12. Succession Planning

“Our board attempted succession planning as a quick fix just before the CEO announced his departure. It was a very awkward process. We passed over many issues very quickly. The CEO felt that he was in an embarrassing and exposed position. The plan just scratched the surface, and there was a lack of total board involvement. It made us feel torn about the division between the board president and the CEO.”

—Board member of a community health center

Reconciling Models from Our Corporate Experience to Nonprofit Life

Succession planning has traditionally been thought of as identifying a person within the organization or hiring an associate who will at some time assume the current leader’s position. This model is often used ...

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