1. From “Hi” Performing Boards to High-Performing Boards
Siri Akal Khalsa, Ed.D.
Executive Director
Northwest Association of Independent Schools

2. The Three Duties of Trust
Duty of Due Care: Active participation, reasonable inquiry
Duty of Loyalty: Promote the School’s public purpose, not private interests
Duty of Obedience: Be familiar with the by-laws, and local, state and federal regulations governing the school’s operations

3. “Governance…
…is deciding what’s important, what it means, and what to do about it.”
--Dick Chait

4. Mission and Vision Are Always At The Heart Of Great Governance
Why this unique school exists
Vision
Where we will be in 3-5 years
Strategic Development
How our continuous planning will get us to our vision
LR Financial Planning
How we will secure the resources we need
Annual Plan
What the school will focus on this year, according to the strategic plan

5. Hallmarks of Effective Boards
Has clarity of roles & responsibilities
Focuses time and attention on important issues
Restructures Board Work to get things done
Views board composition as strategic
Uses evaluation to learn rather than criticize
Has the confidence to take risks
Has constructive relationship with head and school staff
Has open and honest communication
Works together as an effective corporate unit

6. We live in “A VUCA world on Steroids” --Johansen & Ronn, The Reciprocity Advantage
However unpredictable the environment, a Board’s responsibility is to make sure the School is around and flourishing for its grandchildren.
Boards to work from a new understanding of VUCA
“Volatility demands Vision”
“Uncertainty requires Understanding”
“Complexity gives way to Clarity”
“Ambiguity calls for Agility”

7. The Leadership Dilemma
“You can’t put those in charge of tomorrow who are also in charge of today because…
…the urgent always overtakes the important.”

8. Our Schools Need Leadership That Transforms
“Leadership is the ability “to create the possibility of a future that isn’t going to happen otherwise, and enroll others into taking action to fulfill that future.”
Ivan Rosenberg

10. Partnership Model Three areas of collaborative work defined
Fiduciary – stewardship of tangible assets
Strategic – set priorities and future course
Generative – identify emerging trends to insure the school’s future
Strategic plans, no. Strategic mindsets, yes.
Heads & Boards work to achieve the new “3 Rs”:
Raise great kids
Raise the reputation of the school
Raise lots of money

11. Top Characteristics of High-Performing Boards
A shared understanding of roles and responsibilities
A strong strategic orientation—focusing on the decisions that need to be made to secure the school’s future
A culture of self-assessment, accountability, and open and honest communication, no matter how brutal the facts
Strategic board member recruitment and development
An effective structure for efficiency, development, and innovation
Conviction, clarity, courage
Commitment both to preserving core values and making progress

12. Twelve Principles of Governance That Power Exceptional Boards
Twelve Principles of Governance That Power Exceptional Boards* *Excerpted from The Source published by BoardSource
Constructive Partnership
Mission Driven
Strategic Thinking
Culture of Inquiry
Independent-Mindedness
Ethos of Transparency
Compliance with Integrity
Sustaining Resources
Results-Oriented
Intentional Board Practices
Continuous Learning
Revitalization

13. Our Boards’ Shared Mission is to Create Great Schools
“A great organization must meet three tests. It has to have superior results relative to its particular mission. It has to have a distinctive impact, which means if it went away it would leave an unfillable hole. A distinctive impact doesn’t mean it has to be big. An organization or school can be small and great. It just needs to be distinctive - so distinctive that people would truly miss it if it disappeared. The third quality is lasting endurance - endurance not only through multiple cycles but also through multiple generations of leadership.”
Jim Collins, author, Good to Great