Extraordinary Board Leadership: The Keys to High Impact Governing: The Keys to High Impact Governing

Doug Eadie's book contains important "how to" information for all those school boards out there who are trying to bring stability to their district. The plan is clear and the argument is convincing. My suggestion is that every school superintendent and every board member read the book with an open mind. Then, go for it if your board needs improvement. Mr. Eadie's insightful treatment of human interactions is without equal in this realm. My only criticism is that the publisher needs to employ a talented editor to go through the text of the book for the next edition.

This is a book which should be read by anyone who is a member of the governing board of an organization. Eadie examines what he calls "seven keys to high-impact governance." He organizes his excellent material within six chapters, several of which conclude with "A Closing Word", "In Conclusion" or "In Closing" commentary which summarizes key points. Here are the six chapter titles:Getting a Handle on the Work of GoverningDeveloping the Board as a Human ResourceBuilding and Maintaining the Board-CEO RelationshipDeveloping Your Board's Structure and Performance Management CapacityInvolving Your Board in Leading InnovationInvolving Your Board in Operational Planning and Management in the External AreaEadie then provides a "Suggested Bibliography" for those in need of additional information sources. The book is primarily intended for those who are members of what Eadie calls a "strategic leadership team" such as a governing board member, CEO, or senior manager.As promised in the Preface, he provides practical, down-to-earth guidance that will help them build governing boards of directors and trustees that are extraordinary at doing their basic job: governing. Eadie acknowledges that his book is based on several "critical assumptions": boards are organizations that can produce significant impact if they are systematically designed and developed; boards are above all else people; building extraordinary, high-impact boards is a team activity; and finally, the CEO should be the prime mover in developing a high-impact board. What Eadie provides is a comprehensive and cohesive guide. With regard to the aforementioned seven "keys" to extraordinary board leadership, they are: understanding in depth what governing is all about and generally how to develop a board's governing capacity; getting the right people to serve on the board and developing their governing skills; building and maintaining a strong board-CEO relationship; assembling a well-structured board which manages its own performance; having the board play a leading role in the organization's process for regularly generating significant innovation in an ever-changing, always-challenging environment; having the board play a strong, creative role in operational planning and budget preparation as well as operational oversight; and finally, having the board also play a creative role in external relations and financial resource development (i.e. fundraising). With eloquence and insight, Eadie explains HOW. After many years of either serving on a governing board or reporting to one, I am convinced that this book will also be of substantial value to staff members who have little (if any) direct contact with governing board members. In an ideal world, everyone involved in an organization (top to bottom) should think and behave as if she or he were entrusted with the authority and responsibility which almost all governing board members now have. In a less-than-ideal world such as ours, the value of this book