Tom Adams
Too many organizations underperform because they fail to pay sufficient attention to leader transitions. As a result, the mission, those served, and the employees suffer. In my work with more than 300 organizations facing leader transitions, I’ve identified many factors that influence the outcome of a leader transition.
The power of leader transitions to advance, weaken or destroy organizations and the power of a planned and well-executed transition to strengthen and transform organizations.
Unfortunately, not every leader transition goes so well. Think for a moment about organizations you might know that were weakened or destroyed by a flawed leader transition. Arts organizations, charter schools, food banks, group homes for people with developmental disabilities, neighborhood development initiatives and community health clinics of all sizes have felt the pain of failed or flawed transitions.
See our Resource Pages for additional information on each topic.
I find myself thinking a lot about the 2026 mid-term elections and what they might mean to local communities and our nation and the world. Today’s post explores some of the questions that I believe will shape these elections.
For six weeks now, my family has been living in Benajarafe, a small coastal town near Málaga, where you can walk to the Mediterranean in five minutes. Every morning, I walk our nine-year-old granddaughter to school. Every afternoon, we walk home. Some Fridays, we stop for ice cream. Sometimes we detour for a quick bike ride or jump on a swing on the beach before dinner. She’s learning to ride her bicycle on these streets, and I’m not terrified watching her.
Last week’s post featured remarks by Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington DC about how people without documentation are being treated in this country. He suggested strongly that they and all those being harmed by our current government are our neighbors. It is way past time to speak up and stop the fear-based oppression and deportations.
This week’s post is a potpourri of reflections as summer and Labor Day weekend pass. I’m grateful for the month off from writing this post, and for a couple of weeks at the beach with family and friends.
Donald Trump’s second term is about “moving fast and breaking things,” apparently modeled after the old Mark Zuckerberg motto and tribute to arrogance. Under its aegis, Tech Bros were encouraged to disparage all that preceded them, denigrating whatever created the “things” they were hell-bent on discarding. No wonder Trump chose Elon Musk, his bosom buddy/sworn enemy, to disrupt and dismantle federal services.
This week’s post celebrates the birth of freedom in the United States by offering possible actions to preserve freedom and justice for all. My June 10th post focused on the many injustices that will occur if the “One Big Beautiful” budget bill (2025 budget bill) is passed by Congress. I also wrote about the possible expansion of the conflict in Iran and the Middle East. This week’s post offers readers some practical simple actions to take. During your quiet time or mediation, you can ask: What’s mine to do to preserve freedom and advance equity and justice for all?
Last week I began to think about writing a post about the pain the Appropriation bill passed by the U. S. House of Representatives on May 22, 2025 will cause, if it becomes law. I experienced an attack of deep sadness; I lost all energy to do anything for a day. This post is about the challenge of learning about and feeling the pain in the world. How do we hold on to faith, believing that all will be well?
Easter Monday morning brought me and many the sad news that Pope Francis had died overnight. While expected and unavoidable, the fear of the leadership of another world institution becoming more conservative is real. And a nightmare in a time when the United States is led by a commitment to chaos, cruelty, and building wealth for the wealthy.
Chaos theory is being tested to its maximum in the United States these days. The pain, confusion and social and economic disruption caused by the Trump administration is hard to imagine in a free democratic country. Yet, it is happening and shows few signs of ending.
Editor’s Note: This week I am joined by Lorraine Hogan in expanding the story of the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon. Lorraine is a longtime volunteer at The Wilson House in Vermont and is part of the team that presents the Female Founders Retreat held there annually.
Tom Adams writes and speaks on topics vital to the intersection of our personal lives with our community and global lives. He has for decades been engaged in and written about nonprofit leadership and transitions, spirituality and spiritual growth, how we each contribute to a more just and equitable world and recovery from addictions and the Twelve Step recovery movement.