My Next Board Meeting

The distinction between board and management is not about who knows more about running the business. Governing and managing are two different functions. But they necessarily intersect and appropriately blur boundaries when it comes to strategic and generative work. And this is where a good board adds value beyond its fiduciary role.

The board of the League of American Orchestras serves as thought partners to me and the senior staff, and not by substituting their judgments for ours. They don't know more or less than us; they know different. Each is passionate about our mission and each is a leader in their own sphere and most possess significant non-profit governance experience. And collectively, the board has grown its capacity to engage in the critical questions of mission, vision, and navigating strategic challenges. They are additive to management's work. And with the overwhelming upheavals in today's world, what manager would pass up the opportunity to have their perspective expanded?