In the nonprofit sector, urgency often feels unavoidable. When funding is uncertain, community needs are growing, and the stakes are human lives, it can feel irresponsible not to operate in crisis mode. Many women leaders I work with say the same thing: “If I don’t stay on top of things, everything will fall apart.” And yet, urgency culture — especially when it becomes the default — comes at a cost. It fuels chronic stress in environments that are already under-resourced.