I noted yesterday that shared leadership is the model being promoted as the ideal relationship for a nonprofit board and exec. The shared leadership model suggests that each party knows and fills their role.
Farm Aid, the organization, may be one of the examples where the shared leaderhsip model is working. Willie Nelson, the artist, chairs the Board and lots of other artists also serve as members of the board. Each year, the artists put on a concert often preceeded by some press events where each converses about family farming and family farmed food. The chair, Willie, as described by the Farm Aid exec, plays a role in setting the organization's direction and being available for whatever when needed. The exec manages and supports the board's ability to do what it does best.
Shared leadership at its best?