1. Look for a clone. “Our executive director has been absolutely perfect. We need to find another just like him/her. We know that will be difficult, but we will try.”
2. We know what we don’t want. “Our executive director had a couple real weaknesses. We need to find someone who does not have those weaknesses. Let’s get going!”
   
3. Let’s look at this as an opportunity for growth. “This is the time for the board to get involved. Let’s review our strengths and weaknesses and our strategic plan. Then let’s design a profile and search for the executive director with the qualities we need to implement our plans for the future. The person we had was great (or at least fine for yesterday) but we have a challenge and opportunity now to find the person who will be right for tomorrow.“

Yes, (3) is the way to go. If you go with (1), you will be disappointed because you will dangerously restrict your vision of the future. Besides, no two people are exactly the same and searching for a clone doesn’t work.

If you go with number (2), you will also be disappointed because you will limit your search by living in the past rather than in the future. You will confine your search to two or three qualities and lose the big picture. You will probably end up with someone who may not have the weaknesses you worry about but who also may not have the strengths you need.

It’s important to remember that change is a constant, and boards need to focus on what has changed and how to deal with the opportunities and challenges that those changes offer. An executive director search is an important time to do this. It involves the board constructively and brings themtogether to envision an even brighter future. This will empower them to work with the new executive director as full partners. Remember, no matter how good an executive director is, he/she can’t do what needs to be done without the help of the board!