Why I Am an Interim ED. . .

I have seen it time and again.
The well-meaning, unintentional hiring of what becomes an “accidental interim” leader.
And I find it heart-breaking. 
When a recently-hired, permanent ED discovers they are not the right fit they often
and unexpectedly become an accidental interim — and the transition cycle starts over for everyone.
An intentional interim brings calm and creates strategic breathing room; I prevent the ‘accident’.

The “accidental interim”. How it happens . . . 

When an Executive Director leaves, Boards often feel pressure to immediately launch a search for permanent leadership or place an internal staff member or Board member into the interim role. While understandable, both approaches can create significant risks and unintended consequences because discovering later that a new leader was “the wrong person for the job” then sets of a chain reaction. 

• The Board of Directors must start the search again, costing time and money,
• The staff, donors and stakeholders are re-living the emotional and operational disruption and uncertainty, 
• The now outgoing ED is devastated and starting over, and 
• The organization’s forward momentum is set back — sometimes for years.  

Too often, organizations skip the critical pause needed to reflect, fully align, and envision what leadership is truly needed for the future.

Without that strategic breathing room, a Board may hire a talented permanent Executive Director who ultimately is not the right fit for the organization’s current culture, challenges, or future direction. Eight to ten months later, that leader leaves — and what was intended to be a permanent hire unintentionally becomes an “accidental interim.”

At that point, the organization is forced to begin the entire hiring process all over again:

• Another expensive search,
• Another season of uncertainty,
• Additional strain on staff and leadership,
• Lost momentum, and
• Significant emotional and financial cost to the organization.

The disruption impacts far more than the budget. It can deeply affect morale, trust, donor confidence, and organizational stability.

Organizations also take considerable risk when asking an internal staff member or Board member to serve as interim Executive Director.

In many cases, the individual stepping into the role begins hoping — or assuming — they may ultimately become the permanent Executive Director. If the Board later decides to hire someone else, the resulting disappointment can create tension, division, and dissatisfaction across the organization.  I once witnessed a situation where this exact scenario unfolded and approximately 25% of the staff resigned following the permanent hiring decision. Instead of stepping into a healthy, energized organization, the newly hired Executive Director inherited emotional exhaustion, fractured relationships, and operational chaos rather than forward momentum for the mission.

An intentional interim model helps organizations avoid these dynamics entirely.

As an experienced interim Executive Director, I step in without attachment to the permanent role. My focus is helping organizations stabilize, breathe, reflect, strengthen, and prepare intentionally for future leadership success.

An intentional interim creates strategic breathing room.
An accidental interim creates repeated transition.

The difference can fundamentally shape the future health and momentum of an organization.