Executive directors ask me how long is too long to stay in the top job. Usually they are asking about themselves.
In most traditional companies, and most nonprofits, ten years is a reasonable assignment for a CEO. In that period you have made some good moves, you have made some mistakes, and you have had a chance to fix the mistakes.
Here is what I have observed. As time goes on, it is human nature to spend more and more time defending what you have done, rather than positioning the organization for its next leap forward. That happens to people who built something and made it work. The better it works, the more there is to protect.
A study of long-term nonprofit leaders found that 74 percent worried their organizations would remain financially sustainable after they left.
In his book “The Hero’s Farewell,” Jeffrey Sonnenfeld sorted retiring chief executives into four types: Monarchs, Generals, Ambassadors, and Governors. I put myself with the Ambassadors. They do not prolong their goodbyes, and they enjoy sharing what they learned with the people who come next.
This week: take the three biggest things you worked on this year and mark each one defending or building. If the ratio bothers you, pick one building item and put it on the next board agenda.
Two questions:
Which of your current priorities are you mostly defending rather than building for the future?
If your board gave you five more years tomorrow, what would you do differently?
If this describes someone you work with, send this newsletter to them. That is the whole ask this week. The free Applied Wisdom booklet is there if they want more. It is free, and it always will be.