I do believe that Mr & Mrs Average can run a strata complex. They just have to be pointed in the right direction.
Decisions have to be looked at not in a case by case situation, but in regards to the whole complex. You have to consider that my agreeing to one request, you are agreeing to everyone.
Really an EC needs the guidance of a decent SM and access to a strata lawyer for the more legal aspects. They also just need to use some common sense.