Preparing for What Comes Next: A Personal Reflection on Succession Planning

This month, our Programs Lead, James Rudyk, shares lessons from his own experience navigating succession planning and transitioning out of his role as a nonprofit Executive Director.

Nonprofit leadership transitions can be scary. There are questions about what comes next for the organization, the people who have helped build it, and the leader preparing to step away. Having gone through this process myself, I hope that sharing my personal journey can help support organizational leaders who are thinking about or managing their own transitions.

1. Transition starts with a deeply personal, individual decision.

Nonprofit leaders are often expected to be panaceas, going both broad and deep: managing internal and external work, holding space and time for vision, while also leading teams. This can create a reality where nonprofit leaders feel they must always be available. It is both unrealistic and unsustainable.

Organizational transition starts with leaders knowing when their time leading has come to an end. While community-based work is a marathon, not a sprint, the demands of the work often require sprinting.

In my own experience leading a nonprofit, what started as a three-year endeavor turned into five years, and then seven. In 2020, COVID-19 further extended my leadership tenure to 10 years. As we started to emerge from the pandemic, I began reflecting both personally and professionally. I was reminded of something I had told myself: I would know when my time at the organization was coming to an end. I would not overstay my welcome, and I would step back when I felt it was time for someone else to lead the organization.

I felt that deeply, and for many reasons—some personal and some professional.

2. Transition requires two different types of planning.

The first type of planning is to pause, reflect, and take a moment to understand the organization’s current state. What is happening both internally and externally? What are the organization’s current resources, strengths, opportunities, and challenges?

This planning also requires understanding the organization’s budget and the timeline in which a transition may take place. For example, an organization may need six to 12 months to secure funding to hire additional support for the transition before beginning the process. It may also need time to finish vital initiatives already in progress, such as a physical office move or the hiring of a key senior leader.

The second type of planning is less technical and more personal. It requires the organization to think about how to set the table for transition. Who should—and who needs to—be in what role? Who will help lead the transition? Who will help support the process? How will the transition impact the work of the organization, the board, the staff, the funders, the partners, and the community?

And what happens if we do not find the right leader? Who will step in and support the organization?

3. What happens after the transition?

The real work of the transition continues after the new leader is selected and enculturated into the organization. Perhaps one of the most important parts of the process is how the organization welcomes that new leader.

Who is responsible for welcoming them? What is the role of the outgoing leader, and how will they participate in the transition? How will the new leader learn about the work? Who will support them as they learn and build relationships? How will the board step in and support the organization during this time?

The post-transition welcome is a key component of the process, as the organization onboards the new leader both internally and externally. The organization’s work will inherently look different during this period, requiring continued careful planning, meetings, and reflection.

Looking back on my own experience, I’ve learned that succession planning is much more than choosing the next leader. It begins well before a departure is announced and continues well after a new leader walks through the door. It asks leaders to be honest with themselves, organizations to be thoughtful about what they need, and everyone involved to make room for what comes next. Transition can be difficult, but giving it the time, space, and planning it deserves can help both the outgoing leader and the organization move into their next chapter with intention.