Guiding a nonprofit board through change and growth
A stagnant board can slow an organization’s progress, making governance feel like a burden rather than a privilege. But with the right approach, board service can be both effective and fulfilling. Transformational Governance: How Boards Achieve Extraordinary Change provides a roadmap for revitalizing nonprofit leadership and ensuring boards are set up for success. (Follow this link to purchase Transformational Governance.)
In the early 2010s, Beth Gazley and Katha Kissman led research to uncover the key challenges facing association boards—and, more importantly, how high-performing boards overcame them. Similar to Good to Great by Jim Collins, this book distills their findings into a practical framework for organizational transformation.
The book’s structure makes it easy to follow and apply. It begins with an in-depth look at the change process—what drives it and how it happens—before outlining practical strategies for board leaders at all levels. The preliminary “Introduction and Study Design” pleased my scientific heart by explaining how the authors reached their conclusions. The first four chapters describe the change process, what drives it and how it happens. The following three chapters describe how change can be guided by leading up, down, and sideways. No, I am not kidding; chapter five is titled, “Leading Sideways: Influencing Change within the Board.” In the final chapters, the authors describe the resources that are available to help nonprofit leadership manage a full transformation.
Change Management is a Structured Process
The biggest lesson I took from this book is that change management is a formal discipline. Organizations don’t have to start from scratch—there are proven steps they can take to navigate change effectively.
Anyone Can Drive Change
I also found it fascinating that anyone on the leadership team can initiate and sustain change. It’s not just about the executive director or the president—board members at all levels can make a difference.
I particularly appreciate the barriers the authors identified and the strategies that can be used to overcome them. Also, this book does not make a case for a particular type of governance. It’s not about policy versus strategic versus working board. It is about developing and implementing a group process that helps the organization to transform itself–to build the best board of directors to serve the organization and its needs.
The real-world examples bring the research to life, making complex governance concepts more accessible. Also, the book doubles as a practical “how-to” guide, striking the right balance between theory and application.
I stumbled a bit when I first started reading it. Like a good soldier, I started at the beginning and read through to the end. It would have been better for me to skip the “Introduction and Study Design” then read it at the end.
For any nonprofit leader who feels their board needs a fresh approach, this book offers both inspiration and practical guidance. It’s not about whether change is necessary—it’s about ensuring that governance supports organizational excellence.
Is your association achieving excellence? Drop me a note and let me know what is working for you!