GOVERNANCEWorking effectively on and with a Board

Practices, personalities and passion. Foundations of Board Success

WESTMINSTER CATECHISM

“MAN’S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD and enjoy Him forever.”

If only you had paid attention to My Commandments!!

Pharaohic vs. Messianic (New Covenant)

Choose this day whom you will serve….“No gray area exists: you are either aligned with God,

the champion of holiness and freedom, or Satan, the challenger promoting evil and enslavement.”

George Barna...revolution

Babylonian System- Pharoicor Biblical, Covenant

Pharaoh (And fallen Solomon)

•Top-down/dictatorship model

•A crippling scarcity mentality

•Sacrificing others for a material and/or selfish purposes

•Personal enrichment at others’ expense

•Indifference to the needs of others/exploitation

•Blinded by personal rebellion against God

Covenant (Shalom) •Valuing of each one’s

need and contribution •Confidence in God’s

provision •Valuing equity and the

rights of each stakeholder •A just distribution of the

profits and blessings •Compassion for the

stakeholders and needy outsiders

•A personal life of purity and faithfulness

SHALOM

Shorthand for universal flourishing, wholeness and delight that is God’s design for his creation.

Shalom, the re-webbing of God, humanity, and all creation in justice, harmony, fulfillment and delight. (Platinga)

More on SHALOM

Etymology In Hebrew, a root word always has several

meanings…Barry covered several of these…including flourishing, wholeness and delight. It always implies God being PRESENT!

Another fascinating inclusion... “Hishtalem”-’it was worth it’…or

“Shulam”-’it was paid for’ as in 1 Corinthians 6:20

And...Jehovah Shalom…The Lord is PEACE Judges 6: 24

Shalom/Purchased with a PriceShalom/Purchased with a Price

• Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body.

• Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body.

©Ed Silvoso 2003

Worldview-stories are "like the foundations of a house: vital, but invisible. They are that through which, not at which, a society or an individual normally looks; they form the grid according to which humans organize reality." (Goheen )

Stories ‘R’ US

Take-aways for Leadership and Governance

Do I understand the contours of the Biblical worldview and its implications for my leadership and my Christian community?

MY WORLD VIEW NEEDS WORK

I do not see the world as it is….

I see the world as I am…

I AM will shape my view to conform with His.

Isaiah 55:8 Romans 12: 1.2“The way we think the world is will inevitably shape

the way we think of the creator of the world.”

Paul Fiddes...The Creative Suffering of God

Fiddler on the Roofmaintaining our Balance

“If reality, then, impinges upon us in a multiplicity of ways, we need a paradigm, or WORLD VIEW, that reasonably explains the truth-tested realities of this world, which can then be blended together to give life a composite unity.”

“God has put enough into the world to make faith in Him a most reasonable thing, and He has left enough out to make it impossible to live by sheer reason or observation alone.” ( who else but Ravi Zacharias)

A Shattered Visage

CORE VALUES MATTER

Our core values shape our perspectives Our perspectives shape our priorities

Our priorities shape our practice Our practice reveals our passion

Our passion determines our investments

Is my passion to seek and to invest in God’s purpose?How is His purpose revealed in my role on the Board?

Does our Vision line up with that purpose?Is it clear? Is it written? Is it known?

Does my contribution express His values?2 Peter: 1

The Purpose of I AM

Everyone who is called by My name and whom I have created for My Glory;

Whom I have formed even whom I have made.

You are chosen in order that you may know and believe in Me and understand that I AM HE.

Isaiah 43: 7, 10

Not What? but Who?

Neither work nor career can be fully satisfying without a deeper sense of ‘calling’…but ‘calling’ itself is empty and indistinguishable from work unless there is SOMEONE who calls.

Calling is a God initiated invitation to love Him and to decisively invest all that I am, all that I do and all that I possess as an unchallenged expression of that love in a particular endeavour. The Relationship always triumphs over location or profession. Pray, seek, confirm, wait…and go.

So…Who is calling you? Are you there yet? Does serving on this Board get you there? Os Guinness-The Call

Moral Bankruptcy

To G.K. Chesterton, “What do you think about CIVILIZATION?”

He replied.... “I think it is a wonderful idea, why doesn’t

somebody start one?”

What can you do?

“My board spends too much time on stuff that does not get us moving to where we need to go.”

“My board is like a pendulum... At times completely “hands off” and then suddenly they are like ”short order cooks”.”

“I endure my board...I have “real work” to do...they end each meetings with suggestions of more things I should do to help them!”

__________________________________________________________________1. The CEO has the biggest impact on the Board...for better or worse.2. The Board is in control and the CEO serves the board.3. CEO’s serve with humility...Boards govern in unity.4. Ensure timely and meaningful reporting to the Board.5. Engage in robust discussion about the real issues.6. Everyone support the Chair in their role of leading the meetings.7. Always support board decisions outside the board room. Strive....Jim Brown* G.O. Adds...have all meditate on Prov. 8, Ps. 139, Ps. 1, John 15-17

frequently.

Leadership on Boards

Some thoughts from Oswald ChambersPriority “ Not public usefulness but Christ-like character!” Phil. 2Training “Impulsiveness is OK in a child but disastrous in a leader. This ‘attribute’ must be trained as does the mind, the tongue and the body.” Ps. 141: 3,5; James 3:8; Prov. 9: 8, 25:28Significance “Become exceptional in the ordinary and mundane…this prepares the

heart for managing the lofty and grand in holiness and humility.” Purpose: “To be identified and aligned with God’s interests can only

be accomplished by giving up all of your personal plans once and for all, and by allowing God to take you directly into His Purpose for the world.”

“We are not destined to happiness but to HOLINESS”

Abe Lincoln on Leadership

Circulate among the troops (really?) Build strong alliances (he then hired his

enemies) Persuade rather than coerce (not Pharoic) Handle well unjust criticism (the

evidence) Lead by being led (listen and then lead) Keep searching until you find your

“Grant” Influence others by Storytelling (practice

this) When your work is done, your team will

say, “We did this ourselves!”

Secret Formulafor Organizational Effectiveness This is NOT an organization chart…it is a MAP to

clarify the roles and relationships within an effective organization.

Owners Board CEO Staff

CustomerTest...3 Arrows/top to bottom; which way for

‘Authority’? ‘Accountability’? ‘Communication’? Jim Brown

The Role of the Board

Select a level 5 Leader Avoid “rock star” celebrity types Know the level 5 characteristics of leaders Distinguish between share value and share price Take a long term position on value Help to create something of “intrinsic excellence” Learn much about the role of a Responsible Board Good to great...Jim Collins Know much about the theology of money (Financial

Management God’s Way by Tom Copland If Christian...make Prayer a Board PRIORITY!

Essential Principlesfor Good Governance

Develop a common language and review it regularly… i.e. vision, mission, core values, accountability, communication, ends and goals.

Know what to PRESERVE…purpose and core values

Know what to CHANGE… operating practices, ends and goals, assets, regulations, uniforms and methodology.

We all know what happens to groups that stay stuck and resist change…customers flee. Woolworths, Mark’s and Spencer, the local Church...

STRIVE-Governance Excellence Model

Directing is an essential discipline Protecting the interests of the ‘owners’ Respecting owners, members, share holders, is

paramount. Reflecting on a variety of questions about the

organization will add perspective in how the Board determines future decisions.

Selecting strong, competent, confident leaders. Expecting to support the CEO is an essential

rsponsibility. Author Ken Blanchard says…”feedback is the breakfast of champions.”

Connecting as a team facilitates full engagement by everyone.

Jim Brown...The imperfect Board Member

Board/Governance Tendencies

There seems to be a tendency for boards to look at the numbers, charts and tendencies and act from them. It’s kind of like they’re driving a car with both hands on the rear view mirror while oblivious to the road ahead.

Boards often ask for and receive the Pros and Cons of a particular choice before them. It’s a great TOOL. Except when it doesn’t work! They don’t ask for recommendations. Recommendations are ‘Decisions’ in disguise!

What about the X factor? “Still small voice” “Intuition” “Gut Feel” “BHAG” “Hunch” “Word”…others?

After considering the pros and cons take time to consider any ‘X’ factors that might be expressed before making the call.

Scott Cochrane…A Leader’s Journey

Board Governance

Scripture admonishes all to commit our works unto Him…all of them....how many?

Governance therefore is absolutely immersed in the Sovereign will of God.

Therefore establish “Governance” as a worship experience and prepare your heart for it as for any other form of worship.

The Holy Spirit changes our way of looking at everything.

Matthew 5: 16; Colossians 3: 17, 23; John 14: 26

Board Training?

Boards are appointed not trained. T or F Jim Brown…”organizations provide more

training and spend more time on orientation for their receptionist (and the janitor-good thing!)than for their Board members.”

Therefore we have credentialed, talented and star performers, fully competent, who together produce little but “collective incompetence”.

The Imperfect Board Member…Jim Brown

BOARD BOOT CAMP

A RADICAL IDEA. Boot camp for prospective Board

Members. Character appraisal ...watch and see. Comfort with daily disciplines (many will

flee) Cooperative gamesmanship reveals much Sense of humour or not Team rapport...critical for long term

success