The Joy of Ideas: New Thoughts on Leadership Succession and Executive Transition

In a moment of wishful thinking in 2017, I attended the Alliance for Nonprofit Management’s national conference. Wishful because I was looking for thoughtful conversation and to make connections with others who had questions similar to my own. My wishes came true – not only for a few days, but with connections and conversations that have bloomed over the last 10 months with colleagues across the country.

I have loved the exchange of ideas. I’ve loved watching these ideas and conversations progress over the months. While many of these ideas now feel firmly rooted in my head, I recently went back to files from earlier in the year and saw how much the ideas and conversation have changed and developed. Let me share some of my Aha! moments – please?

Leadership succession and executive transition, though related, are separate and distinct. Executive transition happens episodically with beginning and end points for each episode; leadership succession is on-going work that never ends. Sounds obvious, but I’ve seen organizations and consultants repeatedly lump these together and then neither one is done well. We haven’t even had common language to talk about this – but that’s changing!

Succession = sustainability. Succession isn’t about finding the next leader or the process to do so, it’s about strengthening an organization and its leadership. That leadership team includes the ED, staff, and board leaders.

Strategic planning is a great stepping off point for leadership succession and sustainability. Once an organization knows what it wants to focus on and prioritize, we need to make sure that the right people are there and have the right skills. And that we’re preparing those people for future leadership positions.

Mission is more important than the organization. We always say that we’re not about perpetuating the organization, but I’ve seen very few cases where organizations truly put mission above the organization. Changing that lens powerfully changes thoughts on strategy, people, and sustainability.

Leadership succession is a community challenge – not an organizational challenge. Nonprofits who are afraid of losing their talented staff to other nonprofits are thinking too small. Consider how different the nonprofit sector might look if your organization trained the leaders of all the other organizations that serve a similar mission? If board members who are passionate about a mission move intentionally and in a coordinated way between aligned agencies?

The conversation continues at a national level with consultants, capacity builders, funders and researchers. We’re positioning the conversations to come together this October in Hartford, CT at the next Alliance for Nonprofit Management conference.

So what do you think?? Are these ideas crazy? Could we ever achieve them? Argue with me, join the conversation – it’s a lot of fun!

Learn more about Clarity Transitions at www.ClarityTransitions.net.

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