The RESPONSIBILITIES of a Board Member should be driven by a desire to help IMPACT, Change the World, solve a social problem, etc.
It is not as a place to ‘SIT’! (i.e. A ‘SEAT ON the Board???) We don’t want them to ‘SIT’. We want them to ACT!
WHAT IF… you could go to your Board (or recruit new talent to your Board) and talk about 3 specific things you need from them:
- THINK…
and GROW RICH - FOCUS…
at APPROPRIATE ALTITUDE - COUNSEL…
based on EXPERIENCE/EXPERTISE
- THINK… and GROW RICH
This is from Napoleon Hill’s powerful book Think & Grow Rich. The ‘RICH’ in both the book, the title and the responsibility really has nothing to do with ‘money’… but it has everything to do with IMPACT! When people commit to be on Board, they need to commit to THINK! (Again, not ‘sit’.) Use words like solutions, ideas, innovation to
get them THINKING.ASK (Beg?) them not to check their ‘brain’ at the door…“because it’s a Not-For-Profit”! - FOCUS…APPROPRIATE ALTITUDE
Getting Board Members and community leaders to truly FOCUS on particular CHALLENGES (PROBLEMS) and look for INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS is a wonderful use of a CHAMPION’S/LEADER’S time.Review ALTITUDE framework… and then USE IT!!! - COUNSEL… based on EXPERIENCE/EXPERTISE
STOP ‘INFORMING’ and start ‘INVOLVING’! Asking community leaders and Board Members to actually help in an area in which they have INTEREST and EXPERIENCE and EXPERTISE will have amazing results!*A really good CHAMPION or BOARD MEMBER should be there for you to provide ‘COUNSEL’. Think of them as your FOR IMPACT ‘CONSIGLIERE’.
