Meet Austin’s New Certified Interim EDs
Your Executive Director is the lynchpin to the success of your organization and mission, so it’s natural for board and staff to feel a sense of anxiety when the spot is vacant. Placing an interim Executive Director at the helm has become a nationwide best practice to handling this opening, and when done right, can convert the time of anxiety to one of opportunity.
However, hiring the right interim leader can be a challenging task. You need someone who is objective, has a record of success, can provide a calming demeanor and stability, but is also dynamic and can prepare for the next phase of success. It’s a tall order! I’ve written previously about the core competencies of an Interim Executive Director and how to hire an Interim ED, and I encourage you to check out those posts.
Since launching our interim Executive Director services in 2008, our trained interim EDs have served 53 organizations during leadership transitions. Each member of our Certified Interim ED talent pool is a former Executive Director, prepared to serve as an interim, and brings a personal drive to support your transition. As a group, they represent more than 135 years of service as an Executive Director to 21 organizations.
Over the last few months, Mission Capital has revamped our leadership transition services and part of that included preparing a set of certified interim EDs. Through our training program, we recruit and train Executive Directors to enhance their leadership skills to the unique period of nonprofit transitions. By building on their existing skills, experiences, and insights, our training program helps leaders “reset their leadership compass” to prepare for handling budgeting, staff management, and organizational operations through a temporary lens, ensuring they are able to leverage their talents for the unique situation of your transition.
Our Certified Interim Executive Director training process includes:
A comprehensive application process that evaluates writing, skill set and leadership style
Background checks completed—and passed!
Reference checks completed
Three full days of classroom training by Mission Capital’s professional team
Communications assessment and coaching
With this strong talent pool, we hope to serve Austin-area nonprofits during the challenging time of leadership transitions. Mission Capital provides this Certified Interim ED talent pool, along with a leadership transition guide, as a free resource to local organizations. Download a copy of the guide and share it with your colleagues to guide you through the process of hiring an Interim ED.
Leadership transitions can be intimidating, but you don’t have to go through them alone!