Taking the stage: Lessons learned for interim leadership.

When the leading actor unexpectedly exits stage left, a replacement is sought because the show must go on. If you are that replacement, you must quickly learn the lines, react to the other actors, acclimate to your audience, and step into the role with conviction. This paper provides a metaphor for interim leadership that is meant to encourage, equip, and inspire those who accept interim roles. Strategies for success as interim leaders are presented and a framework for adaptive leadership is described as means to acquire a praxis of interim leadership- providing the set against which actors move and animate the stage. We close with an encore of lessons learned.