There is significant research on the president's role, but there is a lack of research on presidential transitions and direct experiences during those transitions. With the growing number of presidential transitions happening as the tenure of presidential tenure decreases, the importance of well-run presidential transitions becomes even more essential to an institution. The study's goal was to learn from the lived experiences of those who went through a successful presidential transition and provide a richer view of presidential transitions to all involved. The findings show the key characteristics for a successful president or chief leader transition include (a) having a clear succession plan, (b) a well-run search process, (c) consistent honoring of the past leadership, (d) vision, (e) mission, and institutional operations, (f) a mission-fit new leader hired (g) culture investigated and understood, (h) clear and frequent communication, (i) expectations of the transition and future of the institution aligned between the board and new hire and the new hire and community, (j) dedication to prayer and (k) deep dedication and presence of trust and unity. If institutions and search firms follow the President/Chief Leadership Transition Framework and the communication and roll-out plans included in Appendix I, the data in this study suggests a presidential transition will go smoother, and the impact on the institution will be more positive, providing a better experience for all constituencies. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]