Get Clear on What You Actually Need from Your Next Executive Director

Before discussing candidates, the board needs to align on the role itself. This is where many searches start to go off track. Boards often try to hire for everything at once–growth, stability, fundraising, culture change, team leadership–without prioritizing what matters most right now.

Start with:

• The top 2-3 outcomes the new Executive Director must achieve in the first 12-18 months

• Whether the organization needs... Read More »

How to Prepare Your Board for a Successful Executive Search

When an organization begins an Executive Director search, the instinct is often to move quickly. Update the job description. Post the role. Start reviewing candidates. But the success of an executive search isn’t determined by how fast you start.

You must prepare your board and your staff before the search. This includes taking time to gain input on the needs of the... Read More »

Why Some Leadership Searches Struggle Before They Even Begin

A leadership search can feel urgent. A departure has happened or is coming, the organization wants stability, and everyone is ready to move quickly. But many searches become difficult long before candidate interviews begin. Why? Because organizations often bring unresolved internal challenges into the search itself. The search then becomes the place where those issues finally surface.

1. Internal issues do... Read More »

Leading Through Change: Executive Skills that Matter Most Today

Nonprofits have been experiencing an onslaught of constant change. What is that change exactly? Loss of federal funding, increased community needs, shifting donor expectations, foundations changing giving practices, staff burnout, public scrutiny, internal culture shifts…just to name a few.

The Executive Directors who are thriving right now aren’t necessarily the ones with the longest and most impressive resumes. They’re the ones... Read More »

Board Responsibilities in Leadership Development and Succession Planning

Leadership transitions are inevitable. Retirement, new opportunities, burnout, life changes all can happen. Strong boards prepare for these things rather than react when a departure occurs. You don’t need to have a crystal ball that will predict when someone is leaving to prepare for succession planning. Effective succession planning helps ensure leadership continuity that keeps the organization stable, confident, and moving... Read More »

What Search Committees Need to Know Before Reviewing Candidates

Strong hiring decisions require alignment before the resume reviews even start. Search committees often feel urgency once applications arrive. The instinct is to dive in, compare credentials, and debate who “looks strongest.” But without shared preparation, candidate review can quickly become subjective, inconsistent, and influenced by bias.

Before reviewing a single resume, search committees should align on these three things.

1. What Problem... Read More »

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