Welcome back to Ask a Nonprofit Expert, NPQ’s advice column for nonprofit readers, by civic leaders who have built thriving, equitable organizations.
This series offers Leading Edge members a new benefit: the opportunity to submit tough challenges anonymously and get personalized advice. In this column, we’ll publish answers to common questions to strengthen our entire community’s capacity.
In today’s issue, executive coach Marian Urquilla answers a reader’s question about how an outgoing board president can best approach succession planning when it’s not supported from the inside.
Stuck on a problem? Submit your question here.
Dear Ask a Nonprofit Expert,
I am soon to end my tenure as president and board member of a nonprofit. The ED has been there for 40 years and does not believe in succession planning or strategic planning. Do I tell the new incoming president my concerns? It feels like founder’s syndrome.
Sincerely,
Exit-Bound Board Member
Dear Exit-Bound Board Member,
First, thank you for the care embedded in your question. The fact that you’re wondering how to exit with integrity, while also protecting the organization’s future speaks to your leadership.
You’re naming something many nonprofit leaders have experienced but struggle to articulate, which is the tensions that arise when long-tenured founders hesitate or outright resist transition. When a long-serving executive avoids strategic or succession-related planning, their actions (or nonaction) signal an identity entanglement: The organization is me, and if I step aside, it might not survive. Such hesitation can produce a risk-filled organizational freeze, thereby stalling healthy evolution. Left unaddressed, the freeze grows beyond a leadership dilemma. It becomes systemic—an ailment woven into the fabric of the organization. So what now?
You’re not asking whether to confront the ED. You’re asking whether to equip the next board president with a clearer understanding of what they’re stepping into. In my view, the answer is yes. But how you do it matters.
1. How might you tell the truth without making the ED the problem?
Resist the urge to frame the ED as obstinate or outdated, even if that’s how it feels. Instead, describe the pattern that speaks to your first-hand experience.
Here’s an example: “One of the organizational dynamics I’ve observed is a deep attachment to the current leader and leadership model, which has made it difficult to even set succession and strategic planning as a priority. I believe this will be a critical edge for the board in the coming years.”
Naming the pattern creates room for inquiry, not defensiveness, shifting the frame from blame to thoughtful stewardship.
2. How can you offer what you see, without prescribing what should be done?
Avoid directing or advising your successor. Offer them a clear view of the landscape, and trust them to lead, honoring your tenure and theirs. Such an approach will affirm your successor’s authority and preserve the opportunity for you to serve as a future thought partner.
If it feels right, you might share something like, “There were times I hesitated to raise these questions. I think that, too, has shaped where we are.”
It’s a small but powerful way to model accountability without overclaiming responsibility.
3. How can you hold this transition as evolution, not crisis?
You mentioned founder’s syndrome in your question. There are certainly signs of it here, but it’s worth holding that founder’s syndrome is rarely just about the founder. It’s a whole-of-organization dynamic. So often, the long arc of board behavior can be traced back to its founding design and how governance may have been shaped around loyalty rather than shared stewardship. You’re wise to name what you see now, so your successor isn’t left unprepared.
Addressing that dynamic you’ve described will require a series of relational interventions, moments of truth-telling, and eventually, structural shifts. If you can help seed that process with clarity and humility, you’ll be making a lasting contribution.
Here are some resources that might support your successor
- Joan Garry’s article, “Strong Boards: An Antidote to Founder Syndrome,” reflects on how effective boards can counterbalance entrenched leadership.
- The book Everyone Leads: Building Leadership from the Community Up by Paul Schmitz shares powerful examples and inspiration for thinking about leadership beyond the hero’s journey.
- Ananda Valenzuela’s article, “A New Framework for Governance Duties: Loving Accountability and Abundant Resourcing,” offers a thoughtful reimagining of the board’s roles.
And here’s one last thing: How you leave is part of your legacy. You don’t have to fix everything. But you can tell the truth with care, honor what has been built, and pass the baton to the next steward. That’s often the most powerful act of leadership there is.
Warmly,
Marian
