A review by lisabage
Governance as Leadership: Reframing the Work of Nonprofit Boards by William P. Ryan, Barbara E. Taylor, Richard P. Chait

informative fast-paced

5.0

I've been searching for some practical examples of how a board can behave more strategically. This definitely fits that bill. The authors describe how three different modes of behavior, thought, and agendas should be the flexible skill set of a good board. First is the fiduciary role that most boards now fulfill to a large extent. Second is the strategic side, and third is something they call "generative" but I've heard discussed more often as "sense-making". While the subtitle notes "nonprofit boards", I found the examples pretty well balance and the advice as applicable to for-profits as nonprofits. 

p. 133

boards should not mistake a high level of comfort with a high level of performance

This chapter discusses when to use generative, how to use it, and some great examples. Notes that often the board is brought in after the fuzzy front end, when decisions are already made and in progress. If the board instead is brought in on the problem, they can help with the problem, generating more interesting work for them and more value-driven benefit to the organization. 

p. 97 (Generative governance)

features ambiguous or problematic situations rather than reports and routing motions. Instead of winning the board's confidence by masking all ambiguities and executive can earn the board's trust by exposing the ambiguities and then grappling together to make sense of the situation.

p. 70 (strategic governance)

Committees must mirror the organization's strategic imperatives, not the administration's org chart. 

Exhibit 4.2 shows examples, like technology, marketing, staff development...

p. 49

Type I [fiduciary] governance is essential, but the Type I board is problematic. 
adds value primarily to the technical core of the organization, not to the core purposes of the organization. 
tedious and monotonous. Trustees become bored spectators at a dull event.

p. 34

financial discipline, informed oversight, mission fidelity, and primacy of organizational interest are recognized in the last as the board's duties of loyalty and care.

p. 21

a board can create legitimacy for an organization. 
similarly, the board provides managers sense-making opportunities simply by meeting.

p. 19: Oversight is more looking than finding