The fundraiser who got the chief development job at a large charity looked good on paper. And she had a lot more than just an impressive résumé. Her poise and personality wowed executive leaders and trustees in interviews, as did her track record of landing big gifts.

But less than two years after taking the position, she was asked to leave.

“She didn’t adapt well to working with senior staff and understanding their issues,” says the chief executive who hired the woman, speaking on the condition that he, the fundraiser, and the nonprofit would not be named.

The problem, he says, “wasn’t day-to-day fundraising. We were meeting our goals.” The issue was that the fundraiser was unable to join her colleagues on the executive team in mapping out strategies for the growth of the entire organization...