Nonprofit groups will need to look in new places to find leaders to replace the current generation of executives who will soon retire.

But how will they find them?

The anonymous author of Change Is The Only Certainty found some possible answers to that question this week at the annual Westchester Not-For-Profit Leadership Summit during a speech by Thomas Tierney, chairman of the Bridgespan Group, a nonprofit group that focuses on leadership issues.

The author reports that Mr. Tierney believes the strategy of “hiring a friend” from another nonprofit group will not work for many organizations.

Instead, many organizations should follow the lead of businesses and find ways to groom talent from within. Nonprofit groups can do that by offering training and coaching — and by having staff members rotate jobs to learn about different aspects of their organizations.

Do nonprofit groups do a good job of grooming their lower-level employees for executive-level positions? Click on the comments link just below this post to share your thoughts.