In October, when Debbie Witchey became president and CEO of the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness (ABHW), she had replaced a long-standing executive whom, she said, "for all intents and purposes" was ABHW’s founder. That has its upsides: Witchey was promised the outgoing CEO’s support during a transition period to reassure staff, board, and stakeholders. But being in an esteemed leader’s shadow meant making changes could be difficult.
To manage that dynamic, Witchey accepted the assistance but also made sure to draw bright lines around it to avoid any confusion about who was in charge.
"The first week I was on, I shadowed her, and during the second week, she shadowed me," Witchey said. "Then she went on vacation, which I think was helpful because I was doing things on my own, and I could see where my knowledge was lacking and where I needed help."
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