Managing Leadership Transition for Nonprofits: Passing the Torch to Sustain Organizational Excellence
“Leadership transition is one of the greatest challenges and opportunities faced by an organization. Leaders know that leaving well is the last great gift a leader can give to the organization.Managing Leadership Transition for Nonprofitsis an indispensable guide for leaders across the sector.”--Frances Hesselbein, President and CEO, Leader to Leader Institute “Invaluable guidance on the most neglected topic in nonprofit management--leadership changes at the top. A trio of very successful practitioners--with deep experience in the full range of nonprofit roles--provides a highly readable and useful conceptual framework and practical tools, with a focus on the essential responsibilities of nonprofit board members. A distinctive strength of this book is that it provides advice on both how to avoid common problems and also on how to seize the positive opportunities that are presented by leadership transitions.”--Rob Hollister, Dean, Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, Tufts University “Managing Leadership Transition for Nonprofitsdemonstrates the importance of leadership continuity. As the baby boomers retire and relinquish the reins to a new generation, the process is as critical to the continued strength of the organization as are the leadership qualities of the successor. There is a crisis afoot in America’s nonprofits, and this book identifies the solution.”--Vicki Donlan, author,Her Turn: Why It’s Time for Women to Lead in America “Transitions of leadership are often scary and volatile moments in an organization’s history. Yet, they can also be used as strategic moments to bring clarity to the organization, reinforce direction, and align a new leader with the organization for the next chapter of growth and social impact. This book captures not just the steps in a transition, but the overall strategy to keep an organization vibrant and healthy over the long term. It is a guide for building the foundation of a leadership culture that will position organizations toward healthy and natural CEO transitions.”--Ned Rimer, Co-Founder and formerly Executive Director, Citizen Schools; and Founder & Executive Director, Chronic Care Community Corps, EDC “The number one responsibility of a Board either for profit or nonprofit is managing risk, and the number one risk is transition of leadership at the top. The authors have done an excellent job in identifying a major issue for all companies and present a roadmap that is logical, thorough, and a good approach to succession planning for directors to follow.”--Bud Bergren, President and CEO, The BonTon Stores, Inc. Find the Right Leaders for Your Nonprofit--And Help Them Succeed For nonprofits, failed leadership transitions are widespread--and they can be catastrophic. Few organizations know how to manage successful leadership transitions. As a result, they often fall victim to common, avoidable errors. In this book, three leading consultants on nonprofit leadership present a systematic, proven approach to successful transition.In this book, three internationally respected experts in nonprofit leadership show how to identify, introduce, support, and monitor leaders in ways that give them a far greater chance to succeed. You’ll learn how to build a sturdy bridge between departing and incoming leaders; avoid debilitating contention, rumors, wrangling, accusations, and loss of momentum; develop boards and leaders that balance and complement each other; evolve organizational culture and define leadership roles that align with it; nurture tomorrow’s emerging leaders; and much more.Whatever your mission or role, this book will help you manage the entire leadership cycle--helping your organization succeed through one generation of leadership after another. Leadership and the challenge of transitionWhy nonprofit leadership is so challenging, why transitions fail, and what to do about it Clarifying the fundamentals of effective leadership in your nonprofitAligning mission, vision, strategy, governance, and leadership Why and how to professionalize your transition processReplacing crisis and chaos with effective transition plans Getting “new beginnings” rightPlanning succession and continuity for the long-term