Board Members as Steward Leaders By Dr. Brian S. Simmons

The High Call of A Board at Work

The work of a board is to provide effective governance for the organizations it leads as trustees (biblical stewards). A trustee, as a steward, receives a trust. So, the two are (or at least can be) synonymous!   

Governance is the coming together of a group of appointed individuals to act as one to guide the organization they hold trusteeship over toward the accomplishment of the school’s strategic initiatives, mission, and vision, guided by the school’s core values.

Governance is not to be single-person driven, committee-driven, or complaint-driven. It is to exercise effective governance as leadership. The board is to create an organization with the right people doing the right things in the right way for the right reasons, so that the right results are achieved to the glory of God!

The Common Challenge

Peter Drucker has famously written that the only thing non-profit boards have in common is that they are all dysfunctional. And what most boards do most of the time is a waste of time, Carver. No matter the level of dedication or how much directors love the organization they lead, they cannot be all they can be in a governance system dominated by poor, ineffective practices.

Today, I have come to realize that I need to pivot in my strategy of helping boards achieve effective governance as leadership. I have been training them on the “meat” of governance, but I realize today that most boards are not ready for meat. They need milk.

So, what is the needed “milk”? What do the ABCs of best practice of governance look like?

Board Best Practices

• The board should speak with one voice or not at all
• The organization’s board policy manual is vital because board decisions should ideally be framed as sound policies.
• Effective boards define and delegate. Ineffective boards react and ratify.
• Performance can only be monitored via a predefined, written policy.
• Do “board stuff” so  CEOs can do “CEO stuff”. Role confusion leads to negative, unintended results quickly.
• The board only has the power to act as a board while together during officially scheduled board meetings. This is the only time they wear their “board hat”.
• The CEO is the board’s only employee. All other organizational personnel report up to the board through the CEO
• The three primary duties of the board are fiduciary, strategic, and generative.
• Boards have duties of loyalty and care.
• The board’s primary responsibility is to select, advise, support, and fairly compensate the CEO.
• The board is to ensure that the organization operates responsibly and effectively.
• The board is to act on specific policy recommendations and mobilize support for decisions taken.
• They provide a buffer for the CEO and, in common vernacular, “take some of the heat”.
• They work through the CEO with committees to lead the organization forward
• They carefully establish the right committees and avoid those that mirror staff roles, thereby pulling board members into staff functions.
• They ensure that the necessary resources —both human and financial —are available to pursue the organization’s strategies and achieve its objectives. 
• They provide effective governance.

Final Thoughts

I realize that the myriad problems organizations face will not improve until the board begins to practice effective governance. Effective governance is the foundation upon which excellence exists. So, I intend to pivot from training on the meat of effective governance to the milk. Know your ABCs!

Dr. Brian S. Simmons is a consultant on effective governance and strategic planning, an executive coach, and the founding Head of School for Lakeside Christian Academy. He exists as a visionary builder, furthering the kingdom of God through Christian education, teaching, and influencing others.

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