What the literacy crisis is teaching us about leadership  

As I stepped into the role of CEO at Reach Out and Read, the U.S. was absorbing some sobering news. The most recent Nation’s Report Card revealed that only 35% of 12th graders are proficient in reading, the lowest level in decades. For someone who has spent her career at the intersection of early childhood development, health, and equity, this wasn’t just a data point—it was a signal flare.   

Reach Out and Read partners with clinicians across all 50 states to support families by sharing books and reading guidance during pediatric visits for children from birth to age five. This approach integrates reading into routine care, reinforcing its role in healthy development and providing caregivers with resources and support to help their children thrive. 

I’ve been reflecting on what kind of leadership this moment demands. The past weeks have underscored a few truths that are shaping how I will guide Reach Out and Read in these turbulent times.  

Turning urgency into intentional action 

More than 80% of a child’s brain is developed by age three. That means each and every day matters; the literacy crisis created a critical urgency in early childhood.

But I’ve come to understand that urgency isn’t only about speed, but about clarity. Leaders have a responsibility to focus organizations on what matters most and ensure the mission guides decision making even amid distractions and competing priorities.   

I’ve seen what happens when systems move fast but without alignment—initiatives multiply, but impact doesn’t. At Reach Out and Read, we’ve found that emphasizing connection before intervention, embedding literacy and relational health within pediatric care, is far more effective than isolated awareness campaigns or simple book distributions. Pediatricians are the most trusted messengers for parents, and integrating reading guidance into well-child visits has been proved to strengthen both family bonds and early learning outcomes. Of course, this approach wasn’t perfect at first. We refined it through listening—to clinicians struggling with time constraints, to families facing barriers to access, and to community partners who helped us adapt culturally and linguistically.  

Those lessons inspired intentional actions: developing tailored training for providers, building partnerships with local organizations to reach more families, and ensuring every decision—from program design to policy advocacy—flows from the simple but powerful idea that connection drives change. 

Building literacy on a foundation of equity 

Equity is sometimes framed as an optional add-on, to be pursued once the “core work” is in place. But literacy isn’t only an academic issue. It is fundamentally about belonging, access, and agency. If children are in a literacy crisis, they are deprived of opportunity, starting from the very beginning.  

That understanding changes how we must lead. Equity is not separate from our mission; it is the mission.

This is core to my leadership philosophy because I’ve seen that outcomes only change when access does. Early in my career, I witnessed families who wanted to engage but couldn’t because resources weren’t accessible or systems weren’t designed with them in mind. Those moments revealed that good intentions alone don’t close opportunity gaps; intentional design does.  

For nonprofit leaders, centering equity brings sharper focus and greater authenticity. It forces us to measure success not by scale alone, but by reach and relevance. Who truly benefits, and who is still left out? This is essential: If our mission is to create lasting change, we cannot do so through approaches that leave parts of the community behind. Accessibility removes the structural and cultural barriers that too often determine who our work supports. And belonging affirms that every child and family has a rightful place in the systems meant to nurture them. When these elements align, equity moves from aspiration to practice. 

Leading with empathy and accountability 

Accountability handled with empathy builds trust, not fear. At a time when a literacy crisis is on the rise and families’ well-being is threatened, accountability requires acknowledging the scale of the challenge without creating despair. Finding the right balance is essential for maintaining trust within an organization, with stakeholders, and across the communities it serves.   

I learned this lesson through experience. In moments when progress slowed or data revealed uncomfortable truths, I saw how transparency, paired with empathy, could actually strengthen relationships rather than fracture them. To do their jobs well, people need honesty and clarity about where we stand and where we’re headed. That realization reshaped my approach to leadership.  

Leadership is a shared responsibility 

Leadership is never confined to the top. It must be cultivated throughout an org and across the broader field.  

When leadership is concentrated in one place, so is vulnerability. The most enduring change comes when everyone, at every level, understands their role in advancing the mission and feels empowered to act on it. 

The literacy crisis is too complex for any one individual or institution to solve. We need a network of leaders, including parents, pediatricians, and partners, who are supported to think boldly, act courageously, and lead with compassion. Investing in that kind of leadership multiplies impact, strengthens resilience across the sector, and ensures that the work lasts well beyond one organization or one moment in time.   

Learning that leadership isn’t about control—it’s about clarity

Early in my career, I believed having a sense of urgency meant being effective and that stepping into a role meant making decisions quickly to demonstrate that I was “in control.” But I learned quickly that responding to every issue with immediacy often led to rushed decisions that yielded neutral results at best—and missteps at worst. Over time, I came to understand that real impact comes not from command-and-control leadership, but from a steady, thoughtful, and focused hand that builds confidence rather than simply asserting authority. 

It’s clear that successful leadership in this moment isn’t about moving quickly, but listening deeply to understand where change will matter most. Looking ahead, my focus is on elevating the through line that connects our work: how reading together strengthens relationships, drives academic success, supports equity, and advances lifelong well-being.  

Photo credit: Reach Out and Read