One of the realities of the nonprofit world (and business in general) is that, at some point, all leaders will leave their organization. With the average tenure of a nonprofit leader being just three years, this issue is unavoidable. In some instances, this will be a known change with time to carefully develop and carry out a succession plan. All too often though, transitions happen unexpectedly (or with short notice) due to a personal crisis or performance issue. Because nonprofits are at a very vulnerable point during leadership transitions, organizations that ignore succession planning place their organization at great risk.

Whether planned or sudden, temporary or permanent, the process of planning for smooth transitions is a huge responsibility shared by board members and the organization’s leaders. It is important for them to work together to create a succession plan so the ongoing mission of the organization can continue at full strength.

While succession planning ideally begins as soon as a new leader steps into his or her role, only one third of nonprofits report that they have a written succession plan. This problem is expected to intensify as the number of leadership transitions accelerate with the increasing rate of baby boomers retiring.

I have been privileged to partner with several nonprofits during leadership transitions. Each leadership transition has been different. There are no cookie cutter procedures that work for all organizations. Our approach at North Group honors the uniqueness of each transition.

Is your organization prepared for your next leadership transition?