Charity founders and other longtime leaders can be tough acts to follow.
An executives who succeeds a founder may feel overshadowed by the predecessor’s legacy, second-guessed in decisions if the previous CEO stays connected to the organization, and beset by divided loyalties among board and staff members
Please join us on Tuesday, June 1, for a live online discussion on dealing with “founder’s syndrome” and other side effects of following a longtime leader. During the discussion, you'll also learn about the Tenenbaum Leadership Initiative, a program at The New School, in New York, for new executives following long-established charity heads. (Read The Chronicle's article about this program.)
The Guests:
Mark Lipton is professor of management at Milano the New School for Management and Urban Policy, in New York. Mr. Lipton also oversees the Tenenbaum Leadership Initiative.
Gilles Mesrobian is a senior fellow at the Support Center for Nonprofit Management, in New York. Mr. Mesrobian, a consultant to nonprofit groups, has both started an organization himself and served a number of times as an interim chief executive.
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Comments
1. bill__huddleston - June 01, 2010 at 12:34 pm
I posted this earlier, not sure if it took, so if this is a repeat, please ignore.
One type of non-profit that often has mechanisms in place to ensure an effective transition are churches. In both the Presbyterian and United Church of Christ denominations, when a senior pastor leaves, (for either retirement or a new job) there's a requirement that there be an interim pastor for one year. The interim is not allowed to apply for the open position. If the senior pastor is retiring, he or she also agrees to stay away from that church during the interim period and for at least a full year after the new pastor is selected.
Regards,
Bill Huddleston
The CFC Coach
cfcfundraising dot com