What Effective Boards Do Well

After leading or participating in over a thousand board meetings, I've concluded that the most effective boards have figured out how to do the following things well:

B --  Believe:  Operate by faith rather than fear.  Prayer for guidance is essential.  When faced with a big challenge, what you do next reveals what you really believe about God.

O --  Optimize:  Look for ways build up, strengthen and move forward.  Focus on the possibilities, rather than the problems.  No nit picking or circle spinning.

A --  Argue:  Perhaps I should say "argue constructively."  A good board is not just a bunch of rubber stampers.  Neither should it be a collection of cantankerous cranks.  On a healthy board, divergent viewpoints are encouraged and expressed positively.  The best outcomes occur after the various perspectives are weighed.  There's a way to disagree agreeably, keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  Of course, this requires humility, love and understanding.

R -- Respond:  Difficult issues come before every board.  The quality of the board is displayed in how it responds to them with wisdom, compassion, courage, and faith.  Most organizations are about two hard decisions from a breakthrough.

D -- Decide:  Whatever you do -- do something!  Don't just flap your jaws.  Refuse to be paralyzed by indecision and fruitless hashing.  God has called you to make good decisions -- so gather the facts, make the best decision you can together, then, once you leave the room, give full support and act on it.