When Executive Directors Disappear

A few weeks ago, I received a terse e-mail from an organization announcing that its executive director of the past 10 years had stepped down (and was already gone). While acknowledging the contributions of the departed executive, the announcement fell far short of thanks or praise. It offered no explanation for the transition, not even the vague but utilitarian “has left to pursue other interests.” That left me to conclude that the executive director had departed involuntarily. Most likely under Circumstances That Cannot Be Discussed.

Executive director firings (to call them what they are) are inherently difficult. They are painful episodes fraught with emotion and peril. They represent a moment of legal jeopardy for the board and the organization, which heightens everyone’s anxiety. And aside from legal counsel, not much help is available for boards. There’s a considerable body of literature about how boards can do a good job hiring an executive director but hardly anything about how to fire one.

Maybe that’s why so many of these transitions seem to go so badly. Working at a foundation, I hear a lot of stories. The board chair who fired the executive director without the knowledge of the rest of the board. The board that went into executive session in the middle of a strategic-planning retreat to fire the executive director. Or the executive director who was “invited” to resign by the executive committee, which wanted the full board to believe that her resignation was voluntary. The list could go on, and the underlying issues and specifics of each case are too complicated to sort out in this post. (Although I’ll revisit some of them in the future.)

Whatever the circumstances that lead up to the firing, boards should recognize that the end game—how the organization and board communicate the news to important external stakeholders—is critical. For foundation program staff, for example, the executive director is often the primary point of contact with the organization, and funding decisions are based on confidence in the executive director’s leadership. Getting the news that an executive director is leaving involuntarily can be a shock, like learning that friends you believed were happily married have abruptly decided to divorce. The shock is compounded when an executive director disappears overnight and the board offers little or no explanation.

Firings are messy, and I understand that in sharing the news, boards are likely to be constrained by confidentiality issues and legal agreements. Not to mention compassion and common sense. But in the absence of gross misconduct or similar extenuating circumstances, boards should do all they can to ensure civil and humane separations that include a reasonable amount of communication to allay the questions and concerns of key supporters. This is a tall order, I know, but it can be done well.

As a funder, I’ve been part of several extraordinary meetings with board members (and even some departing executive directors) who candidly yet appropriately discussed their situations. In one case, a board chair, while being careful not to go into details, reassured us that the board had not made its decision lightly or precipitously, then outlined a well-thought-out plan for moving forward. In another case, an executive director explained a disagreement she’d had with the board that had led both parties to conclude that she was not the right leader for the organization given the challenges it was facing. In both situations, communication was timely, respectful of all parties, and reassuring to us as a funder.

Too little communication, on the other hand, leaves observers to conclude the worst—and may raise questions about the board’s integrity and credibility and the organization’s stability. In short, a poorly handled firing can cause a lot of collateral damage.

Now it’s your turn. What’s the best and worst you’ve seen, and are there guidelines or resources that can help boards and executives do a better job?