Written by Beth Guerriero, Ph.D.
One of the best decisions I’ve made in my professional life was participating in the Interim Executive Institute (IEI) at Support Center NYC.
I had just completed my first Interim Executive Director role and was in the process of transitioning leadership when I received the call from Keith Timko, the Executive Director of Support Center, letting me know I’d been accepted into the Institute. At that moment, I was already in a period of reflection. My career path had moved through the performing arts, music, and education, and most recently through senior advancement leadership at the College of Performing Arts at Rowan University—an R2 institution in South Jersey. I was thinking carefully about what kind of leader I had become, and what kind of leader I wanted to be during moments of organizational change.
Entering IEI, I was struck by the range of experiences in the room. Colleagues were at different stages of their careers and represented many segments and content areas of the nonprofit sector. I also noticed, early on, that I was the only participant whose background was rooted in the arts. Initially, that felt significant. Arts organizations can feel uniquely contextual, and I wondered whether my experience—and the work I cared most deeply about—would fully translate. I also often think about the dual-pronged leadership – executive director-artistic director model in the arts and the relationship of that model in executive transition. That’s a blog for another time (!).
At the same time, I had been carrying a quiet question with me: How transferable is leadership, really? So many times, I’ve felt stuck in the “she’s the arts lady” box. Throughout the Institute, the facilitators returned again and again to the idea that interim leadership is less about content expertise and more about vision, communication, clarity, assessment, and stewardship. The core work—understanding an organization’s current reality, providing stability in day-to-day operations, and preparing the ground for new leadership—remains the same regardless of mission or field. This really stuck with me and that realization stayed with me long after the sessions ended.
Reflections that have continued to shape my practice with Beth G Consulting, LLC:
- Interim leadership is fundamentally universal.
The IEI experience helped me see that the skills required to guide an organization through transition are not tied to a specific sector. This understanding has allowed me to step into roles across different nonprofit contexts with greater confidence and humility. I find myself always starting with the broad questions – what are the needs, how can I best assess them, how can I meet folks where they are at? - Transferability shows up in moments of uncertainty.
The frameworks and approaches emphasized in IEI have been especially valuable when entering organizations at vulnerable moments—when listening, discernment, and steady presence matter more than subject-matter expertise.
- These lessons came into focus during my recent work with the Essex County Family Justice Center.
As that interim engagement now comes to a close, I can see how deeply the Institute shaped my approach: grounding decisions in assessment, centering staff experience, and keeping the organization oriented toward its future leadership rather than my own.
Looking back, the Interim Executive Institute offered more than training. It offered permission to trust that thoughtful, values-driven leadership can travel—across missions, structures, and moments of change—and still remain deeply human. I am so grateful for the opportunity and what I have learned – both at IEI and in each unique interim placement I have held.
