For Aspiring CEOs

by Michelle Tafel Tafel, Principal, Organizational Consulting

This is the third in a series of blogs based on findings and insights from our 2023 ED/CEO Survey.

In DRG’s first survey of nonprofit CEOs and Executive Directors, we sought to uncover and understand the impact the pandemic has had on leadership in our sector. Not surprisingly, many of the lessons learned by EDs and CEOs who responded to the survey included timeless lessons. In many cases, the stress and constant turmoil of the pandemic was a catalyst for leaders to learn these lessons more rapidly than they might have in calmer and more stable times. This is true especially for first time EDs and CEOs.

If you’re considering your first ED/CEO role, or on the eve of starting it, we have some lessons gleaned from our survey and our extensive work with leaders.

What makes this transition so challenging?

It’s hard to follow a founder with a larger-than-life personality and whose personal story is intertwined with the organization’s mission. It’s hard to follow a long time ED who had a style that is fundamentally different from yours. It’s hard to build relationships from scratch while leading an organization and navigating new-to-you power dynamics. It’s harder to be the first BIPOC or non-male (or both) ED in all of those situations.

And it can be so easy (and tempting even) to make a list of all the reasons you should not be in this role.

What strategies can I employ for an effective transition?

Be a scientist

The first thing you need to do is turn the volume down on the noise and be a scientist. Hear me out.

You have already observed and done research throughout your interview process. The early days and weeks are a chance to collect more data and form a hypothesis. What are the biggest opportunities and challenges? Where will you as a leader need to focus first? Who on the team has what agenda and what does that teach you about their role and working style?

From there, you get to experiment and then analyze. But you don’t have to start from scratch. Leverage the tools out there. I love The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins as a tool for quickly diagnosing a situation and creating an action plan to address the situation in front of you (not the situation you thought you were stepping into).

This is your chance to ask all the questions. Seek to deeply understand the health of the organization (including financial, cultural, programmatic, and operational) through a review of all available data from the past few years, conversations with staff at all levels, and conversations with new and long-time board members.

And create a data-backed plan to move forward.

Access your inner sage

Chances are that you have a cacophony of inner voices on a given day. It can be challenging to differentiate between your inner sage and your inner critic. But getting it right can be the difference between sabotaging yourself and succeeding.

Some of the most effective leaders I have interviewed, coached, and worked with are able to balance confidence in themselves with an orientation toward learning.

How do they do it? They practice centering themselves. They practice being present. They tune into their body and mind and heart regularly. When their world (or the entire world) falls apart, they rely on their brain’s muscle memory to navigate the situation. It is remarkable to see. Whether it’s meditating, walking, reading poetry, or praying, it’s built into their lives as a non-negotiable ritual.

If you, like me, really struggle to create the ritual, the good news is that it’s not either/or. After you take five long, deep breaths, consider one of my favorite ways to turn the volume up on your inner sage:

1. Ask yourself, what would you say to your best friend facing this situation?
2. Speak to yourself in the second person about your resilience and strength. Remind yourself of a time when you handled the tough stuff.
3. Walk outside and look at a tree (yes, seriously) to connect with and experience the awe of the natural world.

Find an ED/CEO mentor

There is nothing quite like learning from the person who walked this path (or an adjacent one) before you. And because the top job can be lonely, most EDs/CEOs are eager to be in community with each other. So, find someone who is willing to share wisdom and commiserate when needed. Invest in that relationship because it’s worth your time. It’s a retention strategy for you.

When we asked leaders where they get support in challenging times, 64% of respondents named peers. Let that sink in. This is from a wide range of EDs and CEOs, not just the newbies. The moral of the story is that to make this work sustainable and less lonely, find yourself ED/CEO mentors and friends.

First time EDs and CEOs face a particular type of challenge: the mastery of the role and the mastery of themselves. We hope these insights from fellow leaders help with that process.

Read more from the DRG Blog.