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Crisis Tested: A CFO's Journey Through Organizational Dismantling and Rebirth
Crisis Tested is a gripping account of one CFO’s journey through the collapse of a legacy nonprofit—and the rebirth that followed. Gordon Kihuguru offers a rare blend of strategic insight and emotional truth as he leads through dismantling, mentors' successors, and models responsible stewardship in the face of chaos. For leaders navigating uncertainty, this is a masterclass in resilience, legacy, and the quiet power of knowing when to step aside.
What happens when the organization you’ve helped build begins to unravel? When the systems, relationships, and funding models you’ve stewarded for decades collapse under the weight of crisis? And what does it means to lead not just with strategy, but with integrity through the dismantling of something once believed to be permanent? In Crisis A CFO’s Journey Through Organizational Dismantling and Rebirth, Gordon offers a rare and deeply personal account of leadership in the crucible. As Chief Financial Officer of a major not-for-profit, Gordon found himself at the epicenter of a collapse triggered by the withdrawal of USAID funding. What followed was not just a financial reckoning, but an existential one requiring clarity, compassion, and the courage to let go. This book chronicles the anatomy of that the strategic decisions, the emotional toll, the legal and ethical dilemmas, and the human stories behind every spreadsheet. But Crisis Tested is more than a memoir of dismantling, it’s a blueprint for rebirth. Gordon shares how he and the leadership team responded to the crisis, how he preserved institutional memory, and reframed donor relationships to lay the groundwork for Phoenix, the organization that rose from the ashes. Written with candor, humility, and hard-won wisdom, Crisis Tested is essential reading for executives, board members, nonprofit leaders, and anyone who has ever faced the How do you lead when the future is uncertain, and the stakes are deeply personal?
What happens when the organization you’ve helped build begins to unravel? When the systems, relationships, and funding models you’ve stewarded for decades collapse under the weight of crisis? And what does it means to lead not just with strategy, but with integrity through the dismantling of something once believed to be permanent? In Crisis A CFO’s Journey Through Organizational Dismantling and Rebirth, Gordon offers a rare and deeply personal account of leadership in the crucible. As Chief Financial Officer of a major not-for-profit, Gordon found himself at the epicenter of a collapse triggered by the withdrawal of USAID funding. What followed was not just a financial reckoning, but an existential one requiring clarity, compassion, and the courage to let go. This book chronicles the anatomy of that the strategic decisions, the emotional toll, the legal and ethical dilemmas, and the human stories behind every spreadsheet. But Crisis Tested is more than a memoir of dismantling, it’s a blueprint for rebirth. Gordon shares how he and the leadership team responded to the crisis, how he preserved institutional memory, and reframed donor relationships to lay the groundwork for Phoenix, the organization that rose from the ashes. Written with candor, humility, and hard-won wisdom, Crisis Tested is essential reading for executives, board members, nonprofit leaders, and anyone who has ever faced the How do you lead when the future is uncertain, and the stakes are deeply personal?
96 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 27, 2025
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December 20, 2025
I appreciated the insight of this deeply personal reflection, which I experienced firsthand as a colleague. “Years of work, relationships, systems, and impact were reduced to a line in a memo.” This book tells the story of an extraordinarily difficult period in our careers and offers thoughtful, practical guidance for leading with humanity and clarity during future crises.
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