Chris Wong

About Chris Wong

Your best program manager just got promoted to director. Your most reliable case worker is now supervising a team of six. And your Executive Director is spending half their week managing the fallout.This is what accidental leadership looks like. And in human services, it\'s everywhere.It’s not because you promoted the wrong people. You promoted your best people. But exceptional clinical, programmatic, and operational skills don\'t automatically translate into knowing how to lead - especially in environments as demanding as domestic violence services, mental health, or food and housing insecurity. Without the right support, your managers burn out, your staff turns over, and your mission suffers.You deserve a leadership team that\'s actually ready to lead.This work started the hard way. After years building leadership development functions, mentorship programs, and talent pipelines inside nonprofits – I was laid off. Accidental, just like that. That experience, combined with a background as a licensed therapist and a personal journey of learning to lead authentically after growing up being told not to speak assertively, became the foundation for Leadership Potential.The result is a program built specifically for organizations like yours.Your entire leadership team goes through a 6-8 month leadership cohort together - building shared language, confidence, and the skills to handle what gets thrown at them. Each leader gets 1:1 coaching and a Clifton Strengths assessment and debrief, so development is both collective and deeply personal. The goal isn\'t a certificate on the wall. It\'s your ED getting their time back. Your managers handling hard conversations without being prompted. Your team finally functioning like one.If you\'re an Executive Director watching good people burn out - or an HR leader who\'s been raising this issue for months - your instincts are right. Let\'s talk about what\'s possible for your organization.Visit https://myleadershippotential.com or send a DM directly.

Experience

1. Owner

   Leadership Potential

   Aug 2023 — Present

   We provide internal leadership development programs for nonprofits and professional service firms to reduce burnout and leadership turnover.

Education

• Boston University School of Medicine

  Dual M.A., Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine, Medical Sciences

  2007 — 2010

• Penn State University

  B.S., Psychology

  2002 — 2006