September 6, 2019 | Read Time: 3 minutes
In my July 2019 column, Ignite Your Board Members’ Passion, I argued that bad boards are the fault of executive directors who fail to engage and inspire them. Then I shared a few ideas on how to do that.
Many of you responded with comments and questions. Thank you. Here are answers to a few questions I believe will resonate for all of you.
Lisa Anspach: Great article! How do you accomplish this, stoking your board’s passion, when the executive director is the only person in direct communication with the board?
Well, it strikes me that this might be a big part of the problem. When I am a member of a board, I want to know the staff, appreciate their commitment and expertise, admire their determination, and be inspired by their work.
Leaders, why not let your team members strut their stuff? Be sure to offer the spotlight to staff members during board meetings and work closely with them to make these presentations more than just reports. For example, last month’s article mentions an organization that provides equine-therapy programs. I coached the CEO, who wanted a new program director to make a report at the board meeting. We developed a simple and powerful presentation that brought the work to life: 13 slides, one for each horse in the stable. The program director made the horses the stars of the show, and it resonated with board members.
I agree. It is not always the executive director’s fault. I was working to communicate the flip side: that it is not always the board’s fault. To build a fully engaged board requires work from both the board and the staff. Too often leaders don’t see themselves as part of both the problem and the solution.
The antidote to a board behaving like a ‘boss” rests in the hands of the board chair. Technically, you are right: The board provides oversight and has the responsibility to hire and fire the executive director. However, I believe the nonprofit sector needs a shift in mind-set.
What if board members saw themselves as leaders and ambassadors working with the leader to spread the good word about the organization’s important work? I wish I could put every board chair in a room and spend a full day talking about how to navigate this unique role: being in charge but also serving as a strategic partner. Think “co-pilots” in a cockpit of a twin-engine jet.
There is a reason every organization was started: Go back to your mission to find an emotional hook, and remember: It is always about storytelling. A museum preserving historical objects tell a story. Who used them? Why did these objects matter to those people and to the culture of a country? Think about how to connect your board members to the rich traditions the objects represent or to people of note whose accomplishments add to the rich heritage or culture. Talk about what is distinctive about your work and stoke their pride. The key: Bring the work to a human level and develop a story that brings the “why” to life.
