Setting Your Executive Director Up for Success: The Board’s Role in Preventing Burnout

Nonprofit leadership is in a constant state of hiring and replacing churn.

Turnover in nonprofit corner offices is between 18% and 22% annually, according to Jacobson Jarvis & Company. The numbers are even higher in ultra-stress environments like mental health and sexual trafficking nonprofits.

While turnover rate numbers may vary, there are plenty of studies that reinforce the fact that organizations face a leadership revolving door.

So how can nonprofit organizations create leadership stability by setting their executive up for success? And what is the board’s role in preventing burnout?

Use this article as a guideline to help set a nonprofit executive up for success and identify the board’s role in burnout prevention.

Whether a first-time executive or an experienced leader moving to a new organization, individuals should take ownership in creating the success they want.
This starts by doing due diligence homework before saying yes to a new position.

When it comes to the board’s culture, are there red flags that should cause concern?

For example, nonprofit consultant Hardy Smith worked with an organization experiencing a high CEO turnover rate. The board, when examined closely, had no appetite for big and bold. Incoming CEOs were not aware of that and faced constant resistance to their new ideas.

The frustration resulted in CEO churn. Dynamic, visionary CEOs were not a good fit for that particular organization. The board should be considering CEO candidates more aligned with their thinking, and candidates for this organization’s CEO position would definitely benefit from doing research on the board’s culture.

Another board-related red flag is a lack of engagement outside of meetings and not willing to embrace fundraising.

Even if there are no apparent red flags, the position shouldn’t be an automatic “yes.” It’s important to have a clear picture of the organization’s finances. New CEOs should ask for this, and organizations should be prepared to provide that transparency.

Similarly, both parties should gain clarity on expectations. How will the executive’s performance be evaluated? And how often?

After accepting the new position, new CEOs should continue to be proactive with creating their own success.

The Ultimate Guide for New Nonprofit CEOs by Brian Quail breaks down how to do just that. Brian’s use of the term “self-onboarding” is a good one—in other words, taking responsibility for their own success. He provides excellent guidance for the first ninety days as a strategy to overcome the challenges of a new CEO.

Developing positive relationships with board members should be an immediate priority. New CEOs should take the initiative, as opposed to waiting for board members to make the first move to establish relationships.

Positive CEO-board relationships grow through collaboration, respect, and a commitment to success. Board members and CEOs bring perspectives and responsibilities, making it essential to develop an understanding of roles, expectations, and decision-making authority. Rather than waiting for confusion to create frustration, they can establish this clarity together.

The board chair and CEO should make time for regular, candid conversations about opportunities, concerns, and priorities. Both should listen, ask questions, and welcome feedback. When disagreements arise, addressing them respectfully reinforces trust and keeps attention on the mission instead of personal differences.

Building relationships is a responsibility. CEOs can learn what motivates board members and invite participation. Board members can offer insight, encouragement, accountability, and appreciation while respecting the CEO’s leadership role. By working as partners, sharing challenges, and celebrating progress, the board and CEO create an experience that strengthens leadership and reduces the isolation that contributes to burnout.

For more practical guidance on building this partnership, see Stop the Nonprofit Board Blame Game by Hardy Smith.

Effective communication is a responsibility of both the CEO and board. It builds trust, strengthens engagement, and helps prevent unnecessary frustration. Many problems can be attributed to unclear expectations, incomplete information, or conversations that never happen. Here are four collaborative communication practices that can help everyone communicate with purpose and confidence.

1. Agree on expectations. Together, determine what information board members need, which decisions call for board involvement, and how often updates should occur. Revisit these agreements as circumstances change.
2. Address challenges together. Share difficult news early, invite questions, and explore solutions without assigning blame. Candor and dialogue help prevent surprises from becoming conflicts.
3. Make meetings collaborative. Connect reports to strategic priorities, encourage diverse perspectives, and reserve time for discussion that helps the board and CEO make decisions.
4. The CEO should learn to adapt to communication preferences. Ask how people prefer to receive information, listen actively, provide context, and check for understanding rather than assuming a message was clear.

Communication works best when there are consistent, two-way exchanges.

Helping new nonprofit executives succeed starts before they are hired. Consultant colleague Rebecca White shares the results of a Bridgespan study that reports on the experience of new CEOs.

According to executives surveyed: nearly half (46%) said they received little or no help from their boards when they first started. Furthermore, 39% said their boards weren’t effective in helping them set priorities for the first year.

Additionally, half hadn’t clarified with their boards how they would work together in those first few months.

Support from the board is essential for a CEO’s success. Encouragement to invest time in professional development activities like pursuing a new skill or an advanced degree or credential, attending conferences and being involved in professional societies are all ways the board can show ongoing support.

Additionally, board support can be demonstrated by providing constructive feedback and showing appreciation.

Not making the director guess about the board’s thoughts on a direction to be taken is important. Communicate what history might be. Fill in the new leader on why the board thinks the way it does. Avoid letting the executive unnecessarily make mistakes because they didn’t have information.

The board should watch for warning signs. Recognize when the executive is falling behind on executing their duties or not communicating. Be aware of personal situations that may be affecting work performance. When these situations are present, board leadership should have the conversations to learn what the contributing causes are and work collaboratively on corrective actions that may be needed.

The board’s role is to set policy, provide guidance, and act as stewards of the mission through governance and fiduciary responsibilities. The staff’s role is to execute the direction established by the board.

Conflict between the executive and board can happen when the board or individual board members begin micromanaging or inappropriately going around the director to engage with staff.

An annual CEO evaluation should be a priority for every nonprofit board. More than a performance review, it is an opportunity for the board and CEO to celebrate accomplishments, discuss challenges, clarify expectations, and agree on what success looks like moving forward. Skipping this conversation can leave a CEO uncertain about performance and unsupported in a demanding role.

A productive evaluation should incorporate four elements: (1) progress toward mutually agreed-upon organizational goals; (2) leadership effectiveness, including staff development and organizational culture; (3) the quality of the CEO-board partnership, including communication, trust, and shared accountability; and (4) professional development, resources, and support the CEO needs to succeed.

The process should invite honest two-way feedback, recognize achievements, and conclude with clear priorities and follow-up commitments. When approached collaboratively, an annual evaluation strengthens relationships, encourages growth, and helps prevent the isolation and burnout that can undermine CEO effectiveness.

Nonprofit CEO success and burnout prevention are shared responsibilities of the CEO and board. By being intentional with applying the priority actions outlined in this guideline, organizations can avoid being included in the leadership turnover churn.

This feature was contributed by Hardy Smith, author of Stop The Nonprofit Board Blame Game. As a consultant and speaker, he works with nonprofits, associations, and chambers of commerce who want to benefit from a positive, productive, and fully engaged board. Learn more. 

Legal Disclaimer: Hardy Smith provides this material for educational and informational purposes only, and shall not be construed as legal advice, express or implied. For questions regarding your organization’s practices and compliance with applicable laws, please consult with your legal counsel.