Harry Crown, Executive Director
Crown was a frustrated executive director of a national trade association. He had single-handedly built the organization, while being heavily micromanaged by the board and hampered by the board’s process of electing a new president each year. However, despite these management limitations, he was able to develop a $5 million fund reserve over his 15 year tenure through offering seminars, publishing a magazine, and having well-attended annual meetings.
The level of board control he experienced is not unusual when executive director positions are employed, as they are required in the organization’s embryo stages. Board members at these stages feel a need to tell the executive director, “exactly what to do.” But the process continues, even when the group flourishes, as did Crown’s organization.
After 15 years, Crown was consulted with about his board problems. By then, he had already purchased an apple farm and planned to resign to devote full time to managing it to better use his creative abilities.
John Smith, President/CEO
Smith, at age 45, decided to leave an industry position to head a national association representing more than 275 local groups. He was named president/CEO and given substantial operational decision autonomy. Only strategic issues are referred to board committees and then presented to the full board. Now in his 15th year, he heads an organization with well over 400 groups, although there have been bumps on the road to achieve this level of success. He is considered one of the nation’s outstanding nonprofit leaders. He knows the autonomy, trust, and rigorous outcome evaluations that go along with the president/CEO title have supported his efforts to help his organization grow.
