An executive Director is typically an owner/shareholder or major stakeholder, in charge of managing the long-term strategy (direction) of an organisation; as opposed to a general Manager, who is typically in charge of handling short-term, daily duties.
But successful organisations quickly fail when the most executive of directors take a back seat permanently. When the intuitive talent which founded the organisation decides to retire to the board of directors, never to get their hands dirty again, he will be tested on a whole new level. It's no longer just a case of... Can he be independently successful?
...But it's now a case of... Can he teach others to be similarly successful?
A significant percentage of productive efficiency is lost with each vertical increment of organisational heirarchy. The most successful organisations, no matter how large, are where nobody gets their hands as dirty as much as the most executive director, who is usually the founder. Those who would lead, should take the lowest place.
