Successful Leadership Transition
with Liz Heath, Sound Nonprofits
Change of leadership is a critical point in all nonprofits that can be extra challenging for small and midsize organizations, especially those located in communities outside major metropolitan areas. The challenge is greatly increased when the departure of an organization’s Founder occurs or is planned.
Preparing well for and managing leadership change is like designing and managing a bridge over a wide river. Think of the bridge as the path of the work you do to fulfill your mission. It stays in place despite any obstacles that come up along the way. Suddenly the bridge comes down. The short-term response is to take temporary action to make sure that people can still cross the bridge – that the work still gets done. But a more long-lasting solution is essential so that the bridge – the path to needed services – is sufficient – even improved. This session will address the transition components of that solution and how your board can assure successful and long-term staff leadership.