An Organization Made up of Organizations
Suzanne Smith, CEO and Founder - Social Impact Architects
“Success without succession is failure.”
- BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
One of the greatest joys of my work is traveling across the country to speak at conferences and to learn alongside nonprofit leaders tackling some of our sector's biggest challenges. I always come home with new ideas worth exploring.
One topic that recently caught my attention is professional interim leadership.
Like many nonprofit leaders, I had always thought of an interim executive director as someone who temporarily filled the gap between CEOs, often a board chair, CFO or COO stepping in while the search committee looked for a permanent leader. While that approach can certainly work, I hadn't considered there might be another option.
As I learned more, I discovered a growing number of organizations that specialize in executive transitions. They have built networks of experienced interim leaders who help stabilize organizations, support boards and staff, and prepare the next executive for long-term success.
That perspective was helpful to me, and I thought it might be helpful to many of you as well.
So I asked Katie Weeks and the team at Armstrong McGuire to share what they are seeing in the field. In this guest post, Katie explains why professional interim leadership is becoming much more than a temporary staffing solution and how it can help organizations build a stronger foundation for the future.
When a nonprofit leader announces their departure, most boards ask the same question: how quickly can we fill the position? It is an understandable impulse. Leadership transitions can feel unsettling. Change affects everyone differently. Funders grow curious. Staff look for reassurance. Momentum can slow.
But speed does not equal stability.
While the instinct is to move quickly and fill the role, organizations that navigate leadership change successfully tend to pause and focus on what needs to be addressed to position the next leader to be effective. The period between leaders often reveals what has been sitting just below the surface. Systems may be strained. Roles may be unclear. Longstanding questions may finally need attention. Handled well, this moment is an opportunity, not a disruption.
Rethinking What Happens Between Leaders
In many sectors, interim leadership is a common practice for managing transition, yet in much of the nonprofit world, it is still gaining traction. Recent research across the United States and Canada points to a growing recognition that interim leadership is not simply temporary coverage. It is a distinct discipline with a defined scope of work.
A 2025 report commissioned by Third Sector Company and informed by interviews, focus groups and discussions with more than 100 interim leaders documents how interim leadership is practiced across the sector. That work also reflects the growing professionalization of interim leadership, with shared practices and expectations emerging across the field. National organizations and practitioners are helping to formalize this approach and reinforce its role as a consistent and increasingly essential practice.
One finding from this research often surprises boards. Interim engagements most commonly last between six and 14 months, with an average around 10 months. This reflects the reality that leadership transition is not a single event. It is a process that requires time to stabilize operations, support staff, clarify governance and prepare for what comes next.
At Armstrong McGuire, we’ve seen this play out repeatedly. Organizations that move too quickly often find the same challenges resurface later, and in some cases face another transition sooner than expected. Those that use this period intentionally, by contrast, create space to reflect, reset expectations and make more informed decisions about their future.
When Slowing Down Makes Sense
Taking a more intentional approach is especially important in situations that carry a high level of complexity. Transitions are often layered with challenges from the start, whether an unexpected departure leaves little time to plan or a founder transition requires the organization to redefine its identity. In other cases, the complexity reveals itself over time, as long-tenured executives leave behind practices that need intentional evaluation or periods of financial pressure or staff turnover expose deeper instability. In each case, slowing down is not a delay but a wise, strategic choice.
For many boards, this requires a shift in mindset. Interim leadership is not an added expense. It is an investment in stability, clarity and long-term organizational health.
One of the most practical questions boards face is how long this period should last. There is no single answer, but both research and experience point to clear patterns. Periods shorter than six months rarely allow enough time to address underlying issues. Six to nine months can support stabilization and assessment. Closer to a year often allows for deeper work that positions the organization for what comes next.
The goal is not to extend the timeline, but to ensure the organization is ready for new leadership.
That preparation depends not only on time, but also on people. Finding the right interim leader is just as important as deciding to use one.
Planning should begin as soon as a departure is announced. Organizations often identify interim leaders through professional networks, referrals or groups that specialize in leadership transitions. Some also invest in preparing leaders for this work through programs such as the Interim Management Institute.
Interim leadership is not just about keeping things moving. It is about guiding change in a way that strengthens the organization rather than simply maintaining it.
How Interim Leadership Actually Works
This leads to another common question during the transition: who’s in charge?
The answer: leadership is shared, but it must be clearly defined. The interim leader manages day-to-day operations, supports staff and ensures continuity. The board remains responsible for governance, strategy and the transition itself. Research shows that this balance matters.
Organizations are more effective when boards stay actively engaged.
Strong transitions require clarity and partnership. Clear roles help prevent confusion, while regular communication keeps everyone aligned and engaged. Active board involvement allows organizations to address the deeper issues that often surface during this time, while disengagement often means missing the opportunities that transition can provide.
What happens during the interim period reflects that opportunity. Interim leaders are not there to maintain the status quo, but to help the organization become ready for what comes next. That work may include stabilizing operations, assessing organizational health, identifying risks, and strengthening internal systems, as well as helping the board clarify its role or rethink how it supports executive leadership.
Across both research and practice, one theme is consistent: organizations that approach this period with intention are better positioned for long-term stability. By the end of a strong interim period, the organization has moved beyond being merely “functional.” It is more aligned, more stable and better prepared for its next chapter.
Leadership transitions can feel like something you need to resolve quickly. That urgency is understandable, but it can overlook the longer-term impact these moments have on an organization.
Interim leadership invites boards to ask different questions. What is working and what is not? What needs to change before a new leader arrives? What kind of leadership is truly needed going forward?
Organizations that take the time to answer these questions often find transition becomes more than a challenge to manage. It becomes a chance to lead with intention. And that can make all the difference.
Leadership transitions are part of every organization's journey. How we navigate them can have a lasting impact on the people, the mission and the leader who steps through the door next.
My thanks to Katie Weeks and the Armstrong McGuire team for sharing their experience and helping educate all of us on this emerging practice. Professional interim leadership may not be the right fit for every organization, but it is certainly an option worth considering as boards think about leadership succession and long-term organizational stability.
I'd love to hear your perspective. Has your organization worked with an interim executive? What lessons did you learn along the way?
Suzanne Smith
CEO and Founder