It is not surprising that Littleford & Associates receives as many as 3 to 4 inquiries per week about interim head opportunities from sitting heads, retiring heads, or recently retired heads. Some of these heads are retiring on their own terms; some just want to leave the daily grind of the role; some have been terminated; or some are seeing the handwriting on the wall in anticipation of major, unsettli board or board chair turnover. They still want to contribute to independent and international education and have a wealth of skills and experiences to offer.

Interim heads may be chosen from the inside or from the outside. If the current head leaves abruptly for whatever reason, an internal interim is often the best choice because the internal person can be the “healer” and because there is insufficient time to find an external interim who is a fit. The interim role becomes more complex when we consider the following scenarios and how the board defines the job:

1. If the board chooses an internal interim head, the question then becomes: Does the board and the “insider” want that person to be considered in the pool of applicants? An inside interim who IS a candidate for the long-term job, can greatly influence the candidate pool and discourage strong outside prospects who may see the internal person has having substantial political capital and thus, an advantage.
2. If an insider is chosen as interim and will NOT be a candidate OR will NOT be chosen as the next head, how secure does that person feel in reporting to a new head chosen from the outside? Will that insider support a healthy transition or undermine it?
3. Is the interim appointment for 6 to 12 months? Or more? If the interim is appointed for two, or rarely three years, does that still feel like an “interim” position?

What is the interim head’s charge?

1. To hold down the fort calmly, i.e., improve faculty/staff morale and settle down worried constituents?
2. Make major changes the former head never made?
3. Make changes the board wants that could be dangerous for a new head from the outside?

In the first case above, the interim leaves without experiencing any blowback. The new head will most likely face the same issues but in a more stable environment. A person with a track record of one-year interims might want to avoid unpopular decisions anyway to ensure landing another interim assignment.

In the second and third cases, the new head inherits the consequences of the major changes which may be very difficult to manage, and which constituents may be struggling to accept. This may lead to a premature departure. And the cycle begins again…

An additional option is a two-or three-year interim, who can make substantive changes carefully, can clear the decks for a new head from the outside. However, usually the board and the community are eager for a new “permanent” head and may have little appetite for an interim of that tenure.

A tricky question: What to pay the interim?

1. If the interim is an insider, does that person get across the board increases in pay and benefits? Or a one-time bonus? If there is a school-owned home, does that person (and family) move into it?
2. If the interim is appointed from the outside, how is that compensation package negotiated? If there is no school-owned home, the person will need a housing allowance.

Internal interims who do become longer-term heads without participating in a regional or national search often know very well the culture and the politics of the board, faculty, parents, and alumni. They often have the potential to be transformative long-term heads. but are also paid less than a head hired from outside unless the board does a full benchmarking review of the compensation package.

There are thousands of former heads now particularly interested in one-year interim roles. Success depends on the clarity of the goals at the outset.