Are you an ideal board member?” he said with a grin. After leading a governance workshop1 for one of our SCSBC school boards, I mentioned that I currently sit on three boards and find it fascinating to implement these best practices in three different board contexts. I quickly responded with, “I hope so, but the Executive Director and other board members I serve with would probably answer that question better than me.” His question lingered after that presentation and had me reflect on what an ideal board member is anyway, especially given that we all bring different skills, interests, knowledge, and personalities. In my experience as a head of school and in the various boards I have served on and consulted with, there are four key attributes I believe an ideal board member has: Big Picture Thinking, Curiosity, Accountability & Support, and Self-Awareness. These attributes are not just desirable but crucial for the effective functioning of a board and the advancement of its mission and vision.
- Big Picture Thinking Ideal board members see the big picture of their school or organization. They intentionally seek to serve all students in the school beyond their own families and support decisions that may never directly benefit their own children. Consider, for instance, a board member who intentionally and anonymously donated and publicly championed programs his children were not involved in. He saw those programs as beautiful ways for students to develop their gifts and abilities and discern their place in God’s kingdom work. Another example is a board member who voted to close a campus down to build a new one even though that decision would negatively impact his family, who lived within walking distance of the shuttered campus. However, he knew that decision would benefit the school system as a whole and publicly endorsed that direction despite the pressures of his neighbours who rallied against it. Both board members looked at the big picture of their Christian school and made decisions for the good of the institution’s short- and long-term flourishing.
- Curiosity Ideal board members come to meetings, proposals, and discussions with curiosity. Rather than coming up with a position to win before the discussion begins, they come curious as to what others have to say, what information they will learn, and, most importantly, how this decision serves the school’s mission and vision of Christian education. Two board members I previously worked with often said with curiosity, “I never thought of it that way,” or “That’s new information for me. I’d like time to think more about this decision based on that new information,” and “Fellow board member, what do you think about this, given your background in (insert profession or expertise here)?” These board members came seeking to understand rather than to convince. Their posture of curiosity helped the board to make better decisions together. A key phrase to help foster curiosity is short and simple: “Tell me more…”
- Accountability & Support Ideal board members can provide both to the school leader. They see themselves as neither simply a cheerleader nor a hard-nosed critic. When I was a school leader, a new board member proudly told me that he felt his role was “to hold my feet to the fire.” I was tempted to respond with the assurance that I would ensure the kindergarten teacher did the same for his five-year-old daughter. I didn’t. Instead, I thanked him and asked if he might also encourage me if he saw me do something well, as I felt that would help me know which direction to keep going. A fair amount of research and expertise points to human flourishing at the nexus of accountability and support.2 When we set expectations for people, we also need to set up the supports they need to meet those expectations, such as resources, encouragement, time, etc. This works in our marriages, families, churches, schools, and community sport teams. Good coaches do this well. They set high expectations and provide vital support to meet those expectations. I reflect on this in my marriage: I feel deep support from my spouse, but I also know there are expectations on me regarding how I treat her, what responsibilities I fulfil in the home and parenting, and how I seek to follow Christ in my life. Her hope, expectations, and support in these areas inspire me to move forward.Ideal board members celebrate the successes of their school leaders and ask them difficult questions. Board members who only show support without accountability are nice to have dessert with, but they are not moving the school forward. Eventually, their words hold less weight. Board members who only challenge their school leaders might ask key questions, but without any support, the school leaders may feel they are pushing a boulder up a hill all by themselves. They may eventually burn out because they never received a sign of encouragement or positive response.
- Self-Awareness Lastly, ideal board members are self-aware. They are fully aware of their agendas and passions and are transparent before their fellow board members and their school leader about the temptations they might have to serve their own interests. I can think of board members who advocated for decisions and directions that benefited themselves and their children over others. There was also the board member who consistently advocated for a specific program area in the school that happened to be his daughter’s interest and passion. Over time, this irritated other board members and eventually diminished his voice. I think this is especially important in the current cultural milieu we find ourselves in, wherein our communities are ever at risk of division. Knowing what we are passionate about and what triggers us is critical to our collective leadership. Being vulnerable about that reality can only strengthen our trust in each other as board members who all seek the flourishing of the school’s mission and vision.
May we serve well on our school boards as workers called to build the Kingdom in our communities, trusting the work of the Spirit in the lives of our fellow board members and challenging ourselves to continually grow as board members and as boards.
Dave Loewen
SCSBC Executive Director
1. If your school board has not had a board governance workshop in the last few years, consider reaching out to SCSBC and engaging in this professional development opportunity.
2. For more information on the connection between human flourishing and the nexus of accountability and support, see the writings of: International Institute for Restorative Practices (www.iirp.edu/iirp-canada); Barbara Coloroso (kidsareworthit.com); and Gordon Neufeld (neufeldinstitute.org)
