When Your CEO Resigns 48 Hours after Crisis Hits

Published about 1 month ago • 1 min read

Black text "leaving" and "well" are stacked atop each other. A curly black arrow below the L in "Leaving" points to the W in "well"

We are keeping the trend going of using real world stories to share lessons you can bring into your nonprofit! This time, we're talking about Astronomer (the "Coldplay Kiss Cam" situation).

If you somehow missed it: Astronomer's CEO was caught on the kiss cam at a Coldplay concert, with the company's HR executive, and both of them are married to other folks. Said CEO steps down after a viral scandal, and within 72 hours, a new interim leader is named.

While the world focused on the drama, we’re focusing on what we think really matters: how Astronomer’s board pulled off one of the fastest leadership transitions we’ve seen.

⚠️ Nonprofit leaders: this is your wake-up call.

In this video and article, I break down:

Why internal leadership benches matter more than dream candidate lists
Why speed is more important than perfection during a crisis
How to craft crisis communications that inspire confidence (not chaos)
Why your mission must stay front and center, even in moments of disruption

✨ Whether you’re an Executive Director or on a nonprofit board, this is your playbook for succession readiness—before a crisis hits. Read the article here, and/or watch the video (the content is the same ... we're bringing it to you in a few different versions).

About Leaving Well: Providing interim leadership and proactive succession planning for nonprofit organizations. Because your next leadership transition is coming whether you're ready or not. Visit us today or hit reply to this email and let us know what support your organization needs.

A portrait of Naomi Hattaway, A mixed woman with short curly hair in an oval frame. "Naomi" is in handwriting, and "Naomi Hattaway, Founder + CEO" is in orange text.

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