If We Hire Staff, Where Does That Leave Us?

Ownership, Leadership and What Board-Staff Roles Really Look Like

When association boards start talking about hiring staff, one concern comes up again and again:

“If we bring on an executive director or staff person… what exactly happens to the our role?”

Sometimes that fear shows up as:

• Are we giving up control?

• What if staff takes over?

• What happens to our sense of ownership?

Those concerns are understandable — especially in organizations built by committed volunteer leaders who have spent years doing the work themselves.

Here’s the most important thing to say up front: Hiring staff does not take ownership away from the board.

Ownership Doesn’t Disappear. It Changes Form.

In volunteer-run associations, ownership is often expressed through activity. Board members plan programs, manage logistics, run meetings and solve problems directly. Doing the work becomes synonymous with leading the organization.

When staff comes on, the work doesn’t disappear — it shifts.

Ownership moves from execution to direction.

Boards retain ownership through:

• Setting the organization’s direction and priorities

• Deciding what the organization will — and will not — take on

• Determining how resources are used

• Holding leadership accountable for results

You don’t lose ownership by not doing the work.

You strengthen it by leading the work.

What This Shift Looks Like in Real Life

Example 1: Planning an Annual Conference

Before staff (working board model): Board members collectively:

• Negotiate hotel and site contracts

• Coordinate speakers and confirm schedules

• Track registrations and payments

• Select menus and room setups

• Create the agenda

• Print name badges and manage logistics

In this model, the board is making decisions and managing details.

After staff (board-led, staff-empowered model):

The board:

• Defines the purpose of the conference and desired outcomes

• Sets priorities for content, audience, and tone

• Provides guidance on agenda flow (networking time, session mix, pacing)

• Establishes budget parameters and risk tolerance

• Makes major directional decisions (scope, format, pricing)

• Evaluates whether the conference delivered value

Staff:

• Translates board priorities into an operational plan

• Negotiates contracts within approved parameters

• Manages speakers, vendors, registration and logistics

• Makes day-to-day decisions to keep planning moving

• Brings implications back to the board

  (“If we add a hybrid option, here’s the impact on cost, staffing, and timeline.”)

Even though staff executes the work, the board still owns the conference:

• The purpose it serves

• The investment made

• The outcomes expected

• The decision to continue, change, expand or stop it in the future

Ownership stays with the board.

Execution shifts to staff.

Example 2: Board and Committee Meetings

Before staff:

Board members:

• Draft agendas

• Send calendar invites

• Set up virtual meetings

• Compile materials

• Take minutes

After staff:

The board chair or officers:

• Identify priorities and desired outcomes

• Decide what discussions and decisions are needed

• Lead the conversation and decision-making

Staff:

• Draft agendas aligned with board priorities

• Prepare materials and decision memos

• Manage meeting logistics and technology

• Help keep discussions on track

• Capture decisions and follow up on action items

Staff facilitation is not about control.

It’s about allowing board leadership to focus on what matters most.

Autonomy Is Not Abdication

A common mistake in this transition is swinging too far in either direction.

If boards stay deeply involved in operational decisions, staff can’t lead effectively.

If boards step back without clarity, accountability suffers.

Once boards set clear direction, staff need authority to operate — and responsibility to raise concerns, tradeoffs and capacity issues early.

Strong staff don’t just say “yes.”They say, “Yes — and here’s what that will take.”

That’s not taking over.

That’s professional leadership.

You’re on the Same Team

At the end of the day, boards and staff share the same interest: a strong, sustainable organization that serves its members well.

Boards don’t lose ownership when staff is hired.

They gain a partner who helps carry it forward.

Staff do not own the organization.

They steward it on the board’s behalf — bringing expertise, continuity and execution to the direction the board sets.

Finding the right balance won’t happen overnight. There will be moments of overlap, adjustment and recalibration. That’s normal.

What matters most is starting from the assumption of good intent on both sides.

A Final Reframe

Hiring staff isn’t about letting go of leadership.

It’s about sharing it — intentionally.

When boards lead with clarity and staff are empowered to steward and execute, ownership doesn’t disappear.

It becomes more focused, more sustainable and more effective — together.