Overview of the Complementary Model

The Complementary Model makes a clear distinction between strategic leadership and operational management. The board and the CEO each have specific responsibilities in together advancing the mission of the NPO, and their roles are complementary to each other.

The board provides the overall leadership and strategic direction for the organization. It then delegates authority and responsibility to the CEO; this is done in a deliberate manner that provides the CEO with a broad degree of freedom to exercise creativity and judgment to achieve the organization’s strategic goals.

The board ensures that the goals are clear, the parameters of the job and the approval points are established, and the evaluation criteria are clearly articulated and mutually understood.