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Is This the Right Organizational Moment? Self-Assessment | Edgility Search
Edgility Search · Board Tools
Is This the Right Organizational Moment?
Before you write the job description, before you build the search committee — you need to answer this question. The kind of leader your organization needs depends entirely on where you are right now.
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How to use this tool: Answer each question as honestly as you can about your organization right now — not where you want to be, not where you were two years ago. There are no right answers. The goal is an accurate picture. Your results will identify your organizational moment and what it means for your next hire.
Your organizational moment
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What this means for your search
01Organizational Health· 3 questions
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Question 1
How would you honestly describe your organization's financial position right now?
In deficit or under significant financial stress
Recently stabilized after a difficult period
Healthy and positioned to grow
Financially strong but our model needs to change
Question 2
How would you describe staff and team culture at this moment?
Fractured — significant trust or morale issues to address
Recovering — things are calmer but not yet settled
Strong — ready to grow and take on more
Capable but misaligned with where we need to go
Question 3
How would you characterize relationships with key external stakeholders — funders, community, partners?
Damaged or at risk — trust needs to be rebuilt
Cautiously stable — we're on probation with some partners
Strong — funders and partners are invested in our growth
Good — but we need relationships our current model doesn't reach
02Strategic Direction· 3 questions
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Question 4
How clear is your organization's strategic direction right now?
Unclear — we need a leader who can help us find it
Emerging — direction is forming but not yet set
Clear — we know where we're going and need to accelerate
Clear — but the current direction is no longer sufficient
Question 5
What does the board most want from the next leader in year one?
Stabilize operations and stop the bleeding
Steady the ship and build trust with staff and funders
Grow — expand programs, revenue, and reach
Reimagine — challenge our model and move us forward
Question 6
How aligned is the board on what success looks like for the next leader?
Not yet aligned — there are real disagreements to work through
Mostly aligned around near-term stability goals
Well aligned around growth and impact targets
Aligned that change is needed — less clear on what that looks like
03Leadership Context· 3 questions
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Question 7
How did the last leadership transition come about?
Crisis departure — the situation forced a change
Difficult exit after an extended period of struggle
Planned succession from a position of strength
Leader departure prompted a strategic rethink
Question 8
What is the primary challenge the next leader will face in their first 90 days?
Assessing damage and making hard decisions quickly
Rebuilding trust and bringing people together
Understanding the growth opportunity and building on momentum
Diagnosing what needs to change and building a case for it
Question 9
How much risk is the board prepared to absorb in the next hire?
Very low — we need proven, steady hands
Low — we're not ready for bold bets yet
Medium — we'll back the right person to drive growth
High — we're ready to hire someone who will disrupt the status quo
04Board Readiness· 3 questions
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Question 10
What is the board's capacity to support a new leader through a difficult first year?
Limited — we'll need to build capacity as we go
Growing — we're more engaged than we were
Strong — active, engaged, and ready to open doors
Committed — willing to challenge ourselves alongside the leader
Question 11
How would you describe the board's current relationship with the organization's theory of change?
It's unclear or disputed — we need to get aligned
We understand it but aren't fully executing against it
We believe in it deeply and want to expand its reach
We're questioning it — the landscape has changed
Question 12
What would a failed hire in this search cost the organization?
Potentially existential — we may not survive another miss
Very significant — we'd lose hard-won ground
Significant — we'd lose momentum and likely some key people
We'd miss a rare window — the cost is an opportunity lost
Ready to find the right leader for this moment?
Edgility's search process is built around your organizational moment — not a generic competency template. We help boards hire for where they actually are.
