What it Takes to be a Successful Interim Executive Director

The Valtas team has been incredibly fortunate to identify and hire a consulting team of Interim Executive Directors (IED) with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences.  We are frequently asked what it takes to be a successful Interim Executive Director.

​There are many overlapping skills between someone who serves as an executive leader in a nonprofit and a consulting Interim ED or CEO.  There are also a few key differences between a regular Executive Director role and an IED.  Each nonprofit has some variability and nuance – different types of business models and program delivery, staff size, and funding complexity all impact the role of a nonprofit leader.

Most organizations that need an Interim Executive Director are in the midst of change. IEDs bring a toolkit of not only understanding change management principles, but being able to guide and steward staff, board, donors, and stakeholders through what can be difficult transitions.

Here are the three areas that Interim Executive Directors must excel at to help guide leadership transitions:

Board Whisperer: 

The board of directors hires interim leaders. But in many cases, board members need coaching and support from the IED to help them govern the organization through the transition.  It is helpful for an IED to have served on boards of various sizes and maturity to bring that experience to their role. Part of an IED’s role is to point out areas where board members can deepen their engagement and ensure the board has set a clear strategy and direction that helps guide the choice for the next executive leader.

Leader of Staff, Stabilizer of Chaos: 

Interim leaders often join organizations where staff have concerns, question the direction of an organization and are understandably worried about their future.  An IED must quickly build credibility with the team, understanding who they are, what they do, and why they are connected to the mission.  

The IED must build trust first.  In many assignments, staff vacancies must be addressed quickly, which includes an assessment of the “right people in the right roles.”  An IED must be compassionate and clear about supporting the staff in defining their roles, success measurements and outcomes, and in some cases, make tough “people” decisions to set the organization up for the future.

Dollars, Donors, and Development: 

One of the most important things a successful interim leader can do is to help the organization get clear about their financial status.  An IED must quickly understand the current business model, how (and if!) the organization is making and raising money, and its deployment in the organization.  IEDs can quickly point out to the board areas where the business plan is not aligned with what is actually happening.   
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It’s helpful for an interim leader to know HOW to raise money and be able to steer the organization through fundraising activities.  That being said, it is often unhelpful for an IED to do a lot of public-facing fundraising – the temporary nature of the role can make it difficult to steward new donors.  Guiding the board’s development committee and staff to help make meaningful philanthropy happen during their assignment is critical to sustainability over the long term.

Interim work can be challenging but is also incredibly rewarding.  Dropping into a new organization during a time of great change and organizational stress takes a unique skill set. 
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Valtas team members are fortunate to have served as leadership stewards in over 30 transitions.  As we continue to grow our team, we are thrilled to be able to support many nonprofit organizations in building a strong foundation for futures for all.

About the Author

Christine Martin, Founder & Partner

​Christine has over 20 years of experience as a strategic business leader and has held a variety of senior leadership roles in organizations ranging from large public companies to early-stage start-ups and non-profits.    Christine founded her consulting business, HR Strategies International, in 2000, and after 18 years of independent consulting, she was a founding partner at Valtas.

​Christine has served as an Interim Executive for 15 organizations over the past ten years. She’s led the development of a wide variety of strategic and business plans and has also led executive hiring efforts for clients across the country.