JOAN GARRY
Ep 29: Leadership Transitions: How to Avoid the Mess (with Don Tebbe)
nonprofits are messy
Every organization changes leadership at some point.
Perhaps somebody retires (lots of baby boomers have nonprofit leadership positions) or finds a new job elsewhere or terms off the board…
No matter what the circumstances, your organization will, at some point (maybe sooner than you think) go through a leadership transition.
A thriving nonprofit always has a transition plan in mind, no matter how strong the current leadership seems. But how exactly do you do this well? How do you keep your organization running smoothly through those transitional times?
To help us figure this out, I’ve asked Don Tebbe, an expert at planning successful leadership transitions, to join me today to give us all some great advice on how to navigate the waters of change.
About Don Tebbe
Don Tebbe literally wrote the book on this topic – several, in fact. He has led workshops for thousands of nonprofit executives facing retirement. Don co-founded an executive search firm that became a leader in executive transitions and succession. He has worked with thousands of nonprofits to find, interview and hire new leaders and knows this topic inside and out.
If you are going through a transition in your organization now, or think you might in the future (hint: that’s EVERYONE), you’ll get a lot of good information out of this podcast.
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In this episode:
Recent trends in leadership transitions in the nonprofit sector
How to create a WRITTEN succession plan (and why it’s critical)
The single biggest mistake boards make in succession planning
The three things a board needs to do when confronted with a transition
Pros and cons of hiring internal candidates
What to do if you think you made the wrong hire
Episode Links:
Don Tebbe’s Bio
Don’s book: Chief Executive Transitions: How to Hire and Support a Nonprofit CEO
The Nonprofit CEO Succession Roadmap: Your Guide for the Journey to Life’s Next Chapter
Don Tebbe’s publications
Bridgespan
The North Carolina Center for Nonprofits
The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City toolkit
The National Council of Nonprofits
Watch Joan and Steve on GIVE on NBC
Music by Jukebox the Ghost
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