Beyond Auld Lang Syne
History isn’t just a nostalgic stroll down memory lane. Nor is it a slavish attachment to the way things were. As HBR authors John Seaman… Read More »Beyond Auld Lang Syne
governing boards
IF you want to change your board, THEN . . .
The always insightful Seth Godin’s reminder via his blog that “all change involves an if/then promise” speaks to almost any aspect of organizational life. However,… Read More »IF you want to change your board, THEN . . .
Reviving theological schools (and other sagging nonprofits) the McDonald’s way
A Wall Street Journal article titled “How to Revive McDonald’s” is an unexpected source of wise words for leaders in theological education, but that’s what… Read More »Reviving theological schools (and other sagging nonprofits) the McDonald’s way
10 proposals for upping your board’s value-added quotient
We nonprofit types tend not to look in the direction of corporate governance for advice, which is terribly short-sighted on our part. As governance guru Richard Leblanc illustrates in a hot-off-the-printer white paper, despite obvious differences in the raison d’être of the sectors, there’s cross-over wisdom aplenty. Good board work is good board work – regardless the profit motivation.
Leblanc addresses wide-spread concern that company boards are too focused on compliance-related responsibilities and only inadequately addressing value creation and company performance, are thought to be not sufficiently independent from company management, and often lack industry knowledge and relevant experience.
Swap out “organization” for “company” and Leblanc’s summary of corporate governance woes mirrors short-comings I regularly encounter within the nonprofit sector.Read More »10 proposals for upping your board’s value-added quotient
If a Harvard prof thinks trustees are a good idea . . .
It’s six weeks into the eight-week online course I’m teaching in Messiah College’s master’s in higher education program and I’ve yet to convince all 17… Read More »If a Harvard prof thinks trustees are a good idea . . .