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Governance as Leadership: Reframing the Work of Nonprofit Boards
A new framework for helping nonprofit organizations maximize the effectiveness of their boards.
Written by noted consultants and researchers attuned to the needs of practitioners, Governance as Leadership redefines nonprofit governance. It provides a powerful framework for a new covenant between trustees and more macrogovernance in exchange for less micromanagement.
Informed by theories that have transformed the practice of organizational leadership, this book sheds new light on the traditional fiduciary and strategic work of the board and introduces a critical third dimension of effective generative governance. It serves boards as both a resource of fresh approaches to familiar territory and a lucid guide to important new territory, and provides a road map that leads nonprofit trustees and executives to governance as leadership.
Governance as Leadership was developed in collaboration with BoardSource, the premier resource for practical information, tools and best practices, training, and leadership development for board members of nonprofit organizations. Through its highly acclaimed programs and services, BoardSource enables organizations to fulfill their missions by helping build effective nonprofit boards and offering credible support in solving tough problems. For the latest in nonprofit governance, visit www.boardsource.org, or call us at 1-800-883-6262.
Written by noted consultants and researchers attuned to the needs of practitioners, Governance as Leadership redefines nonprofit governance. It provides a powerful framework for a new covenant between trustees and more macrogovernance in exchange for less micromanagement.
Informed by theories that have transformed the practice of organizational leadership, this book sheds new light on the traditional fiduciary and strategic work of the board and introduces a critical third dimension of effective generative governance. It serves boards as both a resource of fresh approaches to familiar territory and a lucid guide to important new territory, and provides a road map that leads nonprofit trustees and executives to governance as leadership.
Governance as Leadership was developed in collaboration with BoardSource, the premier resource for practical information, tools and best practices, training, and leadership development for board members of nonprofit organizations. Through its highly acclaimed programs and services, BoardSource enables organizations to fulfill their missions by helping build effective nonprofit boards and offering credible support in solving tough problems. For the latest in nonprofit governance, visit www.boardsource.org, or call us at 1-800-883-6262.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published October 6, 2004
52 people are currently reading
351 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
April 15, 2025
Very helpful perspective as I look towards taking on a board chair leadership role with a local nonprofit.
September 2, 2023
The authors posit that boards achieve governance as leadership with they perform all three modes of governance: fiduciary, strategic, and generative. Without the latter, which is often missing, boards become vulnerable to problems of purpose, which leads to dissatisfaction and poor governance. While about 20 years old now, this book still feels current if you're looking for inspiration for getting more out of your nonprofit board (which I think most people working with nonprofit boards are looking for). They pack a lot of theory, valuable framing, and example exercises into <200 pages. If a 2nd edition was ever created, I would just hope it included more real life case studies of boards that effectively perform all three modes.
Excerpts I may or may not reference in the future:
"Now both theoreticians and practitioners realize that effective leaders are "cognitively complex", that is, able to think and work effectively and concurrently in multiple modes: for instance, as managers, entrepreneurs, politicians, visionaries, analysts, learners, icons, and culture makers. Effective leaders move seamlessly from mode to mode as conditions warrant." p. 6
"Good work... relies on a balance between opportunity and capacity. If the opportunity at hand is too challenging, it produces anxiety. If the work at hand is too easy, it produces boredom. The preferred work state (i.e. flow) produces concentration, absorption, and high performance because both challenges and skills are high and equal to each other." p.31
"Even in the nonprofit sector - ground zero for the mobilization of collective action - leaders reign more and more. The move away from the dowdy title of 'executive director' (an avatar of principal-agent) to CEO speaks to a trend, as does the advent of the 'social entrepreneur', a visionary who delivers innovations to society." p. 43
"Strategic positioning means performing different activities from rivals' or performing similar activities in different ways." (Michael Porter, p. 55)
"The capacity for strategic innovation increases proportionately with each mile you move away from headquarters." p.65
footnote: "we use the term 'generative thinking' to refer to a cognitive process that dozens of theorists in several disciplines have described by different names... Karl Weick (sense-making), Donald Schon (reflective practice), Henry Mintzberg (emergent strategy), Ronald Heifetz (adaptive leadership), Michael Polanyi (personal knowledge), Robert Birnbaum (cognitive complexity), Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal (framing organizations), James March and Michael Cohen (sensible foolishness)" p. 83
Four frames that leaders can use to perceive and understand organizational situations:
Structural Frame: focus on authority, rules, regulations, priorities, policies, procedures, plans, chains of command, and performance control
HR frame: focus on relationship or fit between people and organization, members' needs, skills, fulfillment, commitment, and professional development.
Political frame: focus on exercise of power, constituents, coalitions, conflict, compromise, bargaining, negotiating, and allocation of resources
Symbolic frame: focus on organizational culture, meaning, beliefs, stories, rituals, ceremonies, myths, spirit, and expression
"Few partnerships, none less than trustees and their chief executive, succeed on the strength of clear boundaries. When trustees and staff share the labor, the complexity of board-staff interactions is not eliminated. But the results do make the tensions worth bearing." p. 99
"... significant change occurs only when anxiety over the failure to change supercedes the anxiety associated with change." p.131
"Size does not matter nearly as much as some imagine. The size of a board affects how a board works more than how well it works." p.176
Excerpts I may or may not reference in the future:
"Now both theoreticians and practitioners realize that effective leaders are "cognitively complex", that is, able to think and work effectively and concurrently in multiple modes: for instance, as managers, entrepreneurs, politicians, visionaries, analysts, learners, icons, and culture makers. Effective leaders move seamlessly from mode to mode as conditions warrant." p. 6
"Good work... relies on a balance between opportunity and capacity. If the opportunity at hand is too challenging, it produces anxiety. If the work at hand is too easy, it produces boredom. The preferred work state (i.e. flow) produces concentration, absorption, and high performance because both challenges and skills are high and equal to each other." p.31
"Even in the nonprofit sector - ground zero for the mobilization of collective action - leaders reign more and more. The move away from the dowdy title of 'executive director' (an avatar of principal-agent) to CEO speaks to a trend, as does the advent of the 'social entrepreneur', a visionary who delivers innovations to society." p. 43
"Strategic positioning means performing different activities from rivals' or performing similar activities in different ways." (Michael Porter, p. 55)
"The capacity for strategic innovation increases proportionately with each mile you move away from headquarters." p.65
footnote: "we use the term 'generative thinking' to refer to a cognitive process that dozens of theorists in several disciplines have described by different names... Karl Weick (sense-making), Donald Schon (reflective practice), Henry Mintzberg (emergent strategy), Ronald Heifetz (adaptive leadership), Michael Polanyi (personal knowledge), Robert Birnbaum (cognitive complexity), Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal (framing organizations), James March and Michael Cohen (sensible foolishness)" p. 83
Four frames that leaders can use to perceive and understand organizational situations:
Structural Frame: focus on authority, rules, regulations, priorities, policies, procedures, plans, chains of command, and performance control
HR frame: focus on relationship or fit between people and organization, members' needs, skills, fulfillment, commitment, and professional development.
Political frame: focus on exercise of power, constituents, coalitions, conflict, compromise, bargaining, negotiating, and allocation of resources
Symbolic frame: focus on organizational culture, meaning, beliefs, stories, rituals, ceremonies, myths, spirit, and expression
"Few partnerships, none less than trustees and their chief executive, succeed on the strength of clear boundaries. When trustees and staff share the labor, the complexity of board-staff interactions is not eliminated. But the results do make the tensions worth bearing." p. 99
"... significant change occurs only when anxiety over the failure to change supercedes the anxiety associated with change." p.131
"Size does not matter nearly as much as some imagine. The size of a board affects how a board works more than how well it works." p.176
August 4, 2025
This is the best book on nonprofit governance I’ve read (okay, it’s the only book I’ve read on nonprofit governance!).
The authors lay out three essential roles for a nonprofit board:
1. Fiduciary – Boards are responsible for stewarding the organization’s resources wisely. Also: don’t go to jail.
2. Strategic – Boards assist in shaping strategy: What’s the best way to get from A to B? They advise—and sometimes correct—the executive on the chosen strategy.
3. Generative – Boards help frame the core problems and solutions for the organization. It’s not just how to get from A to B, but what are A and B? Boards advise the executive on where the organization is and where it should be headed.
Most boards operate only at level one. Some function at levels one and two. Very few engage in all three. But functioning well in all three roles—fiduciary, strategic, and generative—should be the goal of every board.
The authors lay out three essential roles for a nonprofit board:
1. Fiduciary – Boards are responsible for stewarding the organization’s resources wisely. Also: don’t go to jail.
2. Strategic – Boards assist in shaping strategy: What’s the best way to get from A to B? They advise—and sometimes correct—the executive on the chosen strategy.
3. Generative – Boards help frame the core problems and solutions for the organization. It’s not just how to get from A to B, but what are A and B? Boards advise the executive on where the organization is and where it should be headed.
Most boards operate only at level one. Some function at levels one and two. Very few engage in all three. But functioning well in all three roles—fiduciary, strategic, and generative—should be the goal of every board.
September 10, 2019
Chait, Ryan, and Taylor promise reframing with their subtitle, and the book offers several options for doing so. It posits that boards can function as leaders when their work is focused in the right places, and structures it around three modes of governance. The third of these is "generative," (versus fiduciary and strategic) and I was particularly struck by a personal observation that allocating time to generative work is lacking for almost everyone, trustee or no.
The book is very clear, well-structured, and thoughtful. It's not an especially compelling read unless you have a situation to which it directly applies, but such a situation needn't necessarily involve a nonprofit board per se. When they write of boards working best "at the edges" of the board room, reaching in to management and out to networks, it resounds with me as a manager as well.
The book is very clear, well-structured, and thoughtful. It's not an especially compelling read unless you have a situation to which it directly applies, but such a situation needn't necessarily involve a nonprofit board per se. When they write of boards working best "at the edges" of the board room, reaching in to management and out to networks, it resounds with me as a manager as well.
December 19, 2017
Here is a readable introduction to successful non-profit governance, arguing skillfully in favor of the value of three different types of board work: fiduciary, strategic, and generative. The authors tells us that two many boards focus on the first, some on the first two, but very few on all three. And that is to the DISadvantage of the organization.
Ideal governance occurs when executives and trustees collaborate together to identify underlying organizational issues and jointly figure out solutions. It's not exactly a page-turner but, as someone interested in creating a well-functioning non-profit board, I found it full of helpful explanations, ideas and some practical how-tos.
Ideal governance occurs when executives and trustees collaborate together to identify underlying organizational issues and jointly figure out solutions. It's not exactly a page-turner but, as someone interested in creating a well-functioning non-profit board, I found it full of helpful explanations, ideas and some practical how-tos.
January 6, 2020
Excellent book on effective forms of governance and useful reference when thinking about the work of non-profit boards. Doesn’t provide many practical solutions but does provide a theoretical overview of generative governance.
December 20, 2024
remember when i accidentally signed up for a summer elective called “governance of independent schools” thinking that mean like Austin Independent School District but it actually meant private schools lmao
November 28, 2017
A necessary read for all who are in nonprofit leadership.
November 13, 2023
This was a textbook for my masters program.
February 15, 2023
The book introduces a wonderfully helpful concept: boards should govern in three modes — fiduciary, strategic, and generative. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the book is written in an incredibly dry style.
January 11, 2016
Every once in a while a book comes along that changes everything. This is one of those books... and that's why it gets the five stars from me.
These authors were recruited by BoardSource, one of the most trusted names in nonprofit organizing, to study models of effective board structures and help all of us ease in to the 21st century with some new strategies for increasing the engagement and impact of nonprofit boards of directors.
The term "governance" (which, thankfully, is increasingly in use these days) refers to the set of responsibilities and obligations that belong uniquely to the board of directors. This distinguishes it from "management" or "daily operations" which belong to staff. Many models of board governance have been put forward over the years, including one or two so reviled in the field today they are no longer mentioned by name. They tended to focus on drawing those clear distinctions, training board members on what to keep their hands off of, and setting up chains of command.
While the Governance as Leadership model does recognize the different responsibilities of board and staff, it makes room for the gray space between where board and staff both benefit from having access to each other's way of thinking. Governance as Leadership creates a framework for understanding the purpose of the board, which leads to greater engagement of board members and increased effectiveness of their organizations. When board and staff work together to co-create the future, they make it more likely they will achieve it together. Brilliant.
The three pillars of Governance as Leadership are described as "modes", three co-equal purposes of a nonprofit board. Most of us are pretty familiar with the fiduciary mode. That's what the laws all address and what we all give and get training on regularly. Set a budget, monitor the programs, make sure the CEO is doing his or her job. Check, check, check. The second mode is also familiar, though less regularly done by boards: strategic. This is the act of choosing priorities and thinking through the best ways of getting where we want to go from where we are. How do we invest our time, money, and other resources? What opportunities may be coming along that can help us further our mission? Some boards play act at this and others do it well, usually depending on the CEO, but most board members find this level of discussion more engaging than merely reviewing a balance sheet or an executive performance evaluation.
It's the third mode that has the most potential to revolutionize the nonprofit field, and has certainly brought change to my consulting practice. It has an unfamiliar name - "generative" - and will require some explanation, but volunteer board members are going to love this. Governing in generative mode is co-creating the organization: deciding what its purpose is, what its values are, and where it's going. This is the stuff that makes the biggest difference to success and CEOs who share this work with their boards will find that the trustees are more involved, more enthusiastic, and more likely to remain with the organization (um, and raise funds for it.) Board members recruited for their talent and experience will be glad for the opportunity to contribute their talent and experience. Smart CEO's will be glad for that, too.
From now on, I will start every new contract for board development and strategic planning work with a presentation on Governance as Leadership. I'll add this model to my consulting firm's values and information about "how I work." I will counsel the executive directors who call and ask for my help to clarify roles and responsibilities that this is not so black and white anymore. Sure, we can help prevent board members from "micromanaging" daily operations, but not by giving them a position description that says "thou shalt not." We'll do it by engaging them in the creative work in the generative mode of governance, enthusiastically involving them in strategic thinking - not just once a year - and by setting up the simple processes of executing fiduciary responsibility.
What am I waiting for? There's work to do!
These authors were recruited by BoardSource, one of the most trusted names in nonprofit organizing, to study models of effective board structures and help all of us ease in to the 21st century with some new strategies for increasing the engagement and impact of nonprofit boards of directors.
The term "governance" (which, thankfully, is increasingly in use these days) refers to the set of responsibilities and obligations that belong uniquely to the board of directors. This distinguishes it from "management" or "daily operations" which belong to staff. Many models of board governance have been put forward over the years, including one or two so reviled in the field today they are no longer mentioned by name. They tended to focus on drawing those clear distinctions, training board members on what to keep their hands off of, and setting up chains of command.
While the Governance as Leadership model does recognize the different responsibilities of board and staff, it makes room for the gray space between where board and staff both benefit from having access to each other's way of thinking. Governance as Leadership creates a framework for understanding the purpose of the board, which leads to greater engagement of board members and increased effectiveness of their organizations. When board and staff work together to co-create the future, they make it more likely they will achieve it together. Brilliant.
The three pillars of Governance as Leadership are described as "modes", three co-equal purposes of a nonprofit board. Most of us are pretty familiar with the fiduciary mode. That's what the laws all address and what we all give and get training on regularly. Set a budget, monitor the programs, make sure the CEO is doing his or her job. Check, check, check. The second mode is also familiar, though less regularly done by boards: strategic. This is the act of choosing priorities and thinking through the best ways of getting where we want to go from where we are. How do we invest our time, money, and other resources? What opportunities may be coming along that can help us further our mission? Some boards play act at this and others do it well, usually depending on the CEO, but most board members find this level of discussion more engaging than merely reviewing a balance sheet or an executive performance evaluation.
It's the third mode that has the most potential to revolutionize the nonprofit field, and has certainly brought change to my consulting practice. It has an unfamiliar name - "generative" - and will require some explanation, but volunteer board members are going to love this. Governing in generative mode is co-creating the organization: deciding what its purpose is, what its values are, and where it's going. This is the stuff that makes the biggest difference to success and CEOs who share this work with their boards will find that the trustees are more involved, more enthusiastic, and more likely to remain with the organization (um, and raise funds for it.) Board members recruited for their talent and experience will be glad for the opportunity to contribute their talent and experience. Smart CEO's will be glad for that, too.
From now on, I will start every new contract for board development and strategic planning work with a presentation on Governance as Leadership. I'll add this model to my consulting firm's values and information about "how I work." I will counsel the executive directors who call and ask for my help to clarify roles and responsibilities that this is not so black and white anymore. Sure, we can help prevent board members from "micromanaging" daily operations, but not by giving them a position description that says "thou shalt not." We'll do it by engaging them in the creative work in the generative mode of governance, enthusiastically involving them in strategic thinking - not just once a year - and by setting up the simple processes of executing fiduciary responsibility.
What am I waiting for? There's work to do!
August 27, 2014
advocates for thinking of the responsibilities of boards as including not just fiduciary oversight or strategic consultation but also participating in leadership by framing the questions in the first place. So for instance if the clock were dialed back a couple years and American U plan to build new law school campus were brought to the board for consideration, don't just ponder.....
(a) will issuing these bonds affect our credit rating negatively?
(b) how can we manage in the current building during the construction process etc.?
but also (c) what sort of school do we want to have in 10 or 20 years, and is a new building going to help us get there?
not the most scintillating reading. Lots of introducton of jargon, repetition of key points, and one-liners about successful consultations with boards. I could have used a couple of extended real examples. Here's a board that screwed up by failing to exercise leadership, and here's a contrast case that went well.
(a) will issuing these bonds affect our credit rating negatively?
(b) how can we manage in the current building during the construction process etc.?
but also (c) what sort of school do we want to have in 10 or 20 years, and is a new building going to help us get there?
not the most scintillating reading. Lots of introducton of jargon, repetition of key points, and one-liners about successful consultations with boards. I could have used a couple of extended real examples. Here's a board that screwed up by failing to exercise leadership, and here's a contrast case that went well.
October 29, 2008
Chait and his co-authors present a powerful new framework within which non-profit boards can become more highly effective and engaged by working effectively within each of three modes and matching the best mode to the task at hand. The modes are the fiduciary, the strategic and the generative. While the fiduciary and strategic modes are well known, much less discussed and thought about in terms of how it relates to governance is the generative mode. This is where sense making and framing of problems and opportunities occurs. Chait et al build a strong case for the opportunity for non-profit executives and boards to strengthen organizational leadership and board engagement through learning to govern in the generative mode as well as fiduciary and strategic.
August 10, 2012
This book has been around for a few years and has really shaken up the nonprofit community. There are three types of board leadership: Type 1 Fiduciary where boards are concerned primarily with the stewardship of tangible assets; Type 2 - strategic where boards create a strategic partnership with management; and Type 3 the generative mode where boards provide a less recognized but crritical source of leadership for the organization - framing the questions for robust discussions.
August 13, 2015
Was referenced during several workshops for the 2015 Africa International Schools Association (AISA) conference, it's been required reading for our Board this summer. It's stimulating needed changes, helping us to analyze the source of some of our frustrations of how things have been done, and providing a common language to do something new.
December 30, 2009
A good introduction to current thinking about what non-profit boards should do - and how they should do it. If you serve on a non-profit, this book will help you understand your role as a board member in order to maximize your effectiveness as you work to lead your organization.
June 3, 2012
Having served, and currently serving on, many different non-profit boards, I was interested to see if I would learn much new with this book. Although there were some interesting points made, I found the book to be less than a riveting read.
August 26, 2014
If you are on a non-profit board and you are wondering why and what you can really contribute. Read this book. It is an easy-to-read book about governance that will make you think about your responsibilities as a board member in a different way.
August 24, 2014
Read this one for work. A new board chair asked all board members and leadership to read this at the same time. Sparks some interesting thinking, and helps shift the focus of what the board should be talking about. I'm looking forward to the changes.
March 11, 2008
What can I say,it's a really great academic text for people interested in not-for-profit boards...which, I assume, is everyone.
January 8, 2009
A little to thorough for my liking. Chait gets a bit pretensious when he starts quoting himself from previous books he's written.
February 12, 2009
eh, he spent too much time talking around his main points. He could have said what needed to be said in 20 pages.
March 23, 2009
If non-profit governance is your thing, this book presents some really interesting (and solid) ideas about how to make your board smarter, better functioning, and more useful.
March 6, 2012
As textbooks go, this one was engaging and easy to follow. The authors articulate their points very well, and this book is great for the up-and-coming nonprofit leader.
January 27, 2014
I realized the non-profit I've been working with makes these "worst case scenarios" look delightful! Definitely a useful read for leaders or board members of non-profit organizations.
March 12, 2015
Tremendously helpful. Great suggested experiments to implement in meetings.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews