Your nonprofit’s volunteer leadership team is designed to be temporary.  So planning to develop new leaders is not only sound business, but a critical step in creating stability, sustainability and accountability.

But 9 out of 10 of the organizations I work with to maximize their missions are playing the avoidance game.   I wonder – does the mission not matter?  Let’s get intentional about succession planning – identify and develop people with the potential and interest to fill key leadership positions in the organization.

Here are 4 steps that will help you avoid a leadership gap:

  1. Start by recruiting potential leaders. In addition to selecting folks who have subject matter expertise, or live in a certain area, or have great connections, also think about what leadership roles they have held.  Do they know how to manage groups?  Will they be able to set the example you want and be well-respected by other board members? When you think of emerging issues, can they be effective?
  2. Actively seek to develop volunteers. Most people take pride in their service and want to learn how to be most valuable.  Provide them with a tenured mentor, host retreats and other learning opportunities that help them succeed.  Ask developing leaders what opportunities they are interested in and what they need to be successful.
  3. Say no, thank you. You cannot be afraid to stay the course.  Sometimes a person who doesn’t quite fit the leadership profile you’ve designed will volunteer to step up.   I’m not going to lie – this sensitive situation might be tricky to manage, but it would be a bigger mistake to put someone in a role that doesn’t meet the needs of the organization.  Trust me, you will pay for it later.  So steer them toward another opportunity that matches their talent better and you will still be able to honor their commitment.
  4. Take a step back and assess. Every year or two take a look at how well your succession efforts have worked.  Ask questions like:
  • Did the training and development work?
  • Did we identify the right folks?
  • Do we need to adjust the leadership profile?
  • How did the timing work out?

You may look around and not see a deep bench of leaders waiting to be placed in key positions, but don’t worry too much.  It’s what you do next that matters.  It only takes one person to get started.

And if you need help, let me know so I can show you how to get positioned for long-term success.

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