1. Understanding the importance of mission: An east coast, major museum hired a new director assuming (but never discussing whether) he was in sync with their mission) – he wasn't and was gone in six months.

2. Understanding the role of an outgoing founder or long-term leader: A long-tenured executive director overrode the search committee and board's recommendation and an executive director who "looked the part" was hired - he was gone after two painful years for the organization and for him.

3. Misunderstanding the role of "looking the part": see above. Also, the search committee of one nonprofit questioned whether a short candidate could command respect - he is still their executive director after 15 years. His predecessor "looked the part" but his lack of relationship skills resulted in his leaving.

4. Understanding how important the culture is: An organization with a religious affiliation neglected to explain their culture and traditions to the new executive director, and realize how important their culture and traditions should have been in the hiring process – two difficult years later the organization had to re-do the search.

5. Understanding the role of an executive director: One nonprofit believed that the most important attribute in hiring a new leader was his or her pre-eminence in the field – the individual was pre-eminent but not a leader or a manager so the organization had to hire someone else to support him.

6. Understanding and re-articulating the mission: A mature organization had lost touch with its roots and the board hired executive directors who never quite fit - until the board participated in a retreat to re-examine and re-confirm their mission and beliefs.

7. Understanding the organization's short and long-term goals in hiring: A young organization with administrative system needs hired an administrative manager as executive director – two years later the board realized it needed a leader who could help to accomplish significant longer-term goals.

8. Understanding how the organization has changed: One nonprofit had 10 executive directors in 13 years until it figured out that its client base had changed dramatically and it need to hire a leader who understood the current organization and could accomplish its goals.

9. Understanding the role of substantial references: One nonprofit was disappointed in their new executive director and asked the executive director to leave - this could have been avoided by thorough references. Another organization failed to do background checks and discovered issues that forced them to fire the person immediately.

10. Understanding the board's role in orienting a new leader: The board was so enamored of its new executive director that it gave her free rein to make changes which she did in a heavy-handed manner, alienating staff and major supporters – this resulted in her very public departure.

11. Understanding the importance of board knowledge and leadership: A very strong executive director had a very weak Board –the executive director got into trouble and the board was unable to understand and assert its role, resulting in the executive director's resignation and the board's re-organization.

12. Understanding the role of the board chair: One board chair fired the executive director so that he could take over – the board ousted him two years later.