Customer Reviews

The Imperfect Board Member: Discovering the Seven Disciplines of Governance Excellence

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This is an excellent resource for people who are on boards. It helps the board member know what his job is and what the board's job is. It really helps in defining the issues of 'Governance' and 'Management'. It is easy to read in story form. This teaches the lay person in a way that will keep his or her interest. I was so impressed with the book that I bought one for each of my board members and will be running a board retreat using a lot of the ideas from the book.

The Imperfect Board Member, Jim Brown, Jossey-Bass, a Wiley Imprint, 2006

This book is helpful to anyone involved in the governance of a club, a not-for-profit association or a commercial enterprise. Using a unique urban fable style to convey his message, author and consultant Jim Brown describes the progress of everyman CEO David Slater as he struggles to work with his own company's board and a small not-for-profit community board.

As the fable evolves David and by now you, the captivated reader, are discovering and learning how to apply the seven disciplines of governance excellence which just happens to be the subtitle of the book.

The author's basic premise is that organizations have to be both smart and healthy, and they can best do that when members' personal interests are subordinated to the interests of the stakeholders they are there to serve. But is that not why we all serve on boards? Yet, as many of us are aware, that is not always the reality. Few boards can say that their members truly leave personal interests at the boardroom door and focus solely on the interests of the stakeholders.

However, in fairness to those of us currently serving on boards, has anyone ever taught us how to be a good board member? This is where Jim Brown's little book excels. I said "little" because I read the book cover to cover in three hours.

While discovering the seven disciplines of governance excellence the reader witnesses the profound and sometimes painful changes high powered CEO David undergoes as he works at the corporate and community board levels.

The Seven Disciplines David learns are:
Reflect on Organizational Effectiveness
Respect Owner expectations
Select your Prominent Leadership
Direct and Protect Organizational Performance
Expect great Board & Management Interaction
Connect for Healthy Board Relations

Having outlined and modeled the seven disciplines, the author then puts the disciplines into a framework, the Governance Excellence Model or G.E.M., a trademark of Jim Brown's consulting company Strive! Inc. The G.E.M. is graphically illustrated as a diamond with six facets or areas of responsibility which essentially delineate board and management responsibility. Add to the G.E.M. the Secret Formula describing effective lines of communication introduced in an earlier chapter, and you have all the components of a highly effective board.

All in all, The Imperfect Board Member is a very worthwhile book that outlines in a clear and concise manner principles of good governance that can benefit all boards. I highly recommend this book to anyone currently serving on a board, and to anyone who would like to enhance their board experience.

Michel Lecavalier
President
Ontario Tennis Association

So this is what a board of directors is meant to do?

A fast paced, yet insightful and gripping journey into the importance of correct thinking for any and all considering or involved in a board of goverance. This book contains the basic guidelines to approach and make a meaningful inpact on both corporate and volunteer board of directors.

Great work, great read!

Thanks for the author for making it so enjoyable and informative!

The imperfect board member is too easy a read for the importance of the concepts it delivers. The book delivers a logical approach to governing that frees people to operated at their maximum because everyone has a clear unified vision of roles and responsibilities. If you are challenged by your time on a board or considering future board duties, read the book

Great concepts delivered in a unique a memorable style. As the foreward suggests, this could be read on a single flight or a few nights bedtime reading. If you are on a board or are thinking of joining one, this is a worthwhile read.

Recently reading the book "The Imperfect Board Member: Discovering the Seven Disciplines of Governance Excellence" by Jim Brown made me think back to past journeys in my life and to great times, good times and some not so good times as an Association/ organization CEO. Furthermore it encouraged me to do some additional reflection on my past and present activities. Finally it has encouraged me to think to the future and what still can be done and accomplished.

This book is a good read. It is an easy read. More importantly it is a worthwhile and a 'must' read.

Thanks Jim for putting the time in to this project to see it through to completion. Congratulations on a job well done! The results as presented in the book are bound to help many at the Board and staff levels of many organizations across the country and around the world.

A stranger to business I am not, and make no mistake, obviously neither is Jim Brown. This book nails so many points right on the head, that it would take too long to list! Good thing Brown put them in a book! A seemingly light read on the outset, yet slow down and learn folks. I wish everyone on a board, for profit or not for profit, a CEO or even those in senior management could read this. It so clearly defines boards, shareholders and managements roles in a non threatening way that as a third party fable view, you can't help but laugh and begin to peg characters of people that I'm sure you know in real life. The "Afterword" gives you so much free advice it's as good as a weekend seminar in itself, a suggested reading library, and a referral for testimonials. All that for $[...]! Why wouldn't a true student of life own this book? If your answer is anything other than buying this book in the next 60 seconds, then I guess the answer is obvious. (PS - no I don't work for Jim Brown)

Jim Brown really delivers on pinpointing the essence of effective board governance. Full of insight, this book clearly hits the nail on the head on each of the principles uncovered. It's hard to put down!

Hurray for The Imperfect Board Member. The book has really helped me -- a person who has been on a local board, but didn't really understand my board responsibilities. I now understand what it means to direct and protect, reflect, respect, select, expect, and connect in the board arena. Thankfully, the book is a fun, and easy read. It's something anyone could enjoy and benefit from.

Board work can be some of the most rewarding time spent in the business and non-profit world. It can also be one of the most frustrating.

Read this book and see how your time and energies can make a real difference. This book has reminded me that boards can change the world. It will give you and your peers around the BoD table the focus and clarity you need to do your job (and let your staff do theirs!).

Yea to Brown for writing an important and easy read. This is a must read for every leader in the both the non-profit and business sectors.