A Guide to Recruiting Your Next CEO: The Executive Search Handbook for Nonprofit Boards

Praise for

A Guide to Recruiting Your Next CEO

As you know, hiring and onboarding a CEO is one of the most important actions a board will ever undertake. So often, even experienced boards struggle to find the right person and are challenged by the process. I think this book will provide a solid set of guardrails for any nonprofit board in their next search for a CEO.

David A. Williams, President & CEO Make-A-Wish America

Dennis’ new book is a very useful outline for nonprofit boards of directors of the need for the board to rethink about the whole executive recruitment process, especially since most  board members only go through this once or twice. The risks of getting it wrong are too high.

Jim Purcell, Chief Executive Officer Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies of New York

One of the primary responsibilities of a board is to hire a great CEO to lead and push ahead so the organization doesn’t become mediocre This book provides an excellent roadmap to ensure the board recruits a high-performing CEO.

Jonathan R. Pearson, Executive Director Corporate Social Responsibility Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey

Hiring a CEO is the single most important task a board will ever take on. To find a person not only with the right qualifications, but the right personality, passion for the mission, understanding of the complexities of the nonprofit arena, and leadership skills to inspire both staff and board members, is not an easy task. This book provides a solid set of fundamentals to guide you in that process and ensure that your next CEO is the right CEO to lead your organization to its greatest potential. A must-read before you begin the hiring process!

Diana A. Blankman, Senior Director U.S. Corporate Giving & Social Impact Novo Nordisk Inc.

Dennis C. Miller has provided a practical roadmap to succession planning, new CEO recruitment and transition of leadership. He offers many insights into excellent management, planning and coordination by board members. It’s a must-read for board members and CEOs in the nonprofit sector.

Charles Venti, President Inventive Strategies, LLC

A Guide to Recruiting Your Next CEO

Other Books by Dennis C. Miller

A Guide to Achieving New Heights: The Four Pillars of Successful Nonprofit Leadership

The Nonprofit Board Therapist: A Guide to Unlocking Your Organization’s True Potential

The Power of Strategic Alignment: A Guide to Energizing Leadership and Maximizing Potential in Today’s Nonprofit Organizations

Moppin’ Floors to CEO: From Hopelessness and Failure to Happiness and Success

A Guide to Recruiting Your Next CEO

The Executive Search Handbook for Nonprofit Boards

By Dennis C. Miller

with a little help from my good friend, Michele Hickey

A Guide to Recruiting Your Next CEO

Copyright © 2017 Dennis C. Miller

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Books published by Emerald Lake Books may be ordered through booksellers or by visiting emeraldlakebooks.com.

ISBN: 978-0-9971207-9-0 (paperback)

978-1-945847-00-4 (ebook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017954252

Dedication 

This book is dedicated to the millions of men and women who voluntarily serve on a nonprofit board, committed to creating a positive social impact in the communities they serve, whether locally, nationally or globally.

Contents

Introduction

Understanding the Search Process

Defining the Strategic Vision

Identifying the Right CEO Leadership Competencies and Values

Activating the Search Committee

Identifying and Screening Candidates

Conducting the Interview Process

Checking References

Negotiating the Offer

Onboarding the Candidate

A Note from the Author

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Bibliography

Introduction

As a board member of a nonprofit organization, the most important responsibility you are likely to assume will be to hire your chief executive officer. Recent studies have estimated that more than 75% of current nonprofit executives plan to leave their positions in the next five to ten years. For the purpose of our discussion, the terms chief executive officer, CEO or executive director will be used synonymously in identifying the top-paid leader of the nonprofit organization.

Two major factors are driving the increased focus on succession planning in the nonprofit sector. First, we are experiencing the expected retirement of a baby boomer generation that sought out careers in the nonprofit sector because of the culture of social change in the 1960s and 1970s. Second, nonprofit boards are realizing the need for executive leaders to possess new leadership competencies to navigate today’s rapidly changing environment while successfully leading their organizations into the future.

Traditionally, a passion for the mission along with skill sets ranging from program development, grant writing and community relations were considered sufficient when selecting an executive. This is no longer the case.

Today, nonprofit boards appreciate that the skills required to successfully lead an organization have changed dramatically.

In this book, I will describe the new leadership competencies required to succeed as a social impact leader in the 21st century.

In addition to the new leadership competencies, there also needs to be a cultural fit as well. I will also address the importance of incorporating your organization’s values into the recruitment and hiring process.

In my thirty-five years of experience as a board chair,