Often, when board members or other nonprofit leaders hear the term “interim,” they immediately think of a placeholder.

And that’s not surprising.

It’s not unusual for a board, upon hearing they are losing their CEO, to make a knee-jerk reaction and appoint a past board chair or an internal staff member as the interim. While that may seem convenient, the organization may miss out on the true benefits of an experienced interim executive, especially one who has spent 20-plus years leading nonprofit or mission-driven organizations.

Before I went through the Armstrong McGuire Interim Management Institute, I also had the impression that, in some cases, an interim executive was brought in almost as an audition for the actual CEO role.

I harken back to all the times we see sports teams lose a coach and, inevitably, hire an interim. In some cases, that interim eventually becomes the head coach.

I am a big Manchester United fan, and we recently named a new head coach. He was a former player, turned Champions League manager, and had been, as recently as two weeks before, the interim head coach. He turned his several months as interim into an impressive audition, and because of this, he was named head coach.

But when it comes to mission-driven organizations, neither of the above scenarios reflects a thoughtful interim engagement.

First and foremost, when an interim executive is hired, it should be made clear during the writing of the scope, the signing of the contract, the meeting with the board, and the meeting with the staff that the interim is serving as the middle between the end and the beginning.

They are not applying for the job.

They do not want the job.

They are there to provide an outside perspective, assess the current state of the organization, stabilize what needs to be stabilized, and help prepare the organization for its next permanent leader.

And don’t be fooled. Just because they do not want the permanent job does not mean they will not give 100 percent to the role.

If anything, a strong interim will treat the organization with the same care they would give their own, with the intention of giving it back to the board, staff, and stakeholders in better condition at a predetermined time.

You may have heard the phrase, “There’s a reason God gave you two ears and one mouth. It’s so you can listen twice as much as you talk.”

That is one unique thing an interim is going to do.

A lot.

They will be listening. And if they are talking, it is likely because they are asking questions.

A good interim does not walk in with preconceived notions about how everything should be done. They will obviously come in with knowledge, experience, and information. They may even have some early hypotheses.

But like a well-trained scientist, they will test those assumptions.

Over and over and over.

They will listen to the board. They will listen to staff. They will listen to key stakeholders. They will look at financials, policies, systems, governance practices, culture, communications, and the overall health of the organization.

They are not just keeping the seat warm.

They are trying to understand what is really going on.

That matters because transition can expose things an organization may have ignored for years. Sometimes the departure of a CEO is simply a natural ending. Other times, it reveals confusion, strained relationships, outdated systems, staff anxiety, unclear authority, or governance issues that need attention before the next leader arrives.

The interim executive helps the organization name those realities without making the work about themselves.

At the end of the day, or the engagement, the role of the interim is to leave the place better than they found it.

And when they ultimately hand those office keys or desk drawer keys over to the new CEO, the goal is for that handoff to feel like a nicely gift-wrapped package, ready for the new leader to open, understand, and begin leading with confidence.

In some cases, the transition may be sudden. In others, the interim may stick around for a while to ease the staff, the board, and especially the incoming CEO into the next chapter instead of simply ripping off the Band-Aid.

Whatever the beginning looks like, the ending should look very different from the moment that started the engagement.

That is the real work of an interim executive.

Not to hold the place.

Not to audition for the job.

Not to avoid difficult conversations.

But to listen, stabilize, assess, guide, prepare, and hand off the organization in a healthier place than they found it.

An interim executive is not a placeholder.

An interim executive is a transition guide.