• How to Start and Grow a Think Tank
• Grassroots Leadership Guide to K-12 Education Reform
  • Prologue
  • Decide What Type of Organization You Want to Become
  • Building and Maintaining an Effective Board
    • Overview
    • What Makes A Successful Board Member?
    • Major Duties of the Board of Directors
    • Building and Maintaining an Effective Board
    • Guidelines for Recruiting New Board Members
    • Ideas to Enhance Your Board
    • Board Member Job Description
    • Board Chair Job Description
    • Vice Chair Job Description
    • Board Secretary Job Description
    • Board Treasurer Job Description
    • Committee Chair Job Description
    • Sample Board of Directors Meeting Agenda
    • Board Attendance Policy
    • Source List for the Board of Directors
  • Get Things Up and Running
  • Legal Reference Material
  • Organize Your Staff and Volunteers
  • Examples of Programs and Operational Materials
  • Building Coalitions
  • Getting Your Message Out/Media Relations
  • Talking with Legislators
  • Raising Money
  • History of School Choice
  • Education Reform Research and Resources
  • Resources
• Taking Donors Seriously
• Fundraising Fundamentals

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What Makes A Successful Board Member?

A board member's success is determined not only by her business skills and experience, but by her personality traits, or character. In his book Welcome to the Board (@1995, Jossey-Bass Inc. Publishers) author Fisher Howe identifies several characteristics of successful, happy board members:

• They are honest.
• They are enthusiastic.
• They keep an open mind.
• They are team players.
• They tackle complex problems with relish.
• They take an orderly approach to decision making.
• They are competent.
• They have a sense of humor.

Personality traits in "problem" board members may include:

• Obsession with a single issue.
• Always taking the "contrarian" view--just for show.
• Expounding on strongly held opinions that are rarely backed up by fact or research.
• "Board hopping" - or sitting on many boards, but serving none well.