From the Driver's Seat -
Welcome to a new blog connected to Greenlights for NonProfit Success - a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening Central Texas nonprofits through consulting, education, networking and resources. Since 2001 Greenlights has been helping nonprofit boards and staff think differently about anagement and governance issues. A big issue these days in the nonprofit sector is the changing of the guard - more than 2/3rd of the current ED's leading nonprofits will be leaving their posts in the next five years.
We know at Greenlights that the transition process is a challenge for nonprofits - it's not your everyday cycle of events. What kind of challenges? Well, a board may not have ANY experience with a transition - if it's sudden there's a flurry of uncertainty, if it's planned there's still a flurry of uncertainty. Who will take over? How do we find the right next leader? Will we lose all our funders? Should we hire a head hunter? Where's the money going to come from to pay these new bills? What kind of severance package do we provide? Do we need interim leadership? Is this a good time to merge with another group? Will this slow us down?
This week, after 5 years as Executive Director of Greenlights for NonProfit Success, I have announced to my staff and board that I will step down as ED at the end of the year - six months away. My reasons?
-- I have become involved in international NGO work, which is competing with my focus on Central Texas.
-- My sense of our organization at Greenlights is that we have the people and systems in place for it to grow beyond me, and my leadership is less critical to its success
-- I like change
Since Greenlights is in the business of helping nonprofits with executive transitions, I thought it might be instructive for readers (and cathartic for me) to maintain a blog that chronicles Greenlights (and my) transition.
So part journal, part lessons learned. Travel down the road with me....
We know at Greenlights that the transition process is a challenge for nonprofits - it's not your everyday cycle of events. What kind of challenges? Well, a board may not have ANY experience with a transition - if it's sudden there's a flurry of uncertainty, if it's planned there's still a flurry of uncertainty. Who will take over? How do we find the right next leader? Will we lose all our funders? Should we hire a head hunter? Where's the money going to come from to pay these new bills? What kind of severance package do we provide? Do we need interim leadership? Is this a good time to merge with another group? Will this slow us down?
This week, after 5 years as Executive Director of Greenlights for NonProfit Success, I have announced to my staff and board that I will step down as ED at the end of the year - six months away. My reasons?
-- I have become involved in international NGO work, which is competing with my focus on Central Texas.
-- My sense of our organization at Greenlights is that we have the people and systems in place for it to grow beyond me, and my leadership is less critical to its success
-- I like change
Since Greenlights is in the business of helping nonprofits with executive transitions, I thought it might be instructive for readers (and cathartic for me) to maintain a blog that chronicles Greenlights (and my) transition.
So part journal, part lessons learned. Travel down the road with me....
posted by Deborah Edward at 5:57 PM
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