Nonprofit Executive Leaders - Governance Ethics Breakdown Stories

When nonprofit governance ethics breakdown, the outcomes resemble tragedies in slow motion. The conventions of classical tragedies are present: A conversation here. A side channel there. Unstated assumptions. Motives that feel justified in the moment. These situations rarely present as clear ethical violations while they’re happening. But over time leadership is undermined, loyalty and trust fracture, and governance reorganizes around power and internal politics instead of purpose and mission. Which is why naming governance ethics matters so much. I’ve heard from multiple executive leaders who have experienced these ordeals. Most don’t describe a single moment but rather a pattern—slow, cumulative, difficult to name. Some survived. Others did not. All spoke of the significant cost, personal and professional, of their experiences. As one said to me: “These are stories that should be told. But people are afraid to.” I wrote about this as a companion to my governance reform work. If this sounds like your story, I'd like to hear from you. Because these are stories that should be told. [link in comments]