the whole organization, or the whole world. I just need to take the next right action.

One step at a time is how anything meaningful gets done.

3. Progress, Not Perfection

Working in mission-driven fields can be all-consuming. There’s always another need, another crisis, another problem to solve. It’s easy to focus on what we haven’t done and forget to honor what we have accomplished.

But here’s the truth:

Progress matters.

Big changes rarely happen overnight. They happen because we keep showing up. We keep trying. And we keep believing that our efforts matter, even when they don’t feel like enough.

Whether we are talking about our professional or our personal lives, we don’t need to strive for perfection. We just need to continue to show up bravely, imperfectly, and consistently.

Progress happens because we make the decision to keep showing up and keep growing.

Wrapping Up: Succeed, Stay Sane, Save Lives

The principles we’ve talked about throughout this series -- prioritizing wisely, letting go of outcomes, owning our mistakes, setting boundaries, challenging old habits -- aren’t just “nice ideas.”

They’re tools for creating healthy leaders, healthy cultures, and healthy organizations.

They help us:

• Show up more fully

• Connect more authentically

• Innovate more courageously

• Build stronger, healthier organizations

• And yes, save more lives

Because success isn’t just about doing more. It’s about becoming more—more resilient, more compassionate, more courageous.

Whether you’re in animal welfare, nonprofit work, or any field where heart and hustle collide, I hope you’ll carry these principles with you.