An Interim Executive Director's most important job is to prepare an organization to work with the incoming permanent CEO/ED. A good interim executive deals with the day-today affairs of the organization, while at the same time building the platform for the permanent successor. Unlike an Acting Director, an Interim is a professional external to the organization, will not be a candidate for the permanent position, and does more than hold the organization in place.
When an organization's Executive Director resigns, the board's first impulse is to find a replacement as quickly as possible. But that’s not always the wisest course of action. Interim Executive Directors keep an organization going when an executive leader leaves. Each organization is unique. They need someone at the helm who understands and is passionate about the mission, can navigate the many constraints on services; can relate to all the different personalities involved, and can do it all within the organization's financial realities. For these tasks, many nonprofits turn to an Interim Executive Director.
What are the benefits of hiring an Interim Director?
- Time: Although finding a full-time permanent executive may take months, an Interim can be on board within a few weeks. This keeps the organization moving, takes the administrative details off the hands of the Board of Directors, and lets the Search Committee focus on finding the best person for the job.
- Credibility: Hiring an Interim ED demonstrates to staff, supporters and public that you take the Executive search seriously, and will devote the needed time to fill the position. You show that you understand an Executive Director is necessary to the well-being of the organization, and the role should not be left open for an indeterminate amount of time.
- Objectivity: An external Interim ED doesn’t want to be the full-time Executive. The Interim comes in with a fresh pair of eyes and a full complement of experience to apply to your organization, without worrying whether any one action or honest report to the Board will jeopardize a future hiring. Staff is aware that the Interim will not be aboard for long, and is usually more forthcoming with honest appraisals of the organization.
- Staff Relations: Staff is frequently unsettled when you lose a long-time Executive Director. If the former ED was well liked, the Interim creates a buffer between old and new, allowing staff time to adjust to the idea that things won’t be done the same way. If there were unresolved issues with the former ED, an Interim can relieve anxieties and stress, draining away some of the problems before the newly hired ED is confronted with them.
- Board Support: The Executive Director is the primary point of contact between staff and the Board of Directors, maintaining the momentum of board activities. During the months of the search, the Interim fulfills that role, addressing board concerns, representing staff in board meetings, and ensuring staff response to board requests. In addition, the Interim brings a new set of eyes to Board/Executive interaction, and can offer guidance on alternative ways of handling concerns.
- Hiring Assistance: This is one role that is up to the Board. Including the Interim Executive Director in the hiring process provides the Board of Directors with on-the-ground expertise. By the time you receive resumes, the Interim has enough experience with daily operations to comment on a candidate’s qualifications. The Interim can arrange for staff interviews with the candidate, observe candidate-staff interactions, and report to the search committee. Having the Interim interview final candidates provides additional insight, particularly noting the kinds of questions the candidates ask of someone who is actively part of the organization.
- Look for management experience, not just familiarity with the organization’s programs. The interim chief executive’s role is not a job-training opportunity. Typically, the most successful interim executives are mid- to late-career professionals. Management experience is paramount; experience in the organization’s particular program area is often less essential.
- Don’t look through the same lens the board will use for the permanent executive’s position. Look for a match between experience and transition priorities. The board may want to look for a temporary executive who has particular strength in an area of need as well as the capacity to bridge the leadership/management role.
- Consider cultural competency. Boards should consider hiring an interim executive whose background and demographic profile reflect the community served by the organization, or who brings expertise/experience working in that community. Such an individual can bring cultural competency and important insights to the organization that can help ensure the success of the transition.
- Look for a leadership style that matches the dynamics of the transition. Successful interim executives tend to be action-oriented but collaborative in their approach, with well-honed listening skills. They help the organization pursue its change agenda, but always in close collaboration with the board and in consultation with the staff. The interim period typically is not a time to take on bold new initiatives, nor is it a time for the interim executive to pursue his or her solo agenda or vision for the organization.
- Look for flexibility. Executive searches often take longer than anticipated. Boards should ensure that the interim chief executive is available beyond what might be an optimistic timeline.
- Think twice before appointing a board member as the acting or interim executive. Sometimes a board member will throw a hat into the ring, or the board will actively seek the candidacy of a board member believed to have the time and interest to lead the organization on a temporary basis. But as the board considers what it needs in a temporary executive, familiarity with the organization should not supersede the executive skills needed to manage and lead during a time of transition.
It’s always unsettling when an Executive Director leaves. Finding and transitioning to a new Executive Director is draining on all those involved. But the organization may have just been given the perfect opportunity to get a fresh perspective on their organization, expert advice, and the benefit of a wide range of experience. Consider an Interim.
Our posts are always openings to conversations. Please let me know if you'd like to discuss Interim Leadership with us.
Barbara, Organizations by Design
(This post draws on a paper Barbara wrote for a presentation in 2013.)
1 “Acting and Interim Chief Executives.” Board Source. Board Source. Accessed February 28, 2021. https://boardsource.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Acting-Interim-CEO.pdf?hsCtaTracking=f3bd9b06-78bc-493a-8854-b14521267ddb%7Cec45c3f6-a8d7-471f-aa30-563a5969ff1f.
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