PLAYLIST: Planning for exit
I have dedicated my life to launching and scaling transformation — that big, bold change. Imagine my surprise at discovering that such efforts benefit immensely from facing their inevitable sunset.
Through this mini-series, I challenge us to think of all our changemaking efforts as temporary. Seasonal. To embrace the probability that they will outlive their usefulness. That if they endure, it is because they’ve had several lifetimes, not one. That the world loses when we put mission-focused organizations on life-support.
I liken our changemaking ventures to custom homes and to Shrek! I pull no punches articulating what happens if you don’t plan for exit.
Hopefully having convinced you that exit planning is the best investment you could make into the impact you target, I guide you through developing your exit strategy. Lastly, I share — including in the words of a CEO I helped plan for her own exit — what it may feel like, to help you prepare. Because on the Changemaker’s Substack, we’re all about being intentional!
Part 1: A provocation to illustrate why nobody wins when we put mission-driven organizations on life-support.
Most non-profits should shut down. It’s for the best.
If the title irks you, this post is for you. It is also for you if you’d like to supercharge your efforts to create meaningful change in the world.
Part 2: An analogy to argue for exit planning
Your changemaking efforts are like a custom home, but that’s not always a good thing.
In an earlier post, I challenged us to think of all our changemaking efforts as temporary. Seasonal. To embrace the probability that they will outlive their usefulness. That if they endure, it is because they’ve had several lifetimes, not one. That the world loses when we put mission-focused organizations on life-support. I argued that the best inv…
Part 3: All the reasons why planning for exit is the best investment in the impact you seek
To truly change the world, plan for an "out"
If you care about your efforts to change the world, you should plan for exit now, regardless of your initiative’s stage. Not only will it boost your effectiveness and shore up your legacy, but it admits that you, your venture, or both will need an out. It is as inevitable as chicks leaving the nest, so we might as well plan for it! Sadly, considerin…
Part 4: Time to build your exit strategy!
The 7 steps to an exit strategy that shores up your impact
If you want to make a meaningful difference in the world but think that “exit planning” doesn’t apply to you, you’re wrong, and this series is for you.
Part 5: Preparing yourself for the sweet-bitter experience of exit
Why feeling obsolete is the height of leadership
As changemakers, we carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. When we succeed, we feel like we’re exactly where we are meant to be. That is why exit planning is both essential and excrutiating.