Nonprofit succession planning

Competent and passionate leadership has always been considered vital in every civil society organisation. However who is the best person to lead an organisation is not always so easy. Due to lack of funding and the subsequent lack of supportive management structures, leaders in the civil society field are quite often a person who is appointed on the basis of balance of various prospects. The leaders are expected to be inter alia financial managers, fundraisers, high level strategic thinkers, project designers and developers and Human resource managers. A Jack of all trades as such.

So how does anyone expect one Jack of all trades to change the world – to lead others to follow them in a vision/mission that is valid and relevant but that assumes a leadership team that has a high level of expertise, larger numbers and a compendium of diverse skills. It’s not going to happen.

Nonprofit Succession Planning: Developing Second Line Leadership

Knowing this, it is unfortunate that there seems little effort by present leaders in the Civil Society field to develop a second line of leadership – both in terms of expanding present expertise platform and in terms of future sustainability of the organisation (The development of a Second line leadership structure should be differentiated from simply promoting internal staff to a higher position in the organisation).

• Why are some present leaders unwilling to let present staff grow and develop for future leadership roles?

• Why do founders of organisations remain the only public and strategic face in the organisation, and why do organisations remain so dependent on their founders?

• Why are so many present leaders threatened by the agitators/mavericks in their organisations who are willing and able to change systems and circumstances for the better?

• Why do so many of us like to feel so very much needed and indispensable and therefore we keep our skills and expertise to ourselves?

  
  

How Nonprofit Succession Planning Builds a Stronger Leadership Team

How does a present leader ensure that there is a steady stream of leaders in their company ready to lead at the appropriate time? The present leader must be skilled in inspiring their staff, motivating and mentoring them and involve them in co-leadership and decision-making. The present Leadership should buy into the concept that leadership is ultimately about developing leaders. If they do this they practice true leadership – their impact is not limited to what they do when they are in the organisation, but what lasting impact they leave, through leaders they have developed - after they have gone.

To ensure long-term impact and organizational sustainability, nonprofit succession planning is absolutely essential. By actively developing a second line of leadership, organizations can expand their collective expertise, share the heavy managerial burden, and prepare the next generation to drive their vital missions forward.