I’ve lost track of the number of boards I’ve served on. From organizations I’ve started myself to boards that have been around for nearly a century. They’ve included churches, foundations, mission groups, retreat centers, colleges, conferences, and companies.
The common denominator in them all? Building a good board is hard work. You need quality people who share your vision and have the capacity to help. Finding the right people is not easy.
Decades ago I discovered the late Max De Pree’s books about leadership. One of the most helpful insights was the four W’s for board members: work, wealth, wisdom, and witness.
A good board member is able to help with the work, provide wealth to fund the organization, offers wisdom in guiding the organization, and acts as a witness of the organizational mission. Not all board members have all four to offer, but you need a healthy blend to succeed. (Note: De Pree names wisdom as the most important).
Obviously that’s a great list. But after decades of serving on boards I have two more W’s to add:
Wit and Wine.
Wit because a good board communicates well with each other and trusts each other enough to even joke around a bit. Wine because a good board celebrates success together. The very best boards have people who enjoy spending time together, learning from each other, and challenging each other.
That’s why when I put a board together I look for work, wealth, wisdom, witness, PLUS wit and wine. I want people who can laugh together, love each other, and celebrate with each other.
Each board is different of course, but there needs to a shared set of values. I happen to value wit — something that make everyone smile. And I love wine, but really it could be anything that brings people together in a fun, relaxed way. My point is not that you have to build a board around wit and wine, but you need to think about the cultural values you want in your board and then find people who will embrace them.
A quick word on diversity. Everything I’ve said above is no excuse for creating a homogenous board of people who think, act, speak, and plan alike. I’ve seen too many board leaders who passed on good people because he/she wasn’t sure they “fit in” with the organization. Sometimes that’s true, but too often it’s implicit bias (or code for explicit bias). So I call bs on that whole “they don’t fit” in excuse. You can be witty, laugh, joke, tease, and celebrate with people who are very unlike you.
Anyway, if you are asked to be in a position of leadership, you might find it wise to build a team (whether a board or your colleagues) who understand the value of work, wealth, wisdom, and witness. Just remember you will want people around you who value wit and wine as well!