Lost and Found in Transition
No one leadership transition is the same. Each has its own set of circumstances, relationships, dynamics and realities. It is not just a structural process, but also a human experience.
Lost and Found in Transition is an ideas studio that gathers and offers collective knowledge, ‘brave spaces,’ and accompaniment for feminist leaders in moments of personal and professional transition. Hosted at Closer Than You Think, the studio is a place for learning, reflecting, and sharing guidance that centers belonging and a much-needed mutual support network for leaders who have recently stepped out.
We seek to lift the secrecy, taboo, and isolation that often surrounds leadership transition, and contribute to the field of organisational change with feminist innovations that are sensitive to power, justice, and care.
Read our flagship magazine publication
A collection of experiences, reflections, case studies, poems, and collages on feminist leadership transition, grounded in the current context of polycrisis, shrinking civic space, and major shifts in funding for human rights.
Personal Journeys: Experiences in Leadership
This section centres the emotional and psychological dimensions of leadership transitions as "journeys of the heart." Through intimate dialogues, poetic reflections, and personal testimonies, we explore how leaders navigate the waves of transition—from the grief of separation to the challenge of identity reconstruction and the search for new purpose.
Institutional Pathways: Considerations for Organisations
Moving to the organisational level, this section examines the structures and practices that shape leadership transitions within feminist institutions. Through practical analyses and organisational case studies, we identify key factors for successful transitions: clear agreements about post-departure relationships, transparent handover protocols, celebration rituals, documentation of institutional history, and strategic timing of leadership changes.
Generational and Organisational Change: Case Studies and Reflections
Here we present five detailed case studies that bridge personal experiences with organisational dynamics, offering concrete examples of how feminist leadership transitions unfold in practice. From intergenerational handovers at the Resource Centre for Women and Girls, from a founding Executive Director to leadership from within at JASS, from Global North-South power shifts at Women Unite to a transition across three cycles of leadership at Prospera, these narratives illuminate both challenges and possibilities.
Weaving the Threads Together: The Ecosystem Approach
Our concluding section presents an ecosystem framework that integrates personal transition experiences with organisational needs and broader movement sustainability. By reconceptualising organisations not as isolated entities but as interconnected elements within a dynamic system, we challenge the prevalent "worship of the turf" mentality that fosters competition and institutional protectionism.
Acknowledgements
The People Behind this Work
Devi Leiper O’Malley
Emilienne de León
Hope Chigudu
Theo Sowa
Lisa VeneKlasen
Pamela Shifman
Ruby Johnson
Swatee Deepak
People who have supported with design, weaving, writing and copy editing
Co-editor and curator: Georgia Booth
Copy editor: Kyle Woodend
Writing contributor: Christy Selica Alves
Designer and artist: Shreya Gupta
Case Study Contributors
Lusine Kosakyan, Network Director and co-founder of Frontline Youth Network
Zeedah Meierhofer Mangali, former Executive Director, Resource Centre for Women and Girls
Nyawira Wahito, Executive Director, Resource Centre for Women and Girls
Alexandra Garita, former Executive Director, Prospera
Laila Alodaat, Executive Director, Prospera
Shereen Essof, Executive Director, JASS
