Chronicle of Philanthropy article: creating paths for philanthropy and nonprofit execs to transition successfully

Sometimes what’s best for a nonprofit organization is for a successful founding visionary to step aside and let the organization evolve.

We’ve been focusing on the broader issue of philanthropy and nonprofit careers and leadership development at EPIP for a while now, through programs like Philanthropology and our career coaching. Two new initiatives that we’ve recently unveiled, Generating Change and the Effective Leadership Career Program, zero in on the reality of necessary transition and building leadership, the knowledge transfer and sequence of steps that need to occur to make transitions happen smoothly, and the impact such moments of change have on the organization’s culture.

Our own organization is navigating a transition as our founder and executive director, Rusty Stahl, manages his own transition from EPIP and supports the search for a new executive director. In this article from The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Rusty relates his experiences and how an external consultancy, TransitionGuides, helped him manage the sometimes emotional process:

“You have a deep emotional attachment to the organization and the people who work for you. It is really challenging emotional work, to separate yourself and say, ‘This thing I’ve created needs to have a life of its own without my leadership’ and behave in a way that is best for all involved, even as you are navigating some painful issues.”

Read the Chronicle article.
Find out more about Generating Change and the Effective Career Leadership Program.