Insights & Practice

Case Studies

Essays and reflections on leadership transition, executive search, and organizational change — drawn from thirty years of practice at the highest levels of the nonprofit and public sectors.

Flying Monkeys

Nonprofit Quarterly

Flying Monkeys: Organizational Considerations in an Executive Transition

On the hidden tensions that derail leadership transitions — and how honest dialogue in the search process can surface them before they cause damage.

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Nonprofit Quarterly

Meet the Enemy: Considerations for Executive Transition

A landmark project recruiting corrections leaders for 18 governors — and the most disappointing outcome of a career, when political power overruled the right choice.

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Nonprofit Quarterly

Successful Successions

Three organizations, two searches each — and what the contrast between the first and second search reveals about leadership, governance, and the value of honesty.

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National Council for Mental Wellbeing

A Tidal Wave Approaches

A generation of behavioral health leaders is nearing retirement. How one organization built the board capacity, staff trust, and graceful founder engagement to navigate the transition well.

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National Governors Association

How to Recruit a Cabinet: A Governor's Guide to Executive Recruiting

A practical guide to building an effective cabinet through rigorous, diagnostic recruiting — and why the “Rolodex fallacy” derails so many otherwise well-intentioned searches.

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