VWVanagan By Susan Detwiler We all know that getting the right board members around the table is crucial. That’s probably why there are thousands of articles and blog posts that talk about recruiting new board members. Some focus on the “attribute grid” or “board matrix,” or “skills grid.” That’s the grid that helps you identify the skills and attributes you want on your … Read more
Leadership – there are likely few topics in the world about which more has been written. With so many resources and sometimes contradictory theories to consider (think “Servant Leadership” and “Machiavellian”), finding a personal leadership style that feels authentically “you” can sometimes seem like an unending quest. Establishing the leadership culture in an organization can … Read more
The post on Conflict of Interest earlier this week has led to some of the most interesting discussion about organizational leadership issues I’ve seen in a while. To all who participated, thank you! (And to all who missed it, read through the comments here.) Of the many issues that arose in that discussion, some have … Read more
Conflict of interest is a critical matter for any board, but it is particularly an issue among founding boards. After all, those boards are usually filled with people who are close to the founder – and when that happens, all sorts of potential for conflict arises. As we build the board at Creating the Future, … Read more
Twitter got me thinking this weekend, as I read yet another diatribe from someone rather famous. It’s obvious he really wishes the world were a better place, because he spends pretty much all his time on Twitter rambling on about how bad things are. I found myself refraining from sending him a note that said, … Read more
I was thumbing through our Board Recruitment & Orientation workbook this weekend, looking for a particular form. (I shouldn’t confess how often I’ll be almost done creating a form, only to do a palm-smack to the head, remembering that the exact form I need is in a book I wrote. Not that that’s what happened … Read more
What if boards don’t need training? What if board members already know what they need to know, and just need to be reminded of that? What if “what boards need” is help with uncorking and putting to use the wisdom they already have just from living life? What if “what boards need” is encouragement to … Read more
Happy Magical Monday, everyone! And it is indeed magical. After last week, I cannot help but see magic in everything around me! Last week, in a small room papered with wisdom and passion, six of us shared our dreams for the future we want to create. We laughed and we cried and we learned. In … Read more
Most of my quasi-sabbatical time has been spent exploring what I have been calling a “Continuum of Becoming” – a placeholder name, but a descriptor nonetheless. The “continuum” is a critical component to the work we are doing at Creating the Future. If we are seeking to engage everyone doing social change work in the … Read more
An interesting discussion ensued on Facebook the other day. As I pondered a blog post that has been brewing in my mind, I asked, “Coaches: I’m working on a list of the ways coaching is different from consulting. Any ideas / thoughts?” I was not prepared for 18 responses, some contradicting others, all of which … Read more