The more important consideration is often not how large the club is, but how complex it has become.
When looking to fill a position, the goal is to match leadership capacity to organizational complexity. Understanding that distinction often leads to stronger hires and greater long-term success.
Size Does Not Always Equal Complexity
It is easy to assume that larger clubs require more experienced General Managers than smaller clubs. In reality, complexity is a much better indicator of the leadership profile a club requires.
For example, a club with 300 members may include:
Meanwhile, a club with twice the membership may operate primarily around golf and clubhouse dining with a much simpler organizational structure.
Neither club is inherently more difficult to lead. They simply require different leadership strengths.
Successful searches begin by evaluating the complexity of the operation rather than relying solely on membership numbers.
Every Club Is in a Different Stage of Its Journey
Leadership needs are also influenced by where the club is in its organizational lifecycle.
A stable, mature club may benefit from a leader who excels at preserving culture, strengthening governance relationships, and maintaining operational consistency.
A growing club may need someone comfortable building systems, developing leaders, and managing expansion.
A club undertaking major renovations or capital improvements may require experience leading organizations through significant change while maintaining member confidence.
Likewise, a club rebuilding after leadership turnover may benefit from someone who brings stability, trust, and cultural alignment before pursuing major transformation.
Two clubs of similar size can require entirely different General Managers because they are solving different challenges.
Looking Beyond the Resume
One common assumption during searches is that previous titles automatically translate into readiness for a new opportunity.
A candidate may have served successfully as a General Manager for many years. Another may be an accomplished Assistant General Manager leading a highly complex operation. Looking only at titles may overlook the broader picture.
Instead, clubs benefit from asking deeper questions:
Experience matters, but context matters just as much.
Leadership Span of Control
Complexity is also shaped by the breadth of leadership responsibilities.
Factors that often influence leadership span of control include:
Each additional layer increases the number of relationships requiring thoughtful communication and leadership.
The General Manager role becomes less about managing operations directly and more about aligning people, priorities, and long-term strategy.
Matching Leadership to Organizational Needs
One of the most valuable exercises before launching a search is defining what the club truly needs today.
For example:
A Stable, Established Club May Value:
A Club Experiencing Growth or Change May Prioritize:
Neither profile is stronger than the other. Each reflects the organization's current priorities and future aspirations.
This approach shifts the conversation from searching for the "best" candidate to identifying the right candidate.
The Board's Role in Defining Complexity
Before beginning a search, boards benefit from taking time to evaluate the organization honestly.
Questions worth discussing include:
These conversations often provide greater clarity than adding another item to a candidate wish list.
They also help create alignment among board members before interviews begin, resulting in a more focused and consistent search process.
Looking Ahead
Club size will always be part of the executive search conversation, but it should rarely be the defining factor.
The strongest searches recognize that leadership success is shaped by much more than membership numbers or annual revenue. Organizational complexity, governance, culture, strategic priorities, and future vision all influence the type of leader who will thrive.
Executive search is not about finding the biggest General Manager for the biggest club. It is about identifying the leader whose experience, leadership style, and capabilities align with the complexity of the organization today and the one it hopes to become tomorrow.
When clubs begin the search with that perspective, they move beyond resumes and titles. They position themselves to find leaders who not only manage operations effectively but also guide the organization confidently into its next chapter.
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About the Author: Paige Frazier
A performance-driven thought leader and transformational manager, Paige began her career in private clubs in 2001. Her progressive development has provided extensive and comprehensive training, both in Club operations and in Team leadership. She has fostered her passion for hospitality and leading with a servant’s heart, beginning with food and beverage operations, continuing through to her most recent position as a General Manager, and she continues to seek opportunities to learn and grow every day.
Paige has demonstrated an ability to streamline operations, identify and correct inefficiencies, and deliver strategic direction and initiatives that improve processes, teams, systems, and profitability. She is an influencer, with a skill set to build robust and mutually beneficial business relationships at all levels. Her expertise includes general private club management, resource planning and allocation, capital project management, membership relations and programming, cross-departmental collaboration, goal setting and attainment, procurement, talent acquisition and organizational strategy, operational mapping and analysis, and financial management, including general and cost accounting, budgets, KPIs, and forecasting. Paige also enjoys developing, mentoring, and leading high-performing teams. She thrives on creating and maintaining a positive and innovative Club culture and enthusiastically supports both teams and membership. Paige has a passion for creating vision, setting a course, and aligning people, resources, and relationships to deliver operational excellence.