Leadership Transitions

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Laying a Foundation to Build Leadership Capacity
Successful Leadership Transitions

Laying a Foundation to Build Leadership Capacity

A national early childhood school-readiness organization needed to transform what had been a founder's board into a more professional group that could support a lasting institution. It was actively recruiting new trustees and wanted to reshape the board committee configuration, then recruit additional directors to strengthen the board.

We worked together to develop a new board governance plan and committee structure. We drafted general committee guidelines and defined each type of committee (standing, ad hoc and even advisory). We suggested suitable standing and ad hoc committees as well as each committee's mission, roles and responsibilities, appropriate composition, meeting frequency and communication protocol. We also redefined the 'job description' for all directors. Based on clearer roles and using the committee structure as a guide, the organization could identify the types of new board members needed, recruit them and integrate new directors more effectively. The process will help unite the executive director and board around a shared mission and understanding of how they could best work together to achieve their goals.

"Barbara was able to take a board that had been accustomed to functioning as an advisory committee and provide the construct it needed to begin its evolution into a governing board. Board members now have a proper understanding of their role and there is a committee structure designed to increase productivity and utilize expertise."

Executive Director, The Parent-Child Home Program

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Successful Leadership Transitions = Matching Organizational Needs on the Front-End + Coaching at the Back-End

Nonprofit boards often turn to us for assistance when recruiting a new executive. With our affiliate, Leadership Recruiters, we help boards ensure a successful leadership transition by "book-ending" the traditional search process. We start by helping the board articulate the skills and competencies the new leader needs to enable the nonprofit to achieve its goals. Then once hired, we coach the new executive and the board over several months to ensure a successful transition.

When a board asks for help in a search, we urge the search committee to step back and consider where it wants the organization to be in five years and what impact it wants to have. These answers dictate what kind of leader is needed to achieve its goals, and the skills and competencies required. We focus not only on a candidate's experience and functional expertise, but also on how the individual works with others to carry out a task. The search committee can rank potential candidates, using the "what" and the "how" identified as criteria. Clear decision-making criteria become invaluable when we work with clients who have both internal and external candidates and need help in making their selection.

With several clients, we coached the new executive to help him/her succeed in their new role, usually over the first six months. We met together with the board chair and new executive to clarify expectations, to help set near-term goals for building relationships with the staff, funders, and key stakeholders, and to begin moving the organization forward. We discussed how they wanted to communicate with each other and established a regular schedule for doing so. Over the coming months, we talked frequently and regularly with the new leader, acting as a sounding board and providing advice on issues as they arose. Quarterly, we met again with the board chair and executive to review progress and provided an opportunity to surface and address concerns.

Our clients have found the pre-search preparation and post-search coaching to be invaluable. Boards have greater confidence that the new leader is indeed the person they need and breathe a sigh of relief in knowing they have an effective executive who will be with the organization for years to come. The new leader is also delighted in having the board's support and help in making a successful, smooth transition to his/her new home.

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