Holding the role of board chair of a nonprofit organization is a large and fulfilling responsibility. Along with serving as the direct supervisor of the chief leader of the nonprofit, the board chair must oversee meetings and ensure all other board members are fulfilling expectations. Among these important tasks is an even greater task – one that we would argue is the number one responsibility of any board chair: the task of succession planning for the organization’s top leader.
Undoubtedly, not all board chairs will need to manage the complex task of leading a succession process during their tenure. However, because none of us know the future, it is wise to have a game plan in place, while also employing retention strategies to keep your current leader in place.
The rest of this article is dedicated to outlining what a board chair should do to be proactive in the succession planning of their nonprofit leader – whether it becomes a reality or not.
How Frequently Do Nonprofit Board Chairs Have to Manage a Succession Process?
Let’s start with some data to frame up this topic. There are varying statistics on the average tenure of a nonprofit leader. Some say as little as 3 years and some say upwards of 10 years. There are many factors that affect these tenures, including the intensity of the nonprofit cause, if the leader is the founder and time demands of that particular nonprofit.
With that large variance in data, it is hard to confidently say whether a board chair will need to lead a search for a new leader. But no matter what a board chair currently expects, circumstances change, and a good board chair will be prepared for managing a leadership change. With that said, retention should be your first strategy.
Intentional Conversations about Succession
If an organization is in the fortunate position of having an excellent leader at the helm a board chair’s job is to do everything you can to retain that leader. If that is you, ask yourself, “What are my active retention strategies to ensure the nonprofit leader stays?”
One key strategy is to simply tackle the topic head-on. Have regular, intentional conversations with your current leader regarding their career plans.
These conversations do not need to be monthly or even quarterly. However, at least once or twice a year your responsibility as board chair should include a check-in with your leader to inquire about their current wellbeing and their future.
These check-in conversations should include these questions:
- Are we as a board doing everything we need to do, to support you in your work?
- How are you feeling about your role?
- How is the rest of your leadership team coming along?
- Where do you see yourself in 3-5 years?
Beyond Retention Strategies
While great retention strategies are critical, always leave room for the unexpected. As board chair, it is your responsibility to be prepared for an unexpected leadership change. If your nonprofit leader needs to, or chooses to exit, you will need to start a search. Having a plan ready at all times will help the search process run as effectively, and efficiently, as possible.
Your ongoing succession plans should include these two overarching elements:
- Have a good sense of the marketplace.
- Know who may be qualified candidates, both internally and externally.
- Know potential compensation. What is competitive and what can the organization realistically provide?
- Be aware of what a search process entails and know how to activate it.
- A conversation with a search firm could be very helpful with this. You need to have a good understanding of what steps are necessary to conduct a successful search and how long a potential search may take.
- Document the steps necessary for leading an executive search. At the time of change, especially if it’s unexpected, it will be helpful to have an outline of how to proceed.
Be Prepared for a Succession Process
When you step into the position of board chair, succession planning may not be at the top of your to-do list, but as we have stated, it should be a priority. Regardless of how eminent the succession may seem we want to stress the importance of always having a plan ready.
Ensuring that a dedicated and effective leader is in place, is your number one responsibility as board chair. Whether it is retaining the current leader or preparing for a new one, board chairs should keep succession as a regular part of their ongoing strategy.