Changing a leader can be challenging in any business, but non-profit leadership transitions are often even more difficult. Such a transition can be very challenging if the leader was the organizational founder or had been the “face” of the non-profit for many years.
Ensuring that everything operates smoothly during and after the transition is essential. Here are a few recommendations for orchestrating a successful non-profit leadership transition.
1. Communicate the Reasons for the Change
Whatever the reason for your non-profit leadership transition decision, this kind of event will likely get the rumour mill working overtime inside and outside your organization. The best way to nip that in the bud is to be completely upfront and clear about why this transition needs to happen.
Sometimes, a transition is due to your current leader choosing to move on for some reason or even retire. But if there has been some controversy or misconduct, you should state that as clearly as is reasonable and then move forward confidently. You don’t want any unfounded speculation or gossip to distract your team or harm your organization’s reputation.
2. Embrace the Possibilities
Losing a longstanding leader feels like a significant blow, and this transition can be difficult for sure. However, it can also be an opportunity for healthy change. Spend some time thinking about the skills, traits and experience your organization needs in a leader who will take you into the future and use that to find the candidate who will breathe new life into the organization. It is the perfect opportunity to bolster organizational strengths and minimize weaknesses.
3. Present a United Front
When there is a significant change in your organization, it’s only natural that the board, executives, and management team will feel shaken and unsure of themselves and the future. Give them some time to digest the change, ask the hard questions, and help them process any effect it might have on them. Then rally them together, making sure that everyone in current leadership roles is committed to the change.
Buy-in from your management and executive team will be critical to managing the process effectively. If you can give them the warning to ensure that they’re already on your team when you make the news public, that is even better.
4. Define a Handover Strategy
Ideally, when you are replacing an outgoing leader with a new one, there will be a period of overlap between the two leaders. An overlap in leadership can often help smooth out a non-profit leadership transition, and you should take maximum advantage of the opportunity.
Define which critical tasks and information need to be transferred and try to have your old and new leaders spend as much time working together as possible. The overlap will allow staff to answer their questions and transition to the new leader more easily.
5. Consider an Extended Transition
Leaders don’t always leave for negative reasons. Sometimes they leave to start a family or retire. Maybe they’re going to continue their studies or start a business.
Suppose the reason you’re making a change in leadership is positive and provided your outgoing leader is amenable and the situation suits the organization. In that case, you might benefit from an extended transition.
In situations like these, outgoing leaders might make themselves available for a few hours a week, either in person or by phone or virtually, to answer questions, make suggestions and share information they might not have shared during the initial handover.
Be sure to broach this option carefully. If not handled correctly, this could seem like a lack of trust or even meddling. On the other hand, some new leaders might prefer a clean break and the room to shape their vision and leadership style. Play it by ear but consider the option if it is possible. This kind of gentle, ongoing mentorship can be beneficial for non-profits and can settle the nerves of the donor base.
6. Involve Your Team
Management and executive buy-in are critical to non-profit leadership transitions, but you need to get the rest of your team engaged too.
Discuss your new leader’s background, their past achievements, and why you chose them for the role. Then, ask your team what leadership changes they would like to see and help your new leader acclimatize.
It will make your team feel uneasy when you change leadership, especially if the change is sudden. The more involved your team is and feels, the better equipped they will be to cope and help with the changes that will need to occur.
7. Share Your News
In any transition, there’s nothing that can make a new leader feel undervalued faster than several conversations that include a variation of “I’m sorry, I had no idea that the past leader left.” The community you serve and other stakeholders need to be informed of the change.
Once you have chosen a new leader, it’s essential to communicate that the new leader is in charge.
You might do this by updating the leadership team information on your website by sending an email to your main partners, donors, and other stakeholders, among other methods of communication.
If you are running a well-known organization, consider sending a press release to local news outlets so that they can help to spread the word about your new leader.
Likewise, if you have a large organization with many branches and locations, ensure that all of your employees know the change and who their new leader is. Again, include some personal and background information about them, and make sure you use their full name so that everyone can familiarize themselves with the spelling.
8. Take It One Day At a Time
It can take time for the whole organization to adjust to a new leader when you have had a great one for a while. So give the new leader lots of time and space to find their feet and settle into the role.
Leadership change and transitions are always a little scary in any context. So be prepared to deal with concerns from your staff and partners, and make sure you listen and engage well, rather than ordering and mandating too many new things. Of course, everyone has an opinion that needs to be heard and valued, but ultimately, the leader needs to be allowed to lead.
Rest assured that you can manage this kind of transition successfully with some serious planning, a lot of tact and empathy, and an excellent communication plan.
