As a nonprofit director or manager, how do you know when you’re ready to step into an executive leadership role? Our team of nonprofit leaders regularly uses their experience to help nonprofit career professionals answer this question as part of our board advisory work and interim executive leadership engagements. We act as mentors during nonprofit leadership transitions when the board needs help identifying their next leader and equipping them for success. These are the types of conversations we have day in and day out as we assist organizations in handing over the organization to new leadership. Ultimately, the question of whether you’re ready to move up to the next level comes down to two things: whether you have what it takes to succeed from a personality standpoint and whether you have enough experience to lead not only a team but the entire organization effectively. Let’s look at each of those areas separately because they are complementary, yet distinctly different, aspects of what makes someone qualified to lead a nonprofit organization.
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These are the kinds of questions that succession planning can answer in advance. However. Most organizations simply do not have effective succession planning efforts in place before they need them. Even among organizations that have taken the time to put together a succession plan, it doesn’t always help them much when an unexpected situation arises because their plan falls short in scope.
So, how do you identify the optimal leadership model for your nonprofit?
Well…yes and no. Yes, you should feel good about the hire, and you should take a pause, but not for too long because the next phase of the transition is only beginning. “What!? Only beginning?” you say. Yes, hiring the new ED is just the first step of the transition journey. The next important move for the Board is to ensure your new leader settles confidently into the role for a long tenure.
So, release that breath and let’s chat about this next phase.
The article below from Liz Swanson expands on that topic, drawing from a workshop she recently led to help provide a framework on how to leave your leadership role. Get ready to enjoy her insights! A question for you: Imagine tomorrow you go into the office and announce you are retiring in 4 weeks. What is the biggest issue your board must consider?
Or the decision may be entirely personal in nature – illness, changing family needs, or retirement. Some reasons for leaving will allow for more notice than others. Some will be on better terms than others. Some leaders will have more to give than others by the time they choose to leave. Obviously, it’s impossible to account for the specific details around each situation, but there are some clear steps that you will need to take regardless of why you are leaving.
This should be a collaborative discussion that starts from a place of mutual respect and concern. It should also not come as a surprise. Board members should be sharing concerns in an annual review process with the leader, informed by the organizations and the leaders performance. Board leadership should create an open dialogue over a series of conversations, asking the Executive Director questions like “How are you feeling about the organization, where it is heading, and how you are doing as Executive Director?”
Cinematically, it is poignant and stirring, but we soon find out that he has not made proper preparations for his departure, including finding a safe place for the iconic ring of power.
Unlike Bilbo, I often think about how to “leave well” because of my role as an Interim Executive Director. But regardless of whether you are an entry-level or executive hobbit, leaving well is a valuable skill to develop. |
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