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Billy Arcement, MEd.
Professional Speaker
Take
A Sounding on Your Board Leadership Skills
By Billy Arcement, M.Ed.
What
are the critical factors that make a school board president
successful? Using
the common strands from numerous articles on board leadership
and half a dozen board evaluation systems, I’ve put together a
leadership style evaluation for board presidents that I’ve
used successfully with my own board and with others where I’ve
served as a consultant.
You
can use this rating system to gauge your effectiveness as board
president, or you can ask your board to rate your leadership.
Either way, be sure to answer questions based on behavior
or performance, not personality or intentions.
For
each of the following, assign a rating of from 1 to 5, as
follows: 1 =
excellent; 2 = more than you expect;
3 = what you would expect;
4 = less
than you expect; 5
= poor.
General characteristics
-
Has sufficient interpersonal understanding.
-
Simulates the group.
-
Has respect for members of the board.
-
Is an effective representative of the board.
-
Establishes a good working climate.
-
Promotes systematic problem solving.
-
Treats all board members equally.
-
Is trustworthy.
-
Uses the leadership style that best serves the board.
-
Has good listening skills.
-
Does not have a hidden agenda.
-
Is consistent in dealings with people.
-
Does not abuse the power of the chair.
-
Establishes a tone for cooperative leadership
-
Follows through on board members’ questions and concerns.
Conduct
of meetings
-
Prepares well for meetings.
-
Directs the flow of discussion.
-
Encourages balanced participation.
-
Summarizes frequently during meetings.
-
Asks good questions.
-
Clarifies and crystallized ideas.
-
Follows parliamentary procedures.
-
Brings discussions to a satisfactory close.
-
Maintains necessary control of meetings.
-
Keeps the lid on explosive situations at meetings.
Relations
with the superintendent
-
Works well with the superintendent.
-
Understands board / superintendent relationships.
-
Keeps lines of communication open between the board and the superintendent.
After
board members rate the board president on each of these 30
items, they should then list two functions, roles, or actions
the president performs best and two that need improvement.
(It you’re rating your leadership as president,
here’s where you take an honest look at your strengths and
weaknesses.)
If you and your board approach this exercise in a spirit of constructive critique, rather than criticism--and if you work through it with the help of an impartial outside facilitator--you’ll find an evaluation of board leadership can be the catalyst for improvement.
This article is copyright 2000 Billy Arcement and The Results Group and cannot be published without permission from the author.
Billy
Arcement is a highly respected and recognized expert on personal
and organizational success techniques.
His messages are timely, inspirational, humorous, and
filled with refreshing warmth and sincerity audiences have come
to appreciate. Always the teacher, Billy has dedicated his life
to helping others reach their potential.
He knows how to instill a sense of action and purpose.
He is the author of Searching for Success as well as numerous nationally published articles. To get his free electronic newsletter, News from the Swamp
, call 888-376-7374, email your request to barcement@eatel.net or visit our web site at www.searchingforsuccess.com.
The Results
Group
36570 Swamp Road South
Prairieville, LA 70769
(225) 677-9426 or
toll free (888) 376-7374
barcement@eatel.net
Copyright © 2002, The Results Group, All Rights Reserved