Co-CEO Chronicles: Navigating Growth, Change, and Complexity (EP.84)

About this episode

This episode explores the lessons of co-leadership through a conversation with the interim Co-CEOs of Americans for the Arts.

Discover the real-world lessons of co-leadership in this two-part conversation with Americans for the Arts’ interim Co-CEOs, Suzy Delvalle and Jamie Bennett. Recorded at the start and end of their nine-month shared leadership journey, host Tim Cynova explores how they divided responsibilities, built trust, navigated challenges, and embraced the benefits of having two leaders at the helm. From the decision to take the roles together, to the cultural shifts and surprises along the way, this episode offers candid insights for executives, boards, and organizations exploring interim leadership, shared power, and values-driven change. We explore: How the co-leadership arrangement came together and why neither would have said yes without the other Structuring responsibilities, building trust, and navigating shared decision-making in a high-profile national nonprofit The benefits—and surprises—of having two leaders instead of one, both internally and externally How interim roles can create space for experimentation, transparency, and cultural change Lessons for boards, staff, and leaders considering co-leadership or shared power models Part One captures Suzy and Jamie’s hopes, plans, and…

People in this episode

Host: Tim Cynova

Guests: Suzy Delvalle, Jamie Bennett

Topics covered

• co-leadership
• shared leadership
• nonprofit management
• organizational culture
• interim roles
• trust building

Keywords

• co-CEOs
• leadership
• responsibilities
• decision-making
• cultural change
• trust
• nonprofit
• shared power

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Americans for the Arts

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