Board Leadership Archives - The Governance Coach

Just Waiting, or Preparing?

Posted by Jannice Moore
On December 17, 2020
Board Development, Board Leadership

This season prior to Christmas is known in church calendars as the season of Advent, the time of “waiting” for Christmas to arrive, re-enacting the period of waiting for the birth of the Messiah. Advent is a season of Hope. This year, perhaps more than any other, we need to hold on to hope. In […]

Taking Care of What’s Important

Posted by Rose Mercier
On October 14, 2020
Board Leadership, Board Meetings

In the early years of my consulting career, I was frequently involved with personal and professional leadership development projects. A frequent reference in those years was Steven Covey and his Seven Habits of Highly Effective People[1]. One of Covey’s many insightful concepts offers food for thought for boards, in general, and reinforces the positive outcomes […]

The Board’s Policy Manual – An Essential Tool

Posted by Rose Mercier
On September 2, 2020
Board Leadership, Policy Development

You shouldn’t be surprised to learn that the board’s essential tool in Policy Governance® is its policy manual. After all, it is “Policy” Governance. However, you might be surprised to learn that a board can control and direct the entire organization in a relatively short document. Thirty or so pages is usually sufficient. This realization is welcome relief for boards whose previous policy manuals ran to hundreds of pages, and who may have drafted policies in response to crises, inadvertently […]

The Gift of Time…to Focus

Posted by Andrew Bergen
On July 29, 2020
Board Leadership, Board Meetings

At this time, we are living through the necessity for physical distancing. Like most people around us, we are hoping for the time when restrictions will be lifted safely. My wife and I are having conversations imagining what the “new normal” will be like for the world, as I suspect many others are doing. And […]

Freedom In Discipline

Posted by Jannice Moore
On July 8, 2020
Board Development, Board Leadership, Governance Improvement

Has your board considered Policy Governance® but decided against it because it sounded like too much work, or you heard it was too confining? Often, this translates into “we don’t really want to exercise discipline.” Many boards tend to shy away from discipline. Perhaps it’s because the word evokes mental images of punishment – when […]

Boards, Purpose, and Policy Governance®

Posted by Rose Mercier
On July 1, 2020
Board Leadership, Ends

I read a lot of stuff. Online and print, articles and books, the most recent releases and the not-so-current: governance, strategy, management, culture, measurement, news, technology, music, food, mysteries…you get the idea. I don’t read everything with the same attention to detail with which I read governance books and articles. Often, I find myself having an internal dialogue about how an author’s ideas relate to Policy Governance® principles – the main […]

The Trick To Good Soup

Posted by Andrew Bergen
On June 24, 2020
Board Development, Board Leadership

As I mentioned in a previous blog, I’ve been exploring an emerging perspective on “Growth Mindset vs. Closed Mindset”. One of the leaders in this work is the Neuroleadership Institute. Their research indicates that the simple (yet often difficult) work of changing one’s mental model significantly shifts one towards possibilities that were previously unavailable. For example, I like soup. I […]

Why is Discipline a Dirty Word for Some Board Members?

Posted by Richard Stringham
On January 22, 2020
Board Leadership, Board Role, Board Self-Evaluation

In this age of disruption, what follows might seem heresy. We are encouraged to think outside the box, to view our businesses differently. I’ve no quarrel with that. But I’ve been witnessing some boards in which board members are shirking discipline and, in some cases, doing so because they want to make changes. Again, I don’t […]

Jet Trails or Trail Blazers?

Posted by Jannice Moore
On December 11, 2019
Board Leadership

On a recent walk I was enjoying the clear azure blue sky when I noticed a jet trail streaking across it. The trail made a spectacular impact, but in a few minutes it had faded from view. I was reminded about boards and board members I’ve encountered over my career. All too often their short-term thinking has a similarity with […]

How Well Has Your Board Performed This Year?

Posted by Paul Zilz
On December 4, 2019
Board Leadership, Board Self-Evaluation

As we near the end of the calendar year, we often take stock of performance: ours, those accountable to us, and our investments. Shouldn’t your board evaluate its own performance too, since it is accountable for your organization’s performance to whomever “owns” your organization? Most boards aspire to see the organizations they serve make a real difference in people’s […]

The Future Keeps Moving

Posted by Andrew Bergen
On November 13, 2019
Board Leadership, Future Focus

I’ve been on a journey the past 2 years – toward greater physical health. Those of you who know me might think there is a long road ahead! I’ve made significant progress and still have some distance to travel. I’ve always enjoyed running (not fast, but I get there!) and so have made that one […]

Meaning & Purpose in Governance

Posted by David Gray
On October 30, 2019
Board Leadership, Sustaining Policy Governance

I’ve been thinking lately about a particular feature of board performance that I see all too often. It’s a feature that has troubled me for some time now, but I think I’m beginning to understand why it happens and how to avoid it. Governance is a system. One of the most famous definitions of governance is found in what is commonly called […]

Does Your Board Have a Growth or a Fixed Mindset?

Posted by Andrew Bergen
On September 18, 2019
Board Leadership, Executive Limitations, Risk

I’ve been exploring the concept of “Growth vs. Fixed Mindset” over the past couple of months. A recent podcast* on the subject addressed this mindset partly in relation to the concept of risk. The podcast explained that a key factor in many areas of organizational health (including employee engagement, organizational growth, success of new ideas, etc.) was the […]

Eat One Hot Dog Faster

Posted by Andrew Bergen
On July 31, 2019
Board Leadership, Ends

One a recent episode of the Podcast* “Freakanomics Radio”, the host was interviewing world famous food eating champion Takeru Kobayashi. He is most well-known for taking on the Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest at the age of 23 and walking away the winner. Not only did he win – but he doubled the record […]

Leading Through Values

Posted by Joseph Inskeep
On July 17, 2019
Board Leadership, Values

In the life of organizations, it really does matter whether leaders stay focused on the things that actually matter. For governing boards, what matters most is giving voice to the core values and principles that define organizational purpose, ethics and prudence. It is all too easy for a board to allow inertia to carry its […]

Building CEO and Board Success – Part 2 of 3

Posted by Richard Onley
On April 30, 2019
Board Leadership, Board Role

Last week, I examined the issue of the board’s contribution to CEO failure and discussed whether best practices could be the answer. What about the principle-based approach? Principles are based on a fundamental or general truth that provides people with guidelines to make better decisions in changing circumstances. Well-considered principles will impact a broad set […]

Two “Make or Break” Leadership Values

Posted by Paul Zilz
On April 16, 2019
Board Leadership, Servant Leadership, Values

Think about the last time you were trying to resolve an emotionally-laden issue within your family, your business team, or perhaps your church or service organization. What and how did you communicate? My wife has often said one of my greatest strengths is that I am that person who is not afraid to address the […]

When Boards Make Big Changes and Govern with Purpose

Posted by Paul Zilz
On December 11, 2018
Board Leadership, Governance Improvement, Strategic Leadership

Remember the last time you moved or renovated? My wife and I are making major renovations to our main floor in the house. Wow! What an endeavor! As well as you try to anticipate the various decisions that must be made, there are always 100 more that arise because of contingencies. Same with a move! […]

Seven Dysfunctional Board Leadership Approaches…and the Solution

Posted by Paul Zilz
On October 30, 2018
Board Leadership

How transparent, accountable, results-oriented, and future-focused is your board? Does your board follow one of the dysfunctional “Seven P” governance approaches that hinder effective board strategic leadership? Years ago, I was serving in a leadership role during a transition of governance on a board of directors. This membership organization had undergone numerous years of dysfunction […]

Who’s The Real CEO?

Posted by Andrew Bergen
On March 6, 2018
Board Chair Role, Board Leadership

In the most recent edition of the Harvard Business Review, author Stanislav Shekshnia has written an article titled, “How to Be a Good Board Chair.”* He bases his findings on the results of interviews with many current and former chairs of large corporations. It’s worth the read. He makes 8 points about what makes for […]

Our Organization Needs a Real Working Board! Doesn’t It?

Posted by Paul Zilz
On January 23, 2018
Board Leadership, Policy Governance for Charities

A Board was reflecting on its work at the end of the year and was contemplating what it could do better in the next year. When a Board member reflected that the Board could do a better job governing rather than spending most of its time helping the Executive Director manage operations, another Board member […]

Setting Your Sails

Posted by Andrew Bergen
On August 1, 2017
Board Leadership

If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable. ~Seneca I am not a sailor. In fact, I’ve never even been on a moving sailboat in my life. But I’m fascinated whenever I have the chance to watch sailing. I recently was in San Diego and spent time watching […]

Rest? Why Rest? Give me a Break!

Posted by Paul Zilz
On July 25, 2017
Board Development, Board Leadership

It is that time of year! School is out and families are planning trips to the beach and ice cream excursions. Individuals are traveling to scenic mountains, to exciting cities, to exotic locations. Why? Why take time out of the ordinary routines to reflect and rejuvenate? Why rest? Scientific America, in an October 2013 article […]

Board Leadership, Blue Skies and Growing Up

Posted by Paul Zilz
On May 9, 2017
Accountability, Board Leadership, Ends, Owners and Ownership

Children ask questions that are both profound and require clear, age-appropriate responses. “Why is the sky blue?” Why does the sky have clouds?” “Why is there pink, red, and orange in the sky when the sun sets?” Behind each of these questions is a whole lot of science about water vapor and the color spectrum. […]

It’s the Results Stupid!

Posted by Paul Zilz
On November 29, 2016
Board Leadership, Strategic Focus

Do you remember back in 1991 when a U.S. Presidential candidate successfully used the slogan “It’s the economy stupid” to keep people focused on the message that he could bring back economic prosperity when the nation’s economy began to slip into a recession? Campaign phrases like that succinctly focus people’s attention on one key idea […]

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