TheThe SuccessfulSuccessful PresidentPresident

What is success What is success and who gets to and who gets to decide when it’s decide when it’s been achieved?been achieved?

Job Description

Strategic Plan

Expectations

Personal Goals

MISSIONMISSION

JOB DESCRIPTIONJOB DESCRIPTION

►Spiritual LeadershipSpiritual Leadership►External relationshipsExternal relationships►FinancesFinances►AdvancementAdvancement►CommunicationCommunication►FacilitiesFacilities

Needs to be clear,

communicated,

reasonable

XBSS Rubric

PERSONAL GOALSPERSONAL GOALS

►Areas of Strength—use for missionAreas of Strength—use for mission►Areas for Growth—ask for helpAreas for Growth—ask for help►Context is Strategic PlanContext is Strategic Plan

Good to Great by Jim Collins

Level Five Leadership:

Personal Humility

Zeal for Mission

Develop 2 or 3 personal Develop 2 or 3 personal goalsgoals

PresidentPresident► Spiritual leadershipSpiritual leadership► AdvancementAdvancement► FinancesFinances► Administrative Administrative

relationshipsrelationships► Alumni/aeAlumni/ae► PlantPlant► Board relationshipsBoard relationships

PrincipalPrincipal► Faculty formationFaculty formation► CurriculumCurriculum► Catholic identityCatholic identity► Administrative Administrative

relationshipsrelationships► Parent involvementParent involvement► RecruitmentRecruitment► Extra-curricularsExtra-curriculars

How would you define How would you define success in meeting those success in meeting those

goals?goals?

►What would you be satisfied with?What would you be satisfied with?►What would you be delighted with?What would you be delighted with?►How do you think your board would How do you think your board would

respond to those measures?respond to those measures?

Types of BoardsTypes of Boards

►GoverningGoverning►Limited JurisdictionLimited Jurisdiction►AdvisoryAdvisory

Each may have a different relationship with a President and may play a different role in the assessment process.

Assessment of the president is Assessment of the president is one of the Board’s most important one of the Board’s most important governance functions and a governance functions and a primary vehicle for carrying out primary vehicle for carrying out the oversight and stewardship the oversight and stewardship functions.functions.

It is important to the president It is important to the president as it is hard to get honest as it is hard to get honest feedback for improving, insights feedback for improving, insights into one own strengths, into one own strengths, limitations, overall performance. limitations, overall performance. ((CEO Disease)CEO Disease)

Benefits to the PresidentBenefits to the President►Process requires clear job description Process requires clear job description

which can set boundaries for your which can set boundaries for your responsibilitiesresponsibilities

►Annual expectations are spelled out Annual expectations are spelled out which help you focus on important which help you focus on important issuesissues

►Opportunity to bring major concerns, Opportunity to bring major concerns, budding disagreements or future issues budding disagreements or future issues to board’s attentionto board’s attention

►Models culture of high expectations Models culture of high expectations and on-going assessmentand on-going assessment

Benefits to the BoardBenefits to the Board►Structured opportunity to communicate Structured opportunity to communicate

with its one and only agent—a time to with its one and only agent—a time to discuss big issues. discuss big issues.

►If the board is satisfied with the If the board is satisfied with the President’s performance, it is a tangible President’s performance, it is a tangible opportunity to express satisfaction by opportunity to express satisfaction by approving a salary increase or bonus.approving a salary increase or bonus.

►If the board is concerned about your If the board is concerned about your performance, it can address those performance, it can address those concerns and help set goals for concerns and help set goals for improvement.improvement.

On-going Informal Assessment On-going Informal Assessment and Supportand Support

►President reports to board progress President reports to board progress on goalson goals

►Executive session at end of meetingExecutive session at end of meeting With President and no other staffWith President and no other staff Without President: concerns, offer Without President: concerns, offer

supportsupport

►Meeting/management letter from Meeting/management letter from Chair to PresidentChair to President

Formal Assessment ProcessFormal Assessment Process

►Self-assessment from President Self-assessment from President ►Board committee appointedBoard committee appointed►Gather input from all board membersGather input from all board members►May interview other administratorsMay interview other administrators►Focus groups of faculty, students, Focus groups of faculty, students,

parents based on job descriptionparents based on job description►Summary report to Board for Summary report to Board for

discussiondiscussion►Report to President and other Report to President and other

appropriate group—religious appropriate group—religious congregation, diocesan authority.congregation, diocesan authority.

PRESIDENT/BOARD CHAIR PRESIDENT/BOARD CHAIR RELATIONSHIPSRELATIONSHIPS

Needs to be a Needs to be a partnershippartnership Mutual respectMutual respect Mission focusedMission focused Clear sense of roles and Clear sense of roles and responsibilities of responsibilities of governancegovernance

IMPORTANT ELEMENTSIMPORTANT ELEMENTS

►No surprises—good communication No surprises—good communication ►Constructive dialogue—agree to disagreeConstructive dialogue—agree to disagree►Honesty—don’t circumventHonesty—don’t circumvent►Public support and loyaltyPublic support and loyalty►Handle crises together; celebrate Handle crises together; celebrate

successessuccesses►Provide each other with counsel, critique Provide each other with counsel, critique

and encouragementand encouragement►Decide issues for the Board and set Decide issues for the Board and set

agendaagenda

Board AssessmentsBoard Assessments

► Do we have the right people with the Do we have the right people with the needed expertise to move the school needed expertise to move the school forward?forward?

► How are we doing operationally?How are we doing operationally?► How are we fulfilling our How are we fulfilling our

responsibilities as a board and as responsibilities as a board and as committees?committees?

► What are our goals and what progress What are our goals and what progress are we making?are we making?

► How well do individual board members How well do individual board members fulfill their responsibilities?fulfill their responsibilities?

Issues/Questions/ProblemsIssues/Questions/Problems ►Board has authority only when Board has authority only when

acting as a whole.acting as a whole.►Membership: parents of current Membership: parents of current

students, faculty representationstudents, faculty representation►Involvement in management issues; Involvement in management issues;

confusion of policy and proceduresconfusion of policy and procedures►Head of school communication with Head of school communication with

board members between meetingsboard members between meetings

►Board minutesBoard minutes►Who else in the administration Who else in the administration

should attend board meetingsshould attend board meetings►Preparation for meetings; reports Preparation for meetings; reports

sent ahead of timesent ahead of time►What to do about ineffective board What to do about ineffective board

members members►Communicating with faculty about Communicating with faculty about

Board meetingsBoard meetings►““Kitchen cabinet” issuesKitchen cabinet” issues►How to show appreciation to boardHow to show appreciation to board

Implications of Sarbanes Implications of Sarbanes OxleyOxley

►Separate Audit committeeSeparate Audit committee►Conflict of interest policyConflict of interest policy►Whistleblower protection policyWhistleblower protection policy►Review by-laws and Directors Review by-laws and Directors

and Officers liability insuranceand Officers liability insurance►Educate board in duty of care Educate board in duty of care

and duty of loyaltyand duty of loyalty

Identify what might be an Identify what might be an appropriate Board level policyappropriate Board level policy

►AcademicsAcademics►CompensationCompensation►Capital Capital

campaigncampaign►Financial AidFinancial Aid► AthleticsAthletics

►Catholic identityCatholic identity►InvestmentsInvestments►FacilitiesFacilities►Board Board

operationsoperations►Student Student

recruitmentrecruitment

Educational Programs CommitteeEducational Programs Committee

Guides the school administration at the broadest level Guides the school administration at the broadest level as it evaluates existing programs while assisting as it evaluates existing programs while assisting with the development of new ones at the policy with the development of new ones at the policy level.level.

Tasks include:Tasks include:► Ensuring that the goals of the religious studies and Ensuring that the goals of the religious studies and

campus ministry program clearly reflect the mission campus ministry program clearly reflect the mission of XBSS and the goals of Catholic education in of XBSS and the goals of Catholic education in terms of mission, community, liturgy and serviceterms of mission, community, liturgy and service

► Monitoring the internal processed for the on-going Monitoring the internal processed for the on-going development and review of curriculum and staffing development and review of curriculum and staffing like light of the mission of the school, its accrediting like light of the mission of the school, its accrediting agency and school wide standards of skill agency and school wide standards of skill development for all students.development for all students.

Educational Programs CommitteeEducational Programs Committee► Ensuring that the values of the Xaverian charism Ensuring that the values of the Xaverian charism

and the school philosophy are clearly articulated in and the school philosophy are clearly articulated in the school’s academic and co-curricular programs.the school’s academic and co-curricular programs.

► Assisting the administration in evaluating the Assisting the administration in evaluating the effectiveness of academic and personal counseling effectiveness of academic and personal counseling services for studentsservices for students

► Monitoring the effectiveness of communication Monitoring the effectiveness of communication channels between students, faculty and the channels between students, faculty and the administrationadministration

► Overseeing the effectiveness of formational and Overseeing the effectiveness of formational and professional development programs for professional development programs for faculty/staff assisting the administration in the faculty/staff assisting the administration in the development of fair and adequate policies for development of fair and adequate policies for teacher supervision and evaluation.teacher supervision and evaluation.

Educational Programs CommitteeEducational Programs Committee► Developing with the administration student Developing with the administration student

recruitment and admissions policies that are recruitment and admissions policies that are reflective of the school community and the reflective of the school community and the goals of XBSSgoals of XBSS

► Ensuring that academic and disciplinary Ensuring that academic and disciplinary policies are reflective of the school’s policies are reflective of the school’s mission, are effectively implemented and mission, are effectively implemented and have clear written provisions for appeal.have clear written provisions for appeal.

► Conducting the XBSS Mission effectiveness Conducting the XBSS Mission effectiveness process and overseeing that its process and overseeing that its recommendations are implemented.recommendations are implemented.

Project: Determine appropriate academic “dashboard indicators” for

Board reports

INDIVIDUAL

FORMATION

ONGOINGBOARD

FORMATION

www.xbss.orgwww.xbss.orgResources and LinksResources and Links

Sister Pat Garrahan, SND

Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools

Baltimore, MD

pgarrahan@xaverianbrothers.org