Would Co-Leadership Work for Your Organization?

Categories: Board Member Roles · Board, Board Chair, ED/CEO Roles · Good Board Practices · Hiring ED or CEO · Succession PlanningTags: · 1 Comment

Many nonprofit organizations are re-thinking leadership, and some are trying a co-Leadership or Distributed Leadership model where they have multiple CEOs or Executive Directors. I have been interested in seeing why organizations decide to try this model and the benefits and challenges they face. I interviewed the Board Chair and the current sole Executive Director of a small nonprofit on the east coast that tried a co-leadership model on an interim basis for a year. They had three co-EDs. In the end, they decided to have just a single ED. I wanted to understand what motivated them to try co-EDs… Read more

Navigating Board Expectations: A Lesson in Clarity

Categories: Board Member Roles · Good Board Practices · Prospective Board MembersTags: 3 Comments

A colleague shared this story about the importance of setting clear expectations for board members when they are recruited, checking in with them annually to ensure they understand the expectations, and being willing to let them go if they cannot meet the requirements. The Unspoken Assumption – Personal Gift As told by a nonprofit CEO somewhere in the U.S. When I became CEO of a fairly large nonprofit, I met with every single board member. It was one of the first things I did. One board member stood out. She worked for a corporate partner. She had an impressive profile,… Read more

What Happens When a Board Fails at Oversight?

Categories: Board Member Roles · Board, Board Chair, ED/CEO Roles · Good Board Practices · Hiring ED or CEO · LeadershipTags: · Leave a comment

A reader shared this story with me. Their reflections on what went wrong are great lessons for all board members. The ED went rogue out of arrogance. The Board Chair thought he personally managed the ED. The rest of the Board did not insist on transparency and oversight. Overconfident ED, Self-Important Board Chair, Acquiescent Board Means Trouble As told by a Board Member someplace in the US I have been on many nonprofit boards over the years – mostly in one specific programmatic area where I have developed expertise. The situation I am about to describe was difficult. I often… Read more

What Happens When Your CEO Shifts Focus?

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A former Board Chair recounted how an innovative program garnered national recognition and sparked demand for their visionary CEO to speak at conferences and consult with other organizations. Unfortunately, this meant the CEO began to neglect their own organization. The Board Chair described how the Board learned about and addressed the challenges.  Innovative Program Creates Demand for Visionary CEO’s Insights As told by a Board Chair somewhere in the US. I served on the board, and later as Board Chair, of a state-wide direct service organization that had developed a groundbreaking and effective program. The CEO, a respected innovator with… Read more

Changing Board Culture

Categories: Board Member Roles · Board, Board Chair, ED/CEO Roles · Good Board PracticesTags: · · 1 Comment

A colleague shared a story about how she transformed a lax, weak board into a more responsible and engaged one. She notes that changing culture takes agreement, transparency, patience – and some ingenuity. Lack of Oversight Could Be Negligence As told by a Board Chair somewhere in the US. I served on the board of a nonprofit that had been around for decades and that had a very strong CEO. I joined because of the reputation of the CEO and the organization and because I was very passionate about the mission. I should say that I have also served on… Read more