Contrary to what you may think, executive succession planning played a bigger role at the nonprofits where I was a board member than in my experiences in the corporate world as a vice president of marketing and communications. A corporate CEO is more of a figurehead whereas the leader of a nonprofit assumes the role of relationship builder and strategic visionary, especially if they founded it.
Nonprofit organizations are also under more of a microscope than for-profit organizations because of the social responsibility embedded in their work. As a nonprofit board member, I’ve been through six executive-level transitions. It’s always stressful, no matter what side of the table you’re on.
The emotional component of the transition is unavoidable and often tied directly to the state of the organization and the communities they serve. The additional stress of whether everyone will unite around one particular candidate during the transition year, encouraging the current organization leader to continue to perform their duties to the best of their ability, and keeping everyone happy is very real.
Why is a strategy and creative firm talking about succession planning? Because our vision is that nonprofits that make the world better have what they need to succeed. And that includes ensuring the decisions and actions you take during a leadership transition align with your mission and values.
We won’t pretend to have all of the answers because every organization is different and every transition is unique. That’s why we’re talking about it in this month’s free webinar. In this piece, we would like to raise two questions that, as organization leaders and board members, you should be asking yourselves on at least a yearly basis to avoid a messy or complicated transition.
Is your organization’s brand strong enough to be distinct from your executive director?
Could you name the current CEO of Coca-Cola or Johnson & Johnson off the top of your head? For every Steve Jobs or Elon Musk, there are a thousand faceless CEOs whose names you’ll never know. They might be the face of their company, but they’re not the face of their brand.
Conversely, the hiring process for a nonprofit executive director, a college president, or a head of school is typically public. Everyone in the community has the opportunity to meet the finalists. Your community often develops a parasocial relationship with your leader because they feel invested in the choice.
Not unlike relationships we have with celebrities, athletes, and public figures, our relationships with leaders of our beloved nonprofits, schools, and colleges, especially founders, are sometimes based on projected versions of them versus substantive interactions. Sure, you may shake their hand during a tour of the office or sit in on a meeting with them for a presentation or board meeting. That doesn’t mean you actually know them as a person outside of that role.
What does branding strategy have to do with succession planning?
Nonprofit organizations succeed or fail by their reputations and your executive director is very much an extension of that reputation. Your organization takes on that leader’s attributes, good and bad, especially if they are the founder. You don’t want your values and your personality walking out the door with them.
Having a strong brand identity distinct from theirs will smooth the transition. Knowing what you’re looking for in a candidate will help you make clear decisions about who comes next. It also reassures the current leader of the organization that they can truly move on. The organization will endure without them. Speaking of clear decisions and expectations, there’s another important question that should be asked of your board consistently and constantly whether the leader of the organization is a seasoned veteran or shiny and new.
What steps are you taking to normalize the discussion of succession planning and set realistic expectations for the people involved in the process?
When an organization leader decides to move on or retire, identifying their successor can take anywhere from 6-18 months. (For example, school leaders are loath to leave their community, students, and staff in the middle of a school year). During the transitional months, leaders will likely hold back when it comes to making complicated, long-reaching decisions with consequences that their successor might inherit.
If your organization has already normalized the discussion of succession planning as part of doing business, you make these decisions and transitions easier for everyone.
There are multiple ways to approach it. You can develop a transition plan before one is needed. Incorporate succession planning as a standing initiative in your strategic plan. Normalize discussions about succession planning with staff, stakeholders, and the community so it feels natural and not forced.
Conversations like these are why Susannah Wolf, Head of School for Pluralistic School One (PS1), who succeeded the founder after a 53-year-tenure and I discussed he most important factors that went into PS1’s succession planning, including best practices and pitfalls to avoid. Are you a leader thinking about your own transition (in or out of an organization)? A board member committed to successful transition planning? Are you just curious about how to support a successful transition from wherever you are in your career journey? If any of the above apply, this webinar is for you.
Leave Your Legacy: Set Your Organization Up for Success
Thursday, Aug 15, 2024 @ 12:30PM PT/1:30PM MT/2:30PM CT/3:30PM ET
Are you considering a transformative organizational change? Let’s talk about how we help organizations like yours navigate that transition and how we could help you.
It is never too early to talk about succession planning. You don’t have to make it weird.