Board Chairs Should Keep Full Board Informed

Categories: Board Member Roles · Board, Board Chair, ED/CEO Roles · Good Board Practices · LeadershipTags: · · · · · 4 Comments

Challenges arise in every organization and with every board. If you are the board chair, you have to decide what to bring to the full board. As chair, you don’t want to cause panic when a situation can be easily handled. But you also have to remember that the board chair does not have more power than the rest of the board and that the full board has fiduciary responsibility for the organization. Other board members cannot exercise this responsibility if they don’t know what is going on. Plus, we all work to bring great people onto a board. The… Read more

No One Should Be Indispensable

Categories: Board Member Roles · Founder Transitions · Succession PlanningTags: · · · · · · 5 Comments

In my last two posts, I shared stories about a founder who stayed around too long and another founder who made a positive and gracious exit. In this post, I share a story about the founder of an all-volunteer organization who wanted to move on but could not because they were not set up for leadership transition. There are two lessons from this story. The first is to make sure you don’t rely too much on one individual – either as ED or as Board Chair. As a board member, you have responsibility for the well-being of the organization. If… Read more

Check Your Ego and Prioritize the Organization

Categories: Board Member Roles · Board, Board Chair, ED/CEO Roles · Executive Session · Founder Transitions · Good Board Practices · Succession PlanningTags: · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 1 Comment

I love to share good stories. After my last post (about a founding ED who would not let go), a reader reached out to me to share a very different story. In this post, the founding CEO, the board chair, and the new CEO worked together to make a smooth and successful transition. What worked? Everyone emphasized their commitment to the organization, putting mission before ego. The founder pledged to support the new CEO. The board created a thoughtful, strategic process that prepared them and staff for the transition for the future. The new CEO and the founder developed a… Read more

When Founders Stick Around

Categories: Board Member Roles · Founder Transitions · Good Board Practices · Succession PlanningTags: · · · · · · · · 5 Comments

I shared a story about a board that needed to become more professional in how they chose board officers. From its founding, the organization was very casual about how who stepped into leadership. As a result, they did not always get individuals best suited for each role. And, they discovered that a casual process can create uncomfortable situations. Organizations and boards go through stages as they grow and mature. The way things are done and the roles people have change over time. In this post, I share a story from an individual who was the second Executive Director of an… Read more