The Impossible Job Description: Why It's Time to Rethink the Executive Director Role

Have you looked at a typical job posting for an Executive Director lately? It reads like a wish list for a team of ten—operations, finance, governance, membership, marketing, events, advocacy, social media, IT, and, of course, visionary leadership. But it’s not for a team. It’s for one person.

This isn’t leadership. It’s an overworked Administrator.

And yet, this is the reality in far too many not-for-profit associations. The role of the Executive Director has become unsustainable. Expectations are ballooning, resources are tight, and instead of being positioned as the strategic leaders they’re meant to be, EDs are being buried in administration.

The Impossible Ask

In the corporate world, no one would expect a CEO to process invoices, manage a website, respond to every inquiry, plan events, and still be responsible for driving industry impact. But in associations, that’s often exactly what’s asked of our Leaders. They are not only the face of the organization but also its primary administrator, IT help desk, event planner, marketer, bookkeeper, and more.

We’ve normalized the impossible. And we’re paying the price.

Executive Directors are burning out. Talented people leave the sector. Associations stall. There are missed opportunities. And perhaps most concerning of all, the industries they serve don’t get the strategic leadership they need to grow, innovate, and thrive.

What Associations Are Meant to Do

At their core, associations are mission-driven organizations. Their purpose is to support, advocate for, and advance the industries and communities they represent. They should be powerful vehicles for change and progress.

But when the person leading that mission is overwhelmed by daily logistics, the real work—the work that matters—gets sidelined. An ED bogged down in this impossible job can’t focus on strategic partnerships, policy influence, thought leadership, or member advocacy. And when that happens, the association’s relevance and value begin to erode.

If associations are not moving forward their mission, then why do they even exist?

Rethinking the Role

Not only is the job description of a solo Executive Director impossible in terms of workload, it demands an unrealistic skillset for one individual. And the issue isn’t that we can’t find great people—on the contrary, we often hire incredible candidates with deep industry experience, strategic vision, and the drive to make meaningful change. But then we bury them in administrative work, spread them thin across too many roles, and ultimately squander the very talent we were so excited to bring on board.

Imagine if, instead of piling more onto our EDs, we restructured the role entirely. What if the Executive Director focused only on advancing the mission, growing the industry, supporting members, and building strategic relationships?

That kind of leadership can’t happen in isolation. It requires a shift in mindset—from the Board, from staff, and from the broader association community. It means moving from a model where one person does everything to one where leadership is supported by systems, staff, technology, or partners like Association Management Companies (AMCs).

It also means reevaluating how we define success.

Changing What We Measure

Too often, association performance is measured by basic operational outputs: how many members you have, how many people came to the conference, or how many newsletters were sent.

But what if we started measuring real outcomes? The impact of advocacy work. The value delivered to members. The strength and visibility of the industry. These are the metrics that reflect mission fulfillment. And they require a leader who has the time and bandwidth to focus on strategic goals—not administrative checklists.

Boards: It’s Time to Step Up

Boards have a critical role to play in this transformation. It’s not enough to recognize that the ED is overloaded. Boards must commit to creating the conditions for leadership to thrive. That means funding the right supports, being willing to restructure traditional models, and giving the ED the tools and resources they need to focus on what matters most: mission impact.

A supported ED becomes a strong leader. A strong leader builds a high-performing association. And a high-performing association creates real value for the industry it represents.

The Ripple Effect

Now imagine this shift happening across the board. Not just one or two associations—but all of them. Executive Directors empowered to lead. Associations aligned around mission. Industries gaining stronger representation, clearer voices, and more strategic influence.

The ripple effect would be enormous. When associations thrive, so do the businesses, professionals, and sectors they serve. And when sectors grow stronger, so does the economy as a whole.

Time to Disrupt

It's time for an honest evaluation of our associations. Do they serve our industries, our members, and our missions?

It’s time to stop setting Executive Directors up to fail—and start setting them up to lead. Let’s reimagine the ED role not as a catch-all position, but as the focused, strategic leadership role it was always meant to be. Let’s invest in the infrastructure and support systems that allow them to succeed. And let’s measure our success not by how many boxes are checked—but by the strength of the industries and communities we help grow.

Disrupt the model. Refocus on mission. Reclaim the impact. Not only will we have thriving associations, but we will be building better futures for many industries.