Issue No. 11 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (Nov. 6, 2006) features The Board Bucket and other management buckets. Do your team members understand the role of both nonprofit and for-profit boards? Patrick Lencioni, who wrote the foreword to this week’s book, quotes the author, “a greeter at Wal-Mart gets more orientation than most board members ever do.” Also, check out the 20 management buckets (core competencies) and more book reviews at the Pails in Comparison Blog.
Jim Brown writes, “Boards don’t need to hear how busy the CEO is—they need to hear about results.”
With big print, mind-grabbing graphics and a story line in the tradition of Ken Blanchard and Patrick Lencioni books, you’ll value the author’s seven disciplines in this leadership fable about business boards, nonprofit boards, and faith-based boards.
Example: “The best boards keep their noses in the business and their fingers out!” Brown warns, “The only way a board can responsibly do its job without meddling is by monitoring very well.” Buy a bunch and give a copy to each board member and senior executive on your team.
TO ORDER FROM AMAZON, click on the title for The Imperfect Board Member: Discovering the Seven Disciplines of Governance Excellence, by Jim Brown.
 Your Weekly Staff Meeting Questions: 1) Write down the top three responsibilities of our organization’s board of directors. (Then, of course, compare notes and give the correct answers.) 2) The author writes, “Typically, CEOs and executive directors considered the board to be a necessary nuisance.” How does our organization view our board?
BONUS REVIEW!
I also reviewed Jim Brown's book on July 24, 2018, in my blog series, "18 Best Board Books," for ECFA's Governance of Christ-Centered Organizations. (Here's the index to more than 300 blogs I wrote on board governance between 2011 and 2020.)
Jim Brown’s seven disciplines of board governance are memorable: • Direct • Protect • Connect • Expect • Respect • Select • Reflect
With mind-grabbing graphics and a story line in the tradition of Ken Blanchard and Patrick Lencioni books, you’ll value the author’s seven disciplines in this leadership fable about business boards, nonprofit boards, and faith-based boards. Interestingly, the “guru” in this fable is a pastor of a large church—and he’s governance-savvy.
Jim Brown, a board consultant (visit OrgHealth) writes, “The best boards keep their noses in the business and their fingers out!” He adds, “The only way a board can responsibly do its job without meddling is by monitoring very well.” This story tells you how to do that.
Why is this on my “Best Board Books” list? • The story format means your board members will actually read the book. • The story is just 156 pages (plus very helpful resources). • Memorable one-liners: “Boards don’t need to hear how busy the CEO is—they need to hear about results.”
One bonus: The graphic on page 41 gives the clearest picture of how communication, authority, and accountability work together when board members are also customers. Brilliant.
BOARD DISCUSSION: The author writes, “Beware of the ‘board of protectors,’ because it will focus on minimizing risks rather than maximizing opportunities. Boards must direct and protect.” How would we rate our board on balancing risk and opportunities?
MORE RESOURCES: For an index to the "18 Best Board Books" (18 good governance stimulators), click here.
2026 UPDATE! Watch for the 20th anniversary edition of The Imperfect Board Member arriving in 2026.
BREAKING NEWS!Watch for my May 19, 2026, review of Jim Brown's latest book, The Imperfect CEO: Making the Climb to Organizational Health. ( Pre-order from Amazon.)
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