Slides for a webinar presentation on the Chait, Ryan and Taylor's Governance as Leadership model. Presented 9/23/13

1. 
Governance as Leadership in Practice
Mode III - Generative
Governance
As
Leadership
-- Dr. Debra Beck, www.boardlearning.org, debrabeck@boardlearning.org

2. GAL - Debra’s “In a Nutshell”
 Our ultimate governance responsibility is:
 Envisioning the future (generative)
 Moving toward it (strategic), and
 Stewarding resources assigned to advance it
(fiduciary)

3. Three Board Duties (plus)*
 Duty of Loyalty
 Duty of Obedience
 Duty of Care
* Duty of Imagination

4. 
Governance as Leadership Model
Mode III - Generative
Governance
As
Leadership

5. Generative Mode (“Why?”)
 Role: Sense-maker Responsibility: Insight
 “Source of leadership to discern, frame, and
confront challenges rooted in
values, traditions, and beliefs”
 “Engage in sense-making, meaning-making, and
problem-framing”
 - Dr. Cathy Trower

6. Generative – In Practice
 Problem finding (precursor to everything else)
 Anticipating the future - uncharted territory
 Boundary work
 Creative framing of issues
 Exploring from different perspectives
 Asking ‘what does this mean?’
 Individual, collective reflection

7. Four Frames
 Structural - rules, authority, priorities, policies, etc.
 Human resources - relationships, fit
questions, professional development, needs
assessment
 Political - questions of power, constituency
interests, coalitions, needs for
compromise, collaboration
 Symbolic - questions of meaning, values, beliefs; use
of stories, ceremonies, etc.
-- Bolman and Deal

8. Examples of generative questions*
 “What will be the most strikingly different about this
organization in five years?”
 “Five years from today, what will this organization’s key
constituents consider the most important legacy of the
current board?”
 “What will be most different about the board or how
we govern in five years?”
 “What is the biggest gap between what the
organization claims it is and what it actually is?”
* Governance as Leadership (2005), pp. 123-134

9. Debra’s “Generative” Musts
 Agendas with open space for
 questions
 reflection
 Access to range of
 Information
 Perspectives
 Connections

10. More “Generative” Musts
 Clarity of mission, direction
 Members willing to ask different types of
questions – tough questions
 Connections across boundaries
 Reaching out, in

11. Generative Mode in Your Practice

12. Fiduciary Mode (“What?”)
 Role: Steward Responsibility: Oversight
 “Stewardship of tangible assets”
 “Oversee operations”
 “Deploy resources wisely”
 “Ensure legal and financial integrity”
 “Monitor results”
 - Dr. Cathy Trower

13. Fiduciary – In Practice
 Monitoring budget, investments
 Ensuring compliance w/federal, state, local laws
 Ensuring accountability to stakeholders
 Anticipating, monitoring risks
 Setting, monitoring policies
 Problem identification

14. Fiduciary Mode in Your Practice

15. Strategic Mode (“How?”)
 Role: Strategist Responsibility: Foresight
 “Partner with senior staff to think strategically”
 “Scan internal and external environments”
 “Design, reflect on, and adapt strategic plans”
 “Strengthen competitive advantage”
 - Dr. Cathy Trower

16. Strategic – In Practice
 Mission identification, advancement
 Working with CEO to identify strategic
issues, opportunities, define goals
 Exploring implications of potential decisions
 Identifying, monitoring strategic benchmarks
 Board focus on boundary-spanning
 Problem solving

17. Strategic Mode in Your Practice