What if the way we approach change is broken? Would you try something new? Or stick to what you know?

In this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership, host Peter Winick sits down with Heather Hiscox, founder and CEO of Pause for Change and author of No More Status Quo: A Proven Framework to Change the Way We Change the World. Heather shares her journey of transforming frustration into a groundbreaking approach that’s helping changemakers address tough challenges in the nonprofit, government, and philanthropic sectors.

Heather’s insights began with a simple yet powerful question: "Why aren’t we working differently?" Years of seeing wasted efforts and weak results in the social sector pushed her to experiment. The result? The Pause framework—a tool for disrupting the status quo and creating meaningful impact. Her approach focuses on relationships, active listening, and rapid iteration, all built on a foundation of empathy and learning.

Heather discusses how entrepreneurs often miss key listening skills, and how fear of "not being ready" keeps leaders from publishing ideas and moving forward. Instead, she encourages taking risks, learning in real-time, and embracing new methods to achieve different outcomes.

Her clients—nonprofits, local governments, and philanthropic organizations—typically approach her for one of two reasons: something’s broken, or they’re unsure what’s possible next. Heather uses her framework to guide them through the uncertainties, asking the right questions and driving real change.

When it comes to marketing, Heather’s strategy is driven by relationships and word of mouth. She’s not just waiting for clients to find her—she’s actively engaging them through LinkedIn, her online show The Possibility Project, and by knowing when to walk away from those who aren’t ready to embrace her message.

Heather’s work is a call to action for leaders ready to stop settling for the status quo and start making the impact they’ve always envisioned.

Three Key Takeaways:

• Embrace new methods to create change: Heather emphasizes that traditional approaches in the social sector often fall short. To make real impact, leaders must ask different questions and take risks with new methods, like her Pause framework.

• Relationships and listening are essential: Success hinges on building strong relationships and honing active listening skills. Whether in business or social change, empathetic listening and rapid iteration are key to solving complex problems.

• Don’t fear imperfection: Many leaders hesitate to publish content or make moves because it "isn't ready." Heather advocates for moving forward despite uncertainty, learning in real-time, and refining as you go.

Heather has years of helping clients change how they think and work. If you are a thought leader, speaker, or author is your work creating sustainable change? Explore the topic more in this article by Peter Winick.