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Leadership Change Is Inevitable, Preparation Is Optional

May 14, 2026 by Jordan Jerkovich

Last week at our in-person ED/CEO Roundtable, nonprofit leaders gathered to discuss one of the most important — and often avoided — organizational topics: succession planning.

Whether an executive director abruptly leaves because they “won the lottery” (preferred by most participants!), gets “hit by a bus” (much less preferred) or simply retires, organizations that have a plan in place are far better positioned to maintain stability and confidence during change.

One valuable area of discussion centered around interim executive directors and the important role they can play during periods of transition. Published the same week as our session was a timely article from Blue Avocado outlining key considerations and best practices for bringing in interim leadership during a nonprofit transition.

Read the article.

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DISCLAIMER: Spokes offers informed advice and recommendations, not professional counsel. Blog content is current as of the date shown. Individual posts are not necessarily updated, so please confirm the accuracy of the information, especially of older posts.

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