In the midst of the last recession, back in 2008, the board of directors of Small Wonders, a large nonprofit child care center in a major Midwestern city, was on the verge of closing its doors. With rising unemployment, enrollment had dropped by over 50 percent and the prospects of meeting payroll, covering the mortgage, and even paying the electric bill were very dim. It felt hopeless.

The center’s director, Cheryl, was the sole dissenter to this plan. She argued with logic and emotion and finally succeeded in convincing her board to give her two more months to turn the situation around.