Becoming a Leader “On the Job”: An Exploratory Study Examining How Internal Interim Leaders Build their Leadership Capacity While Nonprofit Executive Directors are on Sabbatical

<p>Nonprofit organizations have long underinvested in leadership development, potentially hindering their ability to fulfill their missions effectively. This study examined the use of nonprofit organization sabbaticals that give executive directors time away while building the leadership capabilities of the interim leader. This research explored the on-the-job leadership development of six individuals who served as interim leaders in southern California nonprofit organizations during their executive directors' participation in a 3-month, foundation-funded sabbatical program.</p> <p>In this study, data were collected through in-depth interviews with interim leaders. A formative influences timeline technique was employed to center the participant's voice rather than the interviewer's lead. A dual analytical approach that one methodologist has characterized as narrative analysis and analysis of narrative was employed to make sense of and report the collected data. In short, data for each participant were reconstructed as stories and, then, a cross-case analysis was employed to highlight common themes and patterns across the six individual narratives.</p> <p>Key findings revealed that interim leadership experiences served as "leadership laboratories," fostering both horizontal (skill-based) and vertical (perspective-shifting) development. The study identified seven categories of experiences that contribute to leadership growth; the list includes managing operations, board engagement, leading staff, managing major initiatives, external relations and community engagement, navigating unexpected challenges, and responding to challenges related to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Additionally, the study illuminated the critical role of reflection in translating experiences into lasting development and the influence of individual, cultural, and structural factors on the interim leaders' development.</p> <p>The research contributed to the field by proposing an Integrated Model of Nonprofit Interim Leadership Development, which synthesizes the complex, cyclical nature of leadership growth during interim periods. This model offers insights for designing effective interim experiences and integrating leadership development with succession planning in nonprofit organizations.</p> <p>Results from this study provide valuable insights into leveraging the interim leader role as an experiential leadership development strategy and succession planning tool for nonprofit organizations. It offers practical recommendations for interim leaders, CEOs, boards, and funders to maximize the developmental potential of these experiences, ultimately strengthening leadership pipelines in the nonprofit sector.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

PhD Leadership Studies

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation: Open Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Leadership Studies

Year dc:date.available

2025

Author dc:creator

• Schneider, Michelle

• nonprofit sabbaticals
• human capital
• talent development
• experience-based leadership development
• nonprofit leadership development
• interim leadership
• leadership capacity building
• executive transitions
• sabbatical programs
• experiential learning
• on-the-job development
• developmental assignments
• narrative inquiry
• nonprofit succession planning
• horizontal leadership development
• vertical leadership development
• nonprofit sector
• organizational capacity building
• temporary succession
• interim executive directors
• nonprofit organizations
• leadership identity
• succession planning
• Human Resources Management
• Leadership
• Leadership Studies
• Nonprofit Administration and Management
• Nonprofit Studies
• Organization Development
• Public Administration
• Training and Development
• Work, Economy and Organizations

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digital.sandiego.edu/dissertations/1040

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digital.sandiego.edu:dissertations-2048