Tricia Williams of Empreinte Consulting On Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Uncertain & Turbulent Times
Make clarity travel. State your “why” and teach people to repeat it. During the discussion surrounding DEI, we relied on our mission and who we serve. It steadied decisions while the policy noise shifted.
Practice boundaried empathy. Try to understand fully, decide clearly, and apply standards with care. When my clinic team worried about budget cuts, we listened first, then set clear expectations. People felt seen and knew the boundaries.
Push decision points to the right level. During clinic operations, front-line staff decided scheduling and engagement tactics within guardrails. That improved show rates and ownership because the people closest to the problem owned the “how.”
Run pilots and experiments. Address changes, adapt, and learn from your mistakes. Work culture changes when mistakes become data, not shame.
Hire for values and culture add, not culture fit. In consulting, I look for people who share our values but think differently. That healthy friction prevents groupthink and expands what’s possible.
As part of our series about the “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Tricia Williams. Tricia is a human-services executive, consultant, and fractional CEO with nearly three decades of experience across intellectual and developmental disabilities, behavioral health, and nonprofit systems. She began in direct care in 1998 and later led quality assurance and corporate compliance, managed multidisciplinary clinics, and guided strategy for Medicaid-reliant organizations. Today, as a Senior Advisor at Empreinte Consulting, Tricia helps nonprofits clarify strategy, build programs, secure funding, and strengthen leadership capacity. Her philosophy is “clarity over control” and boundaried empathy, because empathy without boundaries becomes enabling, and boundaries without empathy become punitive. Known for her “talent radar” and her belief that humor lowers fear and clarity lowers chaos, she’s committed to delivering truth without harm. Above all, she says, “the people are the point.”
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
I moved to Rochester in 1998 and started in direct care at a day treatment program serving people with intellectual disabilities and behavioral health needs. From there I moved into quality and corporate compliance, then into program leadership and clinic management, and eventually into system-level strategy.
Most of my career has been in Medicaid-reliant environments, so uncertainty has been the norm: funding changes, policy shifts, staffing challenges, etc. I’ve worked alongside many women leaders and, honestly, I can count the truly great leaders I’ve had on one hand. That taught me to be intentional about the leader I wanted to become.
The core of my approach is clarity over control and what I call “boundaried empathy.” Empathy without boundaries is enabling. Boundaries without empathy are punitive. Leadership needs both. I’ve been judged for using humor and kindness — as if they’re soft, but for me, kindness isn’t caving. Humor is a pressure valve; kindness is a force multiplier. Humor lowers fear. Clarity lowers chaos. My job is to deliver truth without harm, and then do what I said I would do.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Recently, I missed a deadline, which is very unlike me, which is evident by my matrix of calendar systems. Even after all of my experience, I have to admit that I absolutely spiraled. I texted a colleague: “I really messed this up.” (In all transparency, I had a stronger choice of words in the moment).
Their response halted me: “Is anybody going to die right now?” It snapped me right back into perspective.
The mistake wasn’t the missed deadline as much as my reaction. I lost my footing for 20 minutes. The lesson was to manage my reaction first, then fix the problem. I try to use the same supportive self-talk I’d use with a friend. It’s amazing how quickly humor and perspective can reset a team, and that starts with the leader.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
Yes! One of my former supervisors. She delivered correction without punishment. You left her office knowing you were still a good person. The focus stayed on the behavior and its impact, not your identity. She practiced radical acceptance and then offered a clear mirror: “Here’s how this choice lands, here’s why it matters.” That modeled how I want to talk to people and help them grow while preserving dignity.
Extensive research suggests that “purpose-driven businesses” are more successful in many areas. When your organization started, what was its vision, what was its purpose?
You need to understand the “why.” I like to say, “At Empreinte, we help people who help people.” We build nonprofit capacity so they can expand impact. A lot of clients arrive asking for a tactic: “write this grant,” “build this program,” “run this retreat.”
My first job is to find their why. Often the real end goal is different from the activity they hired us to do. Grants aren’t strategies; they’re tools. When we align tactics to purpose, effort stops feeling like busy work and starts generating outcomes.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion. Can you share with our readers a story from your own experience about how you lead your team during uncertain or difficult times?
I choose radical transparency and shared ownership. Years ago, I ran a clinic with 12 clinicians all under behavioral health, dietetics, OT, and PT. This was at a time when reimbursement was shifting. I showed the full budget: bottom line, drivers, different scenarios, and the realities of Medicaid. Some leaders frowned on that approach, but it changed everything.
Anxiety dropped. Ownership increased. People saw how sick days and no-shows affected sustainability, and they made conscious choices while keeping healthy boundaries. For staff exploring private practice, we turned it into a business lesson: expenses, revenue, contribution margin. Transparency made us smarter and calmer.
More recently, during the January policy debates around DEI language and funding, the board of a local non-profit preferred to wait and see. As the acting fractional CEO, I took a different path and chose to be honest about what we don’t know and double down on what we do: our mission, values, and who we serve. We created a small, meaningful win: a website language audit. “Don’t panic. Just tell me where DEI shows up and how it functions.” That produced clarity and options without fear.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through your challenges? What sustains your drive?
What tempts me to give up is eroded integrity…When people avoid hard decisions and let the organization drift. What motivates me is first, the people I work with. Even on hard days, if I’m with people who lift me up, courage and kindness become contagious. Second is the people we serve. Even small choices in our work shape things for real people. That matters. I also keep boundaries. If a situation chronically violates values, I’m willing to walk away. I believe boundaries protect mission.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during challenging times?
Having safety — we think of physical safety, but emotional safety is critical. People need to tell the truth, ask hard questions, and hear clear answers. That means communicate with care, purpose, and transparency about what you know and don’t know. Leaders own the why and the what. Teams co-author the how. When people feel safe and respected, they can execute with speed and consistency.
When the future seems so uncertain, what is the best way to boost morale? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate and engage their team?
Recognize the small wins. Design small wins that connect directly to outcomes. The website audit example worked because it was concrete, time-bound, and tied to a real decision path. Also, add release valves. I joke that ugly crying is my superpower, but guess what? It’s true! Vulnerability is not weakness. Well-placed humor and human moments lower fear. When leaders stop taking themselves so seriously, teams often take the work more seriously.
What is the best way to communicate difficult news to one’s team and customers?
Be clear about what we know. Why is it important to know this right now? What’s important about it? I like to say, “Clear is kind” (thank you, Brené Brown). If I’m angry, I own my anger, I don’t outsource it. And I resist the urge to control everything. Leaders own why and what. The team owns how. That co-authors the story and preserves dignity.
How can a leader make plans when the future is so unpredictable?
Use scenario planning and time-boxed pilots. Build your plan from values and constraints, not wish lists. Push decision points down to the people closest to the work, within guardrails. Name the assumptions that could change, pre-decide triggers, and rehearse your pivot. Planning becomes a living practice, not a static document.
Is there a “number one principle” that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times?
Make clarity travel. If people can’t restate your current “why” in one sentence, they can’t execute under stress. Clarity about purpose, priorities, and decision is the anchor that keeps you from drifting when everything else moves.
Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen other businesses make during difficult times? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?
Confusing activity with outcomes. I once saw a seven-page dashboard after a strategic plan. It was confusing to say the least. A dashboard needs to give a quick and easy to understand picture. A lot of leaders fall into giving busy work.
Hoarding decisions. You hired talent — let them decide within guardrails. It grows capacity and speeds adaptation.
Equating warmth with weakness. When things get hard, some leaders get cold. Keep empathy and standards. Get soft and warm, speak clearly, and hold the line.
Romanticizing “leadership without title.” Influence matters, but authority enables accountability. Titled leaders must use authority to clear the way, make space, and protect standards, so others can lead well.
Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a business leader should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times? Please share a story or an example for each.
- Make clarity travel. State your “why” and teach people to repeat it. During the discussion surrounding DEI, we relied on our mission and who we serve. It steadied decisions while the policy noise shifted.
- Practice boundaried empathy. Try to understand fully, decide clearly, and apply standards with care. When my clinic team worried about budget cuts, we listened first, then set clear expectations. People felt seen and knew the boundaries.
- Push decision points to the right level. During clinic operations, front-line staff decided scheduling and engagement tactics within guardrails. That improved show rates and ownership because the people closest to the problem owned the “how.”
- Run pilots and experiments. Address changes, adapt, and learn from your mistakes. Work culture changes when mistakes become data, not shame.
- Hire for values and culture add, not culture fit. In consulting, I look for people who share our values but think differently. That healthy friction prevents groupthink and expands what’s possible.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Humor lowers fear, clarity lowers chaos, and kindness isn’t caving.” That’s my north star. In hard moments, I try to bring levity without dismissing reality, say the quiet part out loud with care, and still hold the line.
How can our readers further follow your work?
Connect with Empreinte Consulting or myself on LinkedIn where I share lessons from the human-services and nonprofit trenches. Also keep an eye out for our thought leadership and community projects.
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
Tricia Williams of Empreinte Consulting On Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.