the beautiful partnership: a shared leadership framework for … · 2019-02-25 · the beautiful...
TRANSCRIPT
The Beautiful Partnership: A Shared
Leadership Framework for Boards
and Heads of School
NAIS Annual Conference
February 27, 2019
Landis Green, Head of School, Wildwood School
Joel Brand, Board Chair, Wildwood School
Abigail DeLessio, Senior Consultant, Triangle Associates
Marc Frankel, Senior Consultant and Partner, Triangle Associates
The Beautiful Partnership: A Shared
Leadership Framework for Boards
and Heads of School
NAIS Annual Conference
February 27, 2019
Landis Green, Head of School, Wildwood School
Joel Brand, Board Chair, Wildwood School
Abigail DeLessio, Senior Consultant, Triangle Associates
Marc Frankel, Senior Consultant and Partner, Triangle Associates
Wildwood School
Landis Green, Head of School
Joel Brand, Board Chair
11811 Olympic Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 478-7189
Triangle Associates
Marc Frankel, Senior Consultant
225 South Meramec, Suite 1024
St. Louis, MO 63105
+1.314.725.8889
Abigail DeLessio, Senior Consultant
Hong Kong
+852 9683 6887
WORKSHOP AGENDA
► Introductions and workshop objectives.
► Current context.
► Issues faced by boards and heads of schools.
► The shared leadership framework: A panel discussion.
► Applying the learning: What would shared leadership look
like at your school.
► In conclusion: Start: Stop: Continue (+ 1).
INTRODUCTIONS
► Who we are
► Who you are:
- Name
- School
- Role
- One thing you’d like to share
CONTEXT MATTERS
► Demographic Change: Long-term, inexorable shifts create enrollment challenges.
► Fragmentation: The education field splinters into smaller and smaller pieces.
► Regulatory : The legal and financial compliance ante is rising.
► Metric Mania: A growing zeitgeist around measurement and accountability.
THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT PROBLEM
“Although our form is corporate,
our attitude is partnership.”
⏤ From Berkshire Hathaway’s “Owner-Related Business Principles,”
by Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, published in 1996.
PERPETUAL ISSUES – GROUND RULES
► How and when do the HOS and Chair communicate?
► Establish what issues go where (Chair, Exec or
BOT).
► What is the Chair, Exec or BOT role in differing
situations?
► Do some issues get special attention because of the
family’s role in the school?
PERPETUAL ISSUES – TRUSTEES
► Trustee issues can be among the most tricky.
► How do you select your Trustees?
► Are you deliberate about the culture of the BOT?
► How does your board establish priorities for HOS?
► What can you do to help your BOT stay focused on
them?
PERPETUAL ISSUES – TRUSTEES
► Example Tools to Shape Board Culture
• Recruitment process, multiple coffees, committee service
• Welcome coffee in the spring
• Mentor who checks in before and after every meeting (ideally) for first year
• Trustee and spouse orientation dinner
• CAIS new trustee orientation
• Attending CAIS/NAIS
• Governance Committee monitoring
• Informal board chair coffees
• End of year coffee with two Governance Committee members
• Trustee self-review
PERPETUAL ISSUES – TRUSTEES
► Trustee issues can be among the most tricky
► How do you select your Trustees?
► Are you deliberate about the culture of the BOT?
► How does your board establish priorities for HOS?
► What can you do to help your BOT stay focused on
them?
PERPETUAL ISSUES – TRUSTEES
► Branding
► Attrition
► Admissions
► “Low-hanging fruit”
► Community Building
► Story vs. Data
► What are your examples?
PERPETUAL ISSUES – DAY-TO-DAY
► Faculty hiring, retention and termination
► Student issues
► Managing litigation risk
► What is the role of Trustees in curriculum
THE SHARED LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK
Questions for our panel (and our attendees):
1. How do you build a relationship with a new board chair? What are the steps and essential ingredients, especially when transitioning from a relationship that has been challenging, or from one that has been very productive?
2. What are the differences between being a board member and being a board chair? Can you really prepare for being a board chair?
3. How do you sustain the partnership when: a) things get busy; b) things happen in the school; c) a board member(s) is agitated about something; or d) when an important and difficult decisions must be made, requiring a meeting of the minds (that may not initially exist)?
4. How do you operationalize the famous graphic, The Devil is in the Details?
THE SHARED LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK
5. What does it mean, in practice, to have one another’s
back?
6. How do you, as the leadership team, ensure effective
engagement between the board and other members of
the school administrative team?
7. How do you leverage the individual inputs of your
board members to drive towards a meaningful
consensus, i.e. The Wisdom of the Crowd?
Questions from the attendees?
MAKING THE PARTNERSHIP WORK
What helps:
• Sharing values & vision
• A positive track record
• Clear role boundaries
• Total honesty
• No surprises, ever
• Presumption of benevolent
intent when the inevitable
surprises happen
What hurts:
The opposite of what helps!
CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS
► Actively seek to develop a relationship based on mutual
respect and trust by meeting and communicating on a
regular basis.
► Develop an understanding of each other’s personality,
motivation, and communication preferences.
► Pay attention to each other’s induction and development,
recognizing the importance of effective leadership from
both people.
► Clarify and formalize roles and responsibilities so that
each complements the other, leaving no major gaps.
► Maintain a solid and united front on issues of fundamental
importance and urgency.
CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS
• Address disagreements early in a constructive manner, focusing on how best to achieve the organization's mission.
• Work to establish a strong relationship between board members and executive staff.
• Aim to optimize the relationship’s positive impact on the organization, rather than developing a friendship between two individuals.
• Agree on a process for disseminating and discussing urgent information.
• Learn from the resolution of any disputes or conflicts.
APPLYING THE LEARNING: WHAT WILL THE FRAMEWORK
LOOK LIKE AT YOUR SCHOOL
Working through case studies in table groups:
• Present facts (avoid opinions)
• How could you apply the framework to achieve a
different outcome?
IN CONCLUSION
Start: Stop: Continue (+1)
• What would you like to start doing on your board?
• What would you like stop doing on your board?
• What would you like to continue doing on your board?
• What is one thing you would like to talk about with
your board chair/head of school?
