Untangling Museum Leadership Structures

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In the world of small museums, the organizational and leadership structure can often feel like a tangled bowl of spaghetti—messy, confusing, and hard to sort out. As museum professionals, we’ve all encountered it: uncertainty about who’s in charge, where decisions are made, and how responsibilities are distributed.

Maybe you’ve asked yourself:

• Do we have a board of directors or an advisory board—or both?
• Is there a foundation that handles the finances, but not the overall governance?
• Are we government-owned, or has the government turned management over to a nonprofit or board of trustees?
• Are we privately owned, but directed by a board whose members all think they are the boss?
• Does one entity own the building, while another owns the collection?

I’ve encountered each of these situations—and often a combination of them. If this sounds familiar, then yes, you’re staring at a plate of organizational spaghetti. And making sense of it is not easy.

Step One: Identify the Players

Start by identifying all the individuals and groups involved in your organization’s leadership and management. This may include board members, government officials, staff leaders, foundations, nonprofits, and historical societies.

• Who are they?
• What is their official title or role?
• How are they connected to the museum?

Step Two: Dig Into the Documents

Next, gather and review the foundational documents that define your institution’s structure and governance. These might include:

• Bylaws – Outlining how your board operates and how decisions are made.
• Articles of Incorporation – Defining the purpose and structure of nonprofit museums.
• Deeds of Trust – Common in government-owned museums, these may state the land’s designated use and the appointment of advisory boards.
• MOUs or Partnership Agreements – If more than one entity is involved in operations or ownership.

Be sure to look for anything that explains oversight, authority, and accountability.

Step Three: Arrange the Players

Once you know who’s involved and what the documents say, it’s time to visualize it.
Use arrows, boxes, or whatever method makes sense to map out an organizational leadership chart. Start with the top-level authority (e.g., county officials, board chair, owner) and work downward to show how responsibilities flow.

This is where the spaghetti starts to untangle.

Ask?

• Who reports to whom?
• Who makes final decisions?
• Where are the overlaps or gaps?

A visual map helps clarify relationships, reduce confusion, and serve as a communication tool for both internal and external stakeholders.

Why This Matters: Understanding your museum’s institutional structure isn’t just an administrative task. It’s essential for –

• Effective governance
• Strategic planning
• Clear communication
• Strong leadership
• Staff morale

Without a clear leadership hierarchy, confusion can reign. Conflicting instructions, delays in decision-making, and frustration among staff can all follow. In the long run, it impacts your mission and community impact.

If your museum’s leadership still feels like a plate of spaghetti, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to figure it out alone. Download the Museum Leadership Mapping Mini-Toolkit, reach out directly: insight@kaleidoscopehf.com and don’t forget about your community in the comments.

Alt Text: Watercolor illustration of a plate of orange spaghetti with a purple fork twirling noodles above it, flanked by decorative swirling flourishes—blue and teal on the left, purple, red, and orange on the right.

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Next Sunday’s feature is, Take a Seat, and the Visitor Experience Assessment Mini-Toolkit.