Interim CEOs Can Steady the Ship

As Baby Boomers are finally able and willing to retire, nonprofit Boards are more and more open to preemptive succession planning – anticipating and readying the organization for a leadership transition before it’s imminent.

In our work with Boards, however, the idea of utilizing an interim CEO is frequently dismissed. We often hear:

“An interim won’t care about our mission the way our full-time CEO does.”

“Why put the organization through two changes in leadership?”

“It won’t take us long to find a new CEO and our staff leadership team is strong.”

In fact, Interim CEO’s tend to be seasoned nonprofit professionals who bring skills, knowledge, experience and a passion for the sector to their work. An external Interim Director can be especially helpful when an organization has been lead by a long term CEO whose identity is intertwined with that of the organization. Or when an organization is in crisis.

Whenever there is a gap in leadership of more than a few weeks, an internal or external Interim CEO should be appointed. Nonprofits are complex organizations navigating a challenging environment. An organization without a designated leader is like a ship without a captain – one none of us would like to sail.

You can read more about the role of Interim CEO’s at: https://www.compasspoint.org/sites/default/files/documents/Interim%20EDs%20-%20final.pdf