In this Ask a CEO post, Krista S. Ferrell explores how to recognize when it's time to realign your team. She outlines three key questions leaders should ask before making any changes—identifying what’s not working, assessing communication of expectations, and evaluating skill or system gaps. She also highlights common triggers for realignment and emphasizes the importance of clear planning and communication to support teams through change. Realignment, she notes, is not a failure but a strategic step toward staying mission-focused and resilient.

In Part 3 of the series, we explore the final piece of true mission alignment: your mission narrative. It’s the story that brings your mission to life in conversations, proposals, meetings, and moments that matter. A mission statement alone won’t inspire action. It’s the story you tell (and live) that creates real connection and momentum.

In Part 2, we dive into what to do when your mission sounds good on paper but doesn’t guide behavior, inspire action, or reflect a shared understanding. Misalignment isn’t failure. It’s a signal that it’s time to reconnect, listen, and realign.

A mission statement is only as powerful as the alignment behind it. In Part 1 of this series, we explore what it means to align your mission, ensuring it's clear, actionable, shared, and inspiring. Whether you're a nonprofit leader, founder, or strategist, this post offers guiding questions to assess if your mission truly works or if it’s just words on the wall. Because real alignment doesn’t just inform. It ignites.