February 6, 2008 | Read Time: 1 minute
Why don’t all charities adopt the leadership approach embraced by many arts groups — an artistic director to head programs, and a managing director in charge of raising and allocating money, asks Kelly Kleiman on The Nonprofiteer.
“Wouldn’t social-service agencies operate better with someone at the helm whose expertise was effective service to clients and someone at the rudder whose expertise was squeezing every dime til it shrieked?,” she writes.
Leading innovation and managing money are not identical or even complementary skills, says Ms. Kleiman. So why do most charities combine them in the role of executive director?
Donors who want results should recognize that it takes two people — one to innovate and experiment, and the other to measure and manage — to run an effective organization.
What do you think of Ms. Kleiman’s ideas? Is the split leadership approach likely to work outside the arts world? Let us know your thoughts by clicking on the comments link below.
