The role of a Board of Directors in a not-for-profit organization is paramount.
Having a solid Board of Directors that can serve as vocal advocates and strong leaders can be the organization’s biggest asset.
In contrast, the absence of an equipped board is an organization’s largest liability.
THEREFORE – When you put all those people in a group focused on a common mission that they care about, sometimes ‘curiouser and curiouser’ things happen.
Lewis Carroll didn’t deliberately invent the characters in his famous book, Alice in Wonderland, based on interactions he had met on Boards of Directors. However, these magical characters are remarkably illustrative of dysfunctional and functional roles of Board members.
Let’s go down this rabbit hole.
Oh, he’s late he’s late he’s late……rushed and frantic, this Board member arrives unprepared and in a rush. The White Rabbit inadvertently helps get Alice where she needs to go along the way but nothing appears to be intentional or planned. Because of his hare-ied nature, he only reacts and is, therefore, incapable of leading.
Making sweeping proclamations, this Board member lets her opinion be known and shoots daggers at anyone who dares cross her nor doesn’t move quickly enough. While her decisiveness is of value to the organization, her lack of thinking through any of these decisions is repeatedly problematic.
This perpetually smiling feline who comes and goes at his leisure, when he is there, he is extremely helpful to Alice with his clever witticism and guidance. That’s to say…when he is there…. Dependable wisdom is a critical asset to navigate any adventure.
The Caterpillar sits high on his mushroom, looks down at Alice, smokes a hookah, and asks off the wall questions that don’t appear to be germane to the task at hand. But they are the questions that the Caterpillar wants to ask, so the Caterpillar’s needs are being met.
These two live in a perpetual tea-time always looking for a reason to party, be it mission based or not. Also, the Mad Hatter and March Hare are excited to attend these parties, but don’t really seem to understand what it takes to have a successful party. Throwing a party (AKA fundraising event) is usually not the answer.
These two are in tandem all of the time and finish each other’s sentences. It is great to have teams within a team when you want to gain consensus, but these are the two people that form an alliance, conduct informal meetings after (and before) the meetings and can derail good efforts of others.
And as for Alice, she serves as the perfect foil to the rest of these characters on the Board. She is measured, thoughtful and polite. She is curious and displays imaginative problem-solving skills. She is missioned focused and determined. And as Carroll wrote, “Alice had begun to think that very few things indeed were really impossible.”
Board members, these writers included, display some of the ‘Wonderland’ type qualities from time to time. Great Board members are passionate, eager and prepared. They approach life with an innate curiosity and unceasing optimism and laser focus on the goal at hand.
A high functioning Board of Directors is comprised of these types of individuals who also all come from different backgrounds, with varied skilled sets and who all share a common passion for the mission of the organization. If you can create a solid framework for this group of high achieving people to work within, sky’s the limit!
To this end, the leadership of the Organization must develop habits to assure Board members are equipped to be as effective as possible. Some vital habits that an organization can put in place include:
The challenges of not-for-profit leadership need not be a Wild Ride! Jump in, save the world, just be ready for an adventure and get your best Alice dress on!
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