Interim management | When leadership is suddenly unavailable
Leadership is suddenly unavailable. Your organisation keeps moving.
A co-ordinator is unexpectedly absent. A director leaves. Finding a replacement takes time. Suddenly, the team is on its own: who makes the decisions, what takes priority and what do we tell external partners?
S&L temporarily takes the helm. Continuity is maintained, decision-making is restored, and the search for a successor begins from a position of clarity rather than panic.
Does this sound familiar?
Your organisation’s leader is no longer there and the team continues to work hard, but no one knows who makes the decisions or what takes priority. The board wants to maintain its oversight role but is drawn into day-to-day operations. External partners ask questions and receive conflicting answers. Meanwhile, the work continues, but uncertainty within the organisation keeps growing.
This is the point at which doing nothing becomes the most costly—and least desirable—option.
How we work
- The interim manager steps in quickly and initially focuses on three things: the decisions that cannot wait, clarity about who does what, and a reliable point of contact for the team, board and external partners. One clear voice externally. Calm and clarity internally.
- We then help the organisation regain a steady rhythm. Agreements are made explicit, the board is supported in fulfilling its proper role, and together we develop a clear profile for the new leader. That profile is shaped by your organisation’s objectives and culture, not by the panic of the moment.
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The assignment can last from one month to a year, depending on the complexity of the situation and your succession strategy. The interim manager works part-time, allowing them to retain a valuable independent perspective.
What will you gain?
- Continuity
Projects, partnerships and services continue without interruption. - Calm and clarity
A single point of contact, clear decisions and a mandate suited to the situation. - Protection for the team
No overloading individuals, informal power grabs or teams retreating into silos. - A stronger succession process
A realistic and widely supported profile for the new leader, together with a selection process that strengthens the organisation rather than placing it under further strain.
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What this looked like in practice
When the general co-ordinator of a small non-profit was unexpectedly absent for an extended period, the team initially carried on through its established routines. But doubts soon emerged: key policy decisions were postponed, HR issues piled up and external partners received mixed messages. The board wanted to help but risked blurring the boundary between governance and day-to-day management.
S&L stepped in as interim co-ordinator. During the first few weeks, we focused on three things: making urgent decisions, clarifying roles and providing one reliable point of contact for everyone involved. We then helped the organisation regain a steady rhythm: agreements were documented, meeting structures were streamlined, and the board and team worked together to develop a profile for the new leader.
Two months later, the organisation had not been ‘rescued’. It had been stabilised and strengthened. The team had taken greater ownership, the board had returned to its oversight role, and the search for a successor could begin from a position of clarity rather than panic.
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