What is an interim executive director? What does an interim executive director do? Why would you hire one? How do you hire one? Forgive me - I've been so busy describing the work that I may have forgotten to answer some first order questions about interim executive directors and interim CEOs. Let's tackle each one. What is an interim executive director or interim CEO? An interim executive director is a seasoned professional temporary leader who steps into the executive role f

Here's an example of 'The List'...blurred out to respect privacy. And a few important green markers :) We're finally through our first 30 days, and its been brutal and uplifting at the same time. You see the potential. You see the way to nirvana, but getting there? That's going to be a slog. It's time to synthesize everything we've heard and learned, communicate that to the board, and come up with a scrappy action plan for the next 9-12 months.  It's your turnaround blueprint

There’s a reason internal communications is always at the top of every staff survey: it’s either broken, baffling, or completely absent. When I step in as an interim CEO, one of the first things I hear is,   “We never really knew what was going on.”  That’s not just a communication gap. That’s a canyon. And when there’s a canyon, people fill it with rumors, drama, conspiracy theories, and passive-aggressive Slack messages. Because when people are in the dark, they don’t just

This is another deep dive in our first 30 days, and it’s a thorny one - how to work with boards under pressure. Let me start with this—I have a ton of respect for board members. It’s a thankless job. The pay is zero, the legal liability is real, and the time commitment often collides with jobs, families, and sanity. And when an organization is in crisis or transition? Forget it. The board is likely exhausted, burned out, and one emergency Zoom away from quitting. They’re over

If there’s one universal truth in nonprofit leadership, it’s this: no money, no mission. Just an inspiring vision… and a very sad checking account. Here's how to monitor your cash.

How to build trust and unlock potential.

For your first 30 days, you need to get your arms around the org, build trust, and not accidentally make things worse.

The first day of interim work feels like the first day at a new school. Start the week with an empathy tour and listen!

AKA: The Moment You Realize You're Sitting on a Dumpster Fire It always starts the same way. A call. A board crisis. Nervous energy. A...

Picture this: you're on the board of a nonprofit organization where your executive director just resigned, or worse, was fired. Finances are near bankruptcy. Morale is in the tank. Staff are resigning left and right. You have no succession plan. The board is burnt out, and no one from senior management can step in. You don’t have visibility on the depth of the problems, let alone the ability to attract a great candidate to take over this mess. It's a sh*tshow. So what do you

An interim executive director (IED) or interim CEO is hired to perform a full-time but temporary position while an organization goes through a period of transition, usually 6 to 18 months.

By Nastia Voynovskaya, May 16, 2024 KQED A new CEO has stepped in to lead Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA), the embattled...

Learn more about the Bay Area Interim Executive Director network.

What happens when your car is out of alignment? It pulls, right? You’re always fighting the steering wheel. You’re trying to move...

On my last day as interim executive director of Slide Ranch, my team threw me a heartfelt going-away party. I was touched and moved by...

Social services are a confusing patchwork of government and nonprofit organizations with no clear front door.