CEO Survival: Don’t Get Ahead of Your Board

(The Nonprofit Times)

The first commandment of CEO survival is to never to get too far out in front of the board of directors because they too have a responsibility to shape the future. But you do need to be a little ahead of them . . . Just not so much that they notice and get offended.

If you’re confused, you’re not alone. Most veteran nonprofit CEOs have a sack full of stories about interactions with their board. One of the mistakes that is most frustrating — and potentially damaging — is getting too far ahead of a board of directors. The result is the collapse of a seemingly promising idea or policy change, and possibly a severe dent in the CEO’s credibility.

What follows are some thinking points to help negotiate this always treacherous interpersonal whitewater. Click through to read the full detail of these various issues.

· Too far out on growth

· Too creative

· Acting before deliberating

· Too risky

It’s a structural dilemma, but most of the pathways to success are based on the second commandment of CEO survival: Lead with ideas, later talk about plans.

Full article.