Southern New Hampshire University is using a leadership-transition playbook built around time for relationship-building, board planning, and listening. In a discussion with SNHU President Lisa Marsh Ryerson, the coverage describes how she inherited continuity after former President Paul LeBlanc’s decision to step down and the board’s selection of Ryerson. Ryerson assumed the presidency in July 2024 after serving as SNHU provost. The board initially hired her on a two-year term, later extending the contract through 2030 as part of a longer leadership stability approach. Her account emphasizes a transition period designed to “deeply listen” to students, faculty, and staff, and to preserve institutional momentum during a period in which SNHU scaled online education and grew its student body. For trustees and executive search professionals, the reporting highlights an emerging best practice: longer overlap and structured stakeholder listening can reduce transition friction, especially in mission-critical growth models.