Harold TessendorfTessendorf ConsultingCertified Aligned Influence Consultant This article is based on the experiences and observations the author has made as an Aligned Influence consultant and practitioner while leading, training, and coaching Boards and Chief Executives over the past decade.   Introduction The Aligned Influence model functions as a synchronized governance operating system where the board

Organizations often grow for reasons that have little to do with governance strength. Maybe it is a charismatic leader, favorable time in the market, it might even be the result of a competitor’s missteps. For schools some time a new program catches fire or a demographic or cultural wave changes clients’ interest. None of these

While experience suggests that many organizations need to pay attention to their governance process and that with many, if not most, organizations, alignment between boards and executives is broken or breaking, it is often difficult, especially for board leadership to admit to this.  That is until there is a crisis or major issue in the

In many independent and faith-based schools, the Board of Directors carries a sacred responsibility: stewarding mission, ensuring long-term health, and supporting the Head of School with clarity and integrity. Yet even with that weighty charge, governance development often sits at the bottom of the agenda. When asked why, Boards frequently offer a familiar refrain: “We’re

Boards rarely say this out loud, but many feel it: “We tried Board training once, and it didn’t really help.” We have all been there. A past workshop felt irrelevant.  The retreat was too generic, the consultant talked at the Board instead of with them, the session didn’t translate into changed behavior, timing was wrong,

Boards rarely reject governance development outright. They simply postpone it.  And the most respectable, reasonable-sounding version of postponement is this: “Now is not the right time.” It’s a phrase that feels prudent. Responsible. Even strategic. But more often than not, it’s a shield, a way to avoid the discomfort, vulnerability, or discipline that real governance

Boards of Directors often carry a deep sense of pride in their school’s current health. Enrollment is steady. Finances look stable. The Head of School seems supported. Meetings run smoothly enough. In moments like these, it’s easy for a Board to say: “We’re in a good place right now. We don’t need governance development.” It

Board governance best practices are once again a hot topic as reflected by the number of searches for that phrase on Google. It might have risen to the top because of so many visible failures of governance. It might also be the sheer number of people that are currently serving on corporate, nonprofit, and civic