Collective Wins and Lasting Impact—Taking Stock of Our Progress in 2023
To our community;
At the Center for Sustainable Leadership, we have the great privilege of knowing that every organization we work with is making the world a better place. Our wins come in fueling your wins.
You dream of thriving, stable, equitable organizations that sustain lasting impact—and this year, you took the steps to make those dreams a reality. You dove head first into CEO succession planning, sabbatical planning, parental leave planning, and, newly this year, board succession planning. We’ve seen you grapple with complex choices and take bold steps to prioritize the health of your organizations.
Today, we’re proud to share some of our collective wins, reflections, and milestones.
CSL in 2023 - Our Impact By The Numbers:
Our impact is expanding. In 2022, we worked with eight organizations across seven states, and impacted over 20,000 young people. This year, thanks to all of you, our scope grew. We’ve now worked with a total of 22 organizations, across 18 states, and reached almost 51,000 students. Thank you for making this possible.
What’s on our minds: planning for strong, stable, intentional boards
Last year, we focused deeply on the power of CEO succession planning and sabbatical planning. We know a clear succession plan builds stability, and that rest fuels progress—we believe giving someone two months of sabbatical can extend their tenure for two to three extra years. That’s huge, and we’ve seen your organizations invest in your futures in these ways.
We’re now diving into board succession planning with a number of you, too. Board succession planning follows the same principle of all our work: strong, stable leadership leads to strong, lasting impact. When a board chair leaves their role, for instance, it can be destabilizing for that board, the organization’s leader, and ultimately, the people that organization serves. If a new board chair comes on with insufficient preparation, that hinders their team’s impact, too—and it makes their CEO’s work less sustainable.
It doesn’t have to be this way. When boards are intentional about their own succession planning, they can cultivate a “bench” of potential chairs who serve as thought partners to the executive leader and champions of the organization. This lays the groundwork for sustainability and long-term impact—and when the time comes for a board transition, they’ll be ready and prepared to take on the role.
Strong, stable boards lead to strong, stable impact.
Board succession planning is a chance to look ahead and prepare for inevitable, eventual changes in board leadership. It allows organizations to take stock of their needs—what training will a new board chair require? What structures and practices will they need to understand? As boards answer these questions, they lay the groundwork for a smooth future transition—and ultimately, stabilize their organization and preserve their impact.
Gratitude and clarity in 2024
At CSL, we’re looking to 2024 with great hope and clarity. We’re proud that our work not only promotes stability, but also equity. As you know, women and people of color have long faced barriers in accessing “C-suite” and board leadership roles. We have helped your teams put policies and practices in place that make executive leadership more accessible and sustainable. We know that you care deeply about equity and diversity, too, and we’ve been responsive to your needs.
Sustainability and equity go hand in hand.
In 2024, we’ll continue to focus on equity, sustainability, and the bright futures of each of your organizations. We’re clear on our work: we sustain the joy of leadership that matters. That’s all of your leadership. We’re grateful to enter the new year by your sides, and look forward to the change we’ll see together.
Best,
Amanda, Freddi, and Leah