Having moved on from multiple organizations and endeavors, I often think about how organizations can best tackle leadership transitions.
When it is time for a top executive to leave, succession issues become pervasive within a nonprofit. The process of grooming possible successors can be divisive, often creating a distraction. Senior staff tend to handicap the internal horses and align with the contender they think will get the job.
As the various scenarios play out, lower level managers hold back making decisions based on whether they think the odds-on favorite will like what they want to do next. It can be difficult to find a good candidate from outside your organization who adds value and so promoting from within is often the preferred approach.
The idea of promoting from within is always an attractive idea. You want to think that, in addition to developing the executive team to do a better job for the organization, you have helped an individual to personally develop and take their skills to a new level. If a single internal candidate distinguishes themselves from the field, has a vision for the future that the board thinks makes sense, and has the respect of the staff, the transition can be very smooth.
Conversely, an external candidate can bring new energy and a new vision, which might be just what the organization needs to advance into its next lifecycle. But the transition might not be as smooth. A change in the top executive leadership is a high-risk/high-reward moment for any organization. Face the elevator door, and position yourself to tackle this critical decision.
- Will your nonprofit be confronting succession issues any time soon?
- How will your organization manage the challenge of selecting the most promising internal and external candidates?