![]() Losing a long-standing leader brings a host of unique challenges that many organizations are unprepared to face. When a long-term nonprofit leader leaves that person is typically beloved by the staff, creating a hole emotionally as well as functionally. Sometimes this person is the original founder, other times they aren’t but they’ve been in the role for the organization’s most formative years. Regardless of whether they were there at the very beginning or not, they are someone who has been at the helm though significant periods of growth. As a result, they have imbued institutional knowledge that must be retained by the organization and passed onto the next leader. When a leader’s era is over it’s important to recognize the challenges that lay ahead, understand where opportunities for growth may exist, and craft a formal transition plan to guide the organization through the change. Understanding The Challenges
Simply put, a long-term leader leaves big shoes to fill when they leave, which means there are unique leadership transition challenges with this specific kind of change. So, what should you expect when your beloved nonprofit leader leaves? Culture Shift During a change like this the culture of the organization will inherently shift because when one person has been leading a nonprofit for many years it is likely closely tied to their personality, values, passions, management style, and goals. Losing a leader forces a separation between the person and the organization. Nonprofits that don’t have a strong sense of what they stand for, who they serve, and why they do what they do will need to go through a period of organizational “soul searching” to find themselves apart from their long-time leader. Long Transition Period Nonprofit leaders that have been in an executive-level role for many years often take longer to replace than their averagely tenured counterparts because:
This longer transition time isn’t necessarily bad. In fact, it can be a really great thing for a nonprofit organization, its staff, and the people it serves! However, it’s something that many organizations fail to plan for initially when going into the process. Thinking about this proactively helps Boards to make an early decision on whether they will want to bring in interim leadership to help with the transition. Stakeholder Concerns There aren’t many organizational changes more significant than losing a long-term leader, which is why this kind of change often causes concern among key stakeholders. Major donors, sponsors, partners, and staff will all have their own worries about how this kind of change may affect the organization and their own personal interests. It’s the Board’s job to allay their concerns by assuring them that the change will be well managed and potentially even unlock additional opportunities for growth. Identifying Opportunities Remember, when your long-term leader is leaving it’s not all doom and gloom! This kind of organizational change can also usher in many new opportunities. Strategic Reevaluation Any time you have a change of leadership that’s a great time to really dig in and analyze what’s working (and what’s not!) across programs, initiatives, fundraising approaches, and staffing. Solicit feedback from employees, program participants, donors, and other external stakeholders to get a first-hand view of where there’s room for improvement. This kind of reevaluation will help you to make the best strategic decisions for the long-term future of the organization. Innovation No two people will ever do things the same way exactly! So, bringing in a new leader will inherently give way to doing some things differently and embracing new perspectives. This kind of transformative innovation can help the organization to keep up with the current needs of the audience they serve and stay relevant with donors and sponsors. Planning for Success How do you navigate this kind of nonprofit leadership transition well and what kind of resources will you need to succeed? Increased Board Involvement This is the time for your Board to step up! A Board will likely need to become more involved to plan for how the transition will be managed and help usher in new leadership. They should be the driving force in making and executing an effective transition plan. Making a Transition Plan A formal and comprehensive transition plan is going to be essential for success during a leadership transition of this nature. Communicate with internal and external stakeholders early and often and prioritize two-way communication – listening to their concerns and feedback along the way. Say “goodbye” and “hello” well by acknowledging the outgoing leader’s legacy appropriately and welcoming a new leader warmly. Then, set the new leader up for success in the role by pouring into their professional development, especially during the first year. Hiring an Interim Executive Director Frequently in this kind of situation a new leader will come in and try to do too much too fast. One way to avoid this outcome is to hire an interim Executive Director to offer a middle step before fully handing over the leadership role to a replacement Executive Director. This person can help the organization to ease into the transition as well as bridge the gap between former leadership and new leadership, where necessary. As an impartial third-party, an interim ED can also help to facilitate succession planning and get the former leader ready to fully relinquish control in a way that benefits everyone. When you need interim nonprofit leadership, we can help! Our experienced nonprofit interim leaders have helped hundreds of nonprofit organizations as they navigate leadership transitions. Reach out to us for more information! Comments are closed.
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