Silent problems can become a major disruption when they finally surface as a Without Warning Event. In fact, I’m convinced that silent problems are the No. 1 cause for business failure. If that isn’t a wake up call, it should be!
Today, I read a fascinating story over at Weekly Leader from December, 2008. It discusses the numerous challenges occurring over at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art. Here are but a few of the interesting silent problem sound bites from the article.
Leading a nonprofit organization is a very tricky endeavor. The ultimate authority rests with volunteer leadership who more often than not are successful, busy people who are not subject matter experts so they must rely heavily on paid staff. The nonprofit executive director often has one of the loneliest jobs in the world because they are responsible for leading staff and stakeholders in advancing the mission, yet they don’t have level of authority their business sector counterparts enjoy. While what we know is based on media, in MOCA’s case, it appears that the director was able to act as though he was the ultimate authority and in order for the museum to experience so many consecutive significant annual operating loses, the trustees were asleep at the wheel. In any case, a dysfunctional board can wreak havoc on an organization and strains between the executive and the board can make matters even worse. So appears to be the case at MOCA. .. The MOCA story is one of failed leadership, executive and voluntary. Pure and simple.
Failed leadership has become the theme of too many organizations in recent years. These failures cross over non-profit and for-profit boundaries. No organization is exempt. Few leaders are protected. In the end, winners and losers are chosen in a Darwinian environment.
