Are you ready for the retirement or transition of key leaders in your nonprofit? At nonprofit executive search firm KEES, we recognize the unique challenges faced during these leadership transitions. While understanding why leaders are stepping down is a crucial part of the conversation, it’s only the beginning. In this article, we explore how organizations can prepare for the next wave of leadership, focusing on the steps needed to build a strong leadership pipeline and ensure your organization continues to thrive.

Preparing for Next-Gen Nonprofit Leaders

The days of leaders staying at the helm of a nonprofit for decades are increasingly rare. While some mission-driven leaders remain with a specific organization for 20 years or more, many long-tenured executives are now seeking new opportunities that offer fresh challenges, larger organizations, or a chance to focus on specific areas of interest rather than leading an entire organization. They are departing the field or perhaps retiring early. KEES saw pre-pandemic average tenures of CEO/ED leaders of 8-10, and that has dropped noticeably in the past couple of years. Few seasoned leaders are looking to transition into roles that feel like a repeat of their past experiences.

In their place, Next-Gen leaders are stepping forward, eager to learn, ready to lead and create meaningful impact. What do we know about these emerging nonprofit leaders?

• -Specialized Expertise Over Broad Experience
  Today’s leaders often have deep experience in one or two areas, due to shorter tenures and limited resources in their previous roles. While they bring valuable skills, they may require support, investment, and coaching, to develop a well-rounded executive skill set.
• -Coaching as a Standard
  Coaching, once viewed as a remedy for performance issues, is now widely accepted (often expected) as a part of leadership development. Many first-time executives negotiate coaching as part of their employment package, recognizing its value in accelerating their growth and effectiveness.
• -Boards as Mentors and Guides
  Effective board engagement has become more critical than ever. Next-Gen leaders are looking to their boards for mentorship, guidance, and strategic direction. Understanding how to maximize board contributions remains a top challenge for many nonprofit executives.

Is Your Board Ready for Leadership Change?

If your organization is anticipating a leadership transition in the next 24 months, now is the time to prepare. Are you undertaking Leadership Transition Planning? Boards should assess their current culture and consider what a new leader will inherit. Six key questions to ask include:

1. What does the organization need for its next leader and what defines successful performance?
2. Is the board equipped to mentor and support new leadership?
3. How will the transition impact budgets, salaries, and long-term planning?
4. Has a succession and leadership transition plan been established?
5. Have you evaluated your team’s structure for future growth or conducted a recent staffing assessment?
6. Will the board need an executive search to find the right leadership?

KEES helps organizations uncover their unique keys to success. By planning and investing in leadership, structures, and culture, your nonprofit can thrive through change and beyond.

Ensuring the next Wave of leaders is ready to lead.

Ensuring the next generation of leaders is ready to step up is essential. As mentioned, the pool of experienced leaders who have led organizations for 5+ years is smaller, with many staying for 20+ years before seeking new challenges or focused roles. This makes proactive leadership development critical. Preparing the next generation of nonprofit leaders requires more initial investment than in prior generations. Mentorship is key to offering young professionals hands-on leadership experience while seasoned executives pass down institutional knowledge. Leadership training and succession planning will help cultivate confidence and expertise.  Gone are the days of waiting for leadership gaps to appear. Organizations must actively develop and empower future leaders now.

Is your Board anticipating an imminent leadership change? Is your Board planning to undergo change in the next 24 months?

KEES can help! We’ll guide you in preparing for the next wave of leaders and the necessary steps to build a strong leadership team that will continue to make a difference for your organization. Each organization has its own keys to success. As a Board, you should be aware of the culture that is in place, and what a new leader will walk into. Let KEES help you navigate this transition and ensure a smooth, impactful future for your nonprofit.

Missed our first blog on why nonprofit leaders are departing? Learn more and read it here.

Interested to learn more? Contact KEES President and CEO Heather Eddy at heddy@kees2success.com to schedule a conversation or explore leadership transition planning.