In my consulting practice I often help boards or execs address a variety of challenges that arise in the relationship with the "other". As many nonprofit boards do not have much experience with human resource management or overseeing an employee or even just saying what they want, nonprofit execs find windows of opportunity that often underscore the question of just who leads who. At some level, board/exec relationships mirror spouse/spouse relationships: often enough one partner is moving onto new heights and at some point they must give a pause to bring their partner to their level. The situation often reverses going back and forth with small windows when both are at the same emotional or transactional place.
Nonprofit boards most often start behind with execs UNLESS the exec really understands and accepts the board as an equal partner or even better, as the surrogate owners (for the public). Either way, the emotional and relational elements can produce tension and joy and hopefully, results to mission.
The President of the University of Connecticut recently resigned his position with little understood or known about the details. After-all, University Presidents tend to have the best of all worlds in this position. But sleuthing has uncovered what was actually happening behind the scenes and the CT Public story makes for a great read and offers excellent insights in board/exec relationship and transaction management.
Here's the story: