Leadership Transition Workshop
To allow student leaders to reflect on their experience ,
provide them with meaningful closure, and to assist them in
the often daunting task of transitioning leadership
Focus and goals of this workshop
and template
 To provide both structure and moral support as you recruit
and train the next leader at your site
 To create continuity across individuals to build capacity and
maximize efficiency within the organization
 Give student leaders an opportunity to impact the
organization’s legacy and pass along their own visions for
success
 To remind ourselves that different organizations are at
different stages in their development and address leadership
transition planning accordingly
Agenda
 Introductions
 Warm-up
 Introduction to transitional leadership and leadership
transitions
 Visioning Exercise
 Creating the binder: expectations, deadlines, follow-up
Warm-up
 I met with my predecessor and was able to ask questions of
them prior to taking over their leadership position.
 I was provided with all the contact information for
organization members and other affiliates prior to my
transition into my current leadership position.
 I was introduced to key members of the faculty,
administration, and community prior to my transition into
my current leadership position.
 I feel I was well prepared for my transition into my current
leadership position.
What is a leadership transition?
 A leadership transition refers to the process by which
one leader in an organization is replaced by another,
along with the breadth of knowledge and information
necessary to be successful in that position.
 Different skill sets go along with different phases in an
organization’s life (visioning vs. start-up, building
infrastructure); different skills for different times of
leadership; liminal space between outgoing leaders
Four major steps
in leadership transition
1. Selection of the incoming leader
2. Identification and organization of all the information a
new leader may need about the organization and
their position
3. Transmission of this necessary information to the
incoming leader in a concise, clear form, while being
mindful of confidentiality issues
4. Replacement of the outgoing leader with the
incoming leader
Visioning Exercise
 My top 3 toughest challenges as a leader, and how I met
these challenges…
 My 3 best practices as a leader in this organization…
 The 3 most important documents relating to this work…
 The names and positions of 3 key campus contacts, and
how they can be helpful…
 The best methods for recruiting volunteers…
 Three key annual/semester activities in this org and my
role in making each happen…
 Three key communications channels or contacts…
 Three key community contacts…
 If I had the past year to do over again, I would do these
things differently…
Transition Template
[Organization Name]
 What is the Mission, and what are the Vision and Values
of your site?
 Website
 Provide a brief bio and description of your service
People
 Staff & Volunteers (include email address, cell phone,
direct line, better to call or text…)
 Campus contacts
 Other organizations
 Administrative
 Community Liaisons
 Funders
 Media
Documentation and Methodology

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
Strategic goals
Recruitment materials and methods
Training materials
Advertisements and press
Grants and other funding sources
Miscellaneous forms
Key Initiatives and Activities


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Annual fundraisers
Donor relations
Volunteer recruitment
Event planning
Tutoring
Infrastructure building
Personal Notes and Observations
 In what ways was your leadership supported?
 What were your key challenges in this role? How did
you rise to these challenges?
 What skills did you build?
Personal reflection and legacy
(for external audience)
 Brief bio
 What drew you to serve with this organization?
 The rest is up to you. Customize the template to meet
your organizational needs.