When Boards Settle: A Hard Lesson in Executive Director Transitions

Categories: Best Nonprofit Practices · Board Member Roles · Hiring ED or CEOTags: · · · · · 1 Comment

I spoke to a board member who served on the search committee for a new Executive Director. When their favored candidate turned them down, they felt a lot of pressure. As a result, they settled for a candidate they had rejected – who unfortunately did not last long. This board member reflects on what could have been done differently.   A Great Transition—Until It Wasn’t As told by a nonprofit board member somewhere in the US I was a board member at an education-oriented nonprofit where, honestly, things were going well. We had a terrific Executive Director. She was strong,… Read more

Co-Leadership Revisited

Categories: Board Member Roles · Hiring ED or CEO · LeadershipTags: · · 1 Comment

A reader responded to my last story about an organization that tried having three co-leaders but ultimately decided that they wanted one CEO instead of three. This reader has been in a for-profit partnership — which is the same as co-leadership — for over a decade. He shared his thoughts about what makes his partnership work and provided ideas for organizations considering a co-leadership model. Co-Leadership Can Work – But Be Cautious As told by a Partner somewhere in the US. I have had a successful co-leadership experience in a relatively small for-profit professional services company. We call it a… Read more

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

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

Unclear Roles Lead to Conflict and Chaos

Categories: Board Member Roles · Board, Board Chair, ED/CEO Roles · Conflict of Interest · Founder Transitions · Good Board Practices · Hiring ED or CEO · LeadershipTags: Leave a comment

A board member, who went through a traumatic founder transition, shared the story with me. In the organization’s early years, board members took on many staff roles and the ED and Board Chair were the same person. As the organization matured, the founders struggled to transition their roles. This led to personality conflicts, lack of accountability, and ultimately the resignation of both founders. Clarifying Roles Is Essential As told by a Board Member somewhere in the US I remember when our nonprofit — which focused on special needs kids — was just starting out. It was founded by a couple,… Read more