CONTENTS
Trower offers non-profit boards a clearer and broader lens than heretofore available for addressing the challenges and opportunities confronting the institutions they oversee. The greatest takeaway is the critical importance of the oft-overlooked generative mode of the board the learning and discerning that are not just nice-to-do but absolutely essential for effective board governance in these volatile, complex and uncertain times.
Jan Bellack, president and John Hilton Knowles professor, MGH Institute for Health Professions
It is only through the leadership of strong boards that organizations can advance their missions. Giving boards the tools and practical advice they need to become best in class is essential to the strength of our non-profit sector. Trower has done this in writing this practitioners guide.
Katie Sloan, COO and senior vice president, Leading Age
Trower has done a masterful job of weaving the groundbreaking theories presented by the authors of Governance as Leadership into an inspiring and practical how to guide for those of us on the ground who know the future hinges on the capacity of nonprofit board-executive teams to lead with skill, innovation, and strategic insight.
Mary Ellen Jackson, executive director, NH Center for Nonprofits
Trower has hit the nail on the head in terms of the need for contemporary not-for-profit governance to transform itself. This is a must read for boards of directors of the sector because we are clearly in a new era of a need to refocus on our responsibility for the public good, the transparent way in which we fulfill that mission, and our accountability for the results we should achieve as stewards of the human and financial resources for which we are responsible. And, it all begins in the board room!
Larry Minnix, president and CEO, LeadingAge
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Trower, Cathy A. (Cathy Ann)
The practitioners guide to governance as leadership : building high-performing nonprofit boards / Cathy A. Trower. 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-118-10987-8 (cloth); ISBN 978-1-118-22423-6 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-23736-6 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-26237-5 (ebk)
1. Nonprofit organizationsManagement. 2. Corporate governance. 3. Directors of corporations. I. Title.
HD2769.15.T76 2013
658.422dc23
2012033556
To my husband, Bill, for his steadfast love and support.
To Richard Chait, William Ryan, and Barbara Taylor, for their wisdom.
To Alison Hankey, for planting the seed and encouraging this project.
LIST OF EXHIBITS, FIGURES, AND TABLES
EXHIBITS
Readings on Mental Shortcuts and Cognitive Mistakes |
Anchoring and Arbitrary Coherence in Action |
The Abilene Paradox |
CEOs and Board Chairs Talk About Candor and Trust |
Life University Board Mission and Board Agreements |
MGH Institute of Health Professions, Trustee Expectations and Statement of Commitment |
Cedar Crest College, Board of Trustees Responsibilities/Norms |
Daniel Webster College, Board Operating Agreements |
Trinity College, Trustee Code of Conduct |
Questions Frequently Asked by Board Members About What to Expect from Board Service |
Individual Board Member Performance Self-Assessment |
Board Team Assessment Survey |
Board Sensemaking in Action |
Board Member Personality Types Ranging from Destructive to Benign |
Liberal Arts College, Board Meeting Goals |
Sample Consent Agenda |
CGLA Board of Directors Before Agenda |
CGLA Board of Directors After Agenda |
CGLA Organizational Performance Dashboard |
Advance Surveys and Breakout Groups |
Pre-Meeting Clarification Protocol |
Board Retreat/Meeting Evaluation |
Sample Committee Assessment Questions |
Sample Committee Assessment Tailored to a Specific Need |
CEO Advice |
CEOs and Board Chairs Reflect on Their Relationship and Leadership |
Tips for Building the CEO-Chair Relationship |
Sample Interview Questions |
Sample QuestionsBoard Performance Profile |
Sample QuestionsHow Well Informed Is the Board? |
Sample Data DisplayHighest and Lowest Ratings |
Sample Data DisplayLeast Consensus |
Board Coach Services |
FIGURES