“The board governs like executives, executives lead like managers, and managers debate as governing bodies!”
This observation, shared by a frustrated CEO after a crisis response went sideways, captures a confusion that costs organizations dearly.
We have all seen the pattern: A crisis hits. The board jumps into operations. The CEO bypasses the leadership team. Governance rules are invoked selectively or invented on the spot.
What appeared to be a leadership failure was actually a structural one: three critical domains bleeding into each other: governance, leadership and organisational design.
Our senior expert, Marco Mancesti, shares his approach of delegation as the bridge between the three elements. Drawing on decades of experience advising boards and executive teams navigating disruption, the DETER© model highlights the five conditions that distinguish delegation from abdication and create bilateral elevation rather than paralysis. Clarity at the top determines velocity below.