Leadership transitions aren’t always predictable. Sometimes they arise from personal decisions, life changes, internal tensions, or sheer exhaustion. Others stem from generational shifts that are already becoming evident across many organizations and movements. That’s why, even if a planned departure isn’t yet on the horizon, reflecting now on how we want our leadership transition to unfold is a way of caring for the future.
Anna Langheinrich, Senior consultant at COMETA
Why Anticipate the Leadership Transition?
Planning and establishing clear processes does not mean forcing change. It means building the necessary conditions so that, when the time comes, we can experience the transition with clarity, solid structures, and in alignment with our collective commitment and our political project.
Today, many civil society organizations are undergoing leadership changes. For example, people who have sustained processes and/or projects for years are stepping aside to make room for new voices. While this moment can certainly be complex, it also offers a valuable opportunity to strengthen our foundations, revisit our practices, and ensure that incoming leaders inherit the best of what came before—without being burdened by unresolved issues.
From a feminist perspective, we understand power not as control, but as political responsibility. And that is why we believe a good leadership transition not only maintains the organization’s operations and political project, but also honors its history, cares for its people, and opens space for new forms of leadership.
The Role of the Assembly or Board of Directors in Leadership Transition
When the moment for change arrives, the Board often hesitates: How do we choose the next leader well? To what extent should we engage in the process? What if internal tensions arise during the transition?
Actively Supporting the Team Throughout the Process
We understand that the Assembly’s or Board’s role goes beyond formality. It’s about upholding the ethical and political framework of the transition. It’s not just issuing a call for candidates; it’s about guiding the organization through this sensitive phase with an active presence. What does that involve?
- Defining a clear process, with reasonable timelines and shared goals.
- Identifying the type of leadership the organization needs now—not only technically, but politically and emotionally.
- Ensuring the team knows they aren’t alone.
- Recognizing and legitimizing the outgoing leader’s cycle closure, without romanticizing it or denying the tensions.
When the Board approaches the leadership transition with thoughtfulness and determination, the organization feels supported—and that sense of support becomes a cornerstone of stability.
Outgoing Leadership: How to Close a Cycle Responsibly
Those of us who’ve led organizations know that closing a leadership cycle is rarely easy. It stirs a complex mix of emotions—fatigue, pride, fear, attachment—but also gratitude, relief, and a sense of freedom.
Supporting Without Intervening: Finding a New Role
For a transition to be healthy, the outgoing leader must step away with emotional responsibility. It’s not enough to hand over folders or draft a formal exit memo—we need to let go without vanishing, create space without walking away.
- Document what matters: Provide clear records of key decisions, internal processes, and strategic partnerships, so incoming leadership starts with clarity—not from scratch.
- Acknowledge the closure publicly: Communicate your departure with honesty and gratitude. Reflect on the journey and celebrate the team’s contributions throughout your tenure.
- Offer support without interference: Be available if needed, but avoid shaping or steering the new leadership. Genuine support means letting them lead with autonomy.
- Take care of yourself—and let others care for you: Recognize that stepping away comes with deep emotions. Ask for support, set boundaries, and move through the transition with grace and presence.
Closing well is part of good leadership. It prepares solid ground so that those who follow arrive to clarity, confidence, and continuity
The Team: A Central Player in Leadership Transition
A leadership transition without the team is a transition made in the dark. The team lives the organization’s day-to-day rhythm; they know its tensions, strengths, and heartbeat. Leaving them out of the process breeds mistrust and risks unsettling the continuity of the work.
Listening to Emotions and Validating Concerns
We need to involve the team from the very beginning—with clarity and active involvement.
- Create space for honest dialogue: Open up conversations where people can share how they feel, what they fear, and what they hope for. These should be moments of genuine exchange—not just formal updates—where team members can speak freely without fear of judgment.
- Include them in shaping the leadership profile: Ask the team what kind of leadership the organization needs today. Their input helps align expectations and prevents the impression of top-down decisions.
- Ensure steady, transparent communication: Keep the team consistently informed throughout the process—not just with final announcements, but with clear, timely updates that prevent rumors and speculation.
- Validate the emotional journey: Change brings movement, emotionally and structurally. Acknowledge feelings like anxiety, sadness, and uncertainty. Naming and discussing them allows space for collective care.
When the team knows their voice matters, they take better care of the transition and help protect the shared project. When they feel seen and supported, they trust the direction the organization is heading.
Donors and Stakeholders: Key Allies in a Leadership Transition
Leadership transitions often come with external pressure: What will happen to the organization’s projects? Who signs the documents now? How do we ensure continuity in our work?
But change is a natural part of organizational life. That’s why it’s vital for those who support us—financially or politically—to understand and embrace this reality.
How to Sustain Their Trust and Flexibility
We can invite allies to:
- Engage with our transition plans before drawing conclusions: By sharing the context, key decisions, and next steps, we help them see the full picture and understand the reasoning behind the process.
- Hold trust, even in times of uncertainty: Transitions might bring instability, but that doesn’t mean the mission is compromised. Reaffirming purpose helps steady the relationship.
- Be flexible with timelines, reporting, or minor operational shifts: Adjusting administrative expectations can relieve pressure on the team during a sensitive moment.
- Support the process without micromanaging it: Presence and encouragement are essential—but pressure and doubt only add complexity.
Those who truly know us will understand that a well-executed transition is a sign of strength, not fragility. It reflects a team deeply rooted in collective purpose—greater than any one individual.
The Role of External Support in Leadership Transitions
At times, an external facilitator can play a pivotal role in supporting a leadership transition—helping to define the profile of new leadership, coordinating interviews, and mediating internal tensions. But not all support is created equal.
From a feminist perspective, we look for consultants who listen deeply rather than impose, who work with an organization’s rhythm—not against it.
What Defines a Thoughtful Facilitator:
- Names fears without amplifying them
- Designs flexible and participatory processes
- Knows when to step in—and when to step back
- Acknowledges the emotional dimension of institutional change
We’re not seeking a detached technician—we’re looking for an ally who understands that transitions are, at their core, shifts in human relationships. External support shouldn’t stop at applying a methodology or managing paperwork. We need someone who listens with care, perceives what goes unsaid, reads the power dynamics in the room, and never loses sight of the people within the structures. A thoughtful consultant knows that care isn’t a decorative extra—it’s integral to the method. Their role is to hold space without imposing it, to guide decision-making without taking it over, and to ensure the transition unfolds in a way that’s true to the culture we’ve built.
Leadership Transition: A Chance to Nurture and Grow
In our organizations, a leadership transition can serve as a hinge point—one that doesn’t need to be traumatic or threatening. When approached with enough time, clear communication, deep listening, political insight, and emotional care, it becomes an opportunity: a chance to open new paths, renew our collective purpose, and strengthen our organizational vision.
From Organizational Change to Collective Care
Care isn’t a bonus—it’s the method. Doing things with care is doing them strategically. Because ultimately, our goal isn’t just to change the visible face of the organization, but to uphold the heart of its shared project.
From our experience supporting transitions, we know this is entirely possible. With time, clear structure, and honest conversation—and with the deep conviction that change isn’t an ending, but a new way of moving forward.
