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Supporting Leadership Transitions

Whether planned with ample notice or sprung upon an organization, leadership transitions at the executive level present unique challenges to a board of directors. The board, by design removed from the day-to-day operations of the organization, is suddenly charged with identifying the skills, experiences, temperament, and philosophy needed to ensure future mission success. The board’s handling of an executive leadership transition can either intentionally set the stage for the next executive’s success or inadvertently undermine it. There are a number of ways I can help:

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Normal Course Executive Departures

Ideally, a new leader's launch will be full of hope, promise, and the opportunity to apply their fresh ideas, diverse perspectives, and unique life experiences in their new role. Walking into unknown financial, operations, and culture pitfalls can bring their work honeymoon to an abrupt and premature end.

 

I have been there, and understand the destabilizing impact this can have on an organization, and the demoralizing toll it can take on a new leader. Here are some roles I can play:

  • Serve in an interim capacity during any gap period in leadership
     

  • Collect feedback from current staff and external partners, funders, and other key stakeholders
     

  • Assess financial, operational, and cultural areas of opportunity and risk with recommendations for when and how to address
     

  • Resolve short-term problems, and identify areas for new leader's engagement
     

  • Identify key internal and external partners for early relationship building, including areas of focus and opportunity for those conversations
     

  • Work with board leadership to assess strengths and areas of growth for current board, and develop plan for strengthening the board to better support the new leader
     

  • Serve as onboarding guide and ongoing sounding board for new leader
     

  • Check in with new leader, board, and staff at 45-, 90-, and 180-day marks to provide early feedback to leader and board

Crisis Transitions

Increasingly, transitions at mission-driven organizations are happening under volatile circumstances, with executives being abruptly shown the door or resigning out of frustration and disappointment. The resulting damage is real, with relationships burned, and stakeholders wondering what happened and what comes next. Here is how I can assist:

  • Facilitate discussions between the board and the executive to identify issues and seek resolution in a manner consistent with the organization's values
     

  • Where resolution is not possible, help bring the relationship to a close in a mutually agreeable and respectful manner
     

  • Speak with staff and other stakeholders to surface and work to address needs and concerns
     

  • Assist with related communications planning
     

  • Identify priorities for support of affected people and stabilization of the organization and its work
     

  • Debrief lessons learned with all parties to break destructive cycles

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