I've not been writing much lately - mostly due to a busy schedule. However, I recently read a comment on a blog about the firing of a Founder/E.D. The commenter stated that charities should have term limits for their staff leadership. I found it so provocative that I felt it was worth writing about.
I must admit that I see the wisdom in this. Like anything in life, I don't think it's an absolute and I can look around the non-profit sector and see organizations that have thrived with long-term staff leaders who have served more than a decade. However, I see that as the exception - not the rule.
We impose term limits on board leadership. Why not also do so for staff leadership?
How many of us can reinvent or reinvigorate ourselves and our organizations over decades? In principal I like the idea of term limits for Executive Directors/CEO's. However, what happens when an organization finds an exceptional leader who would be difficult to replace? What about organizations who require such specialized skills that there are few people qualified to lead the organization?
It's a challenging question, but I'd love to hear what others think. Is this something that organizations should consider?
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