Define what the interim leader is responsible for and what they may decide, so whoever steps in can act instead of freeze, and the board is not surprised.
First in Name and Empower Interim Leadership, with the board chair, because the board owns what an acting leader may do.
What must the acting leader hold steady in the first weeks?
| Area | What holding it steady means |
|---|---|
| Staff and payroll | |
| Funders and key relationships | |
| Service to the people you serve | |
| Day-to-day operations and money |
Split what the acting leader may decide alone from what needs the board first.
| Decision | Acting leader alone, or board first? |
|---|---|
| Routine spending and operations | |
| Major or unbudgeted spending (name the amount) | |
| Hiring or letting go of staff | |
| Signing a large new commitment or contract | |
| Anything that changes the direction of the organization |
A good result gives the acting leader enough room to run the organization day to day and a clear, short list of what they must bring to the board. Too little authority and they freeze. Too much and the board loses its oversight at the worst moment. Feeds the Interim Successor Readiness and the Emergency Succession Plan.
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