Overview of The CEO and the Board
During the past few years, the roles of nonprofit, university and foundation leaders and board members has become more complex. Heightened competition, tighter margins, COVID-19, the explosion of technology, culture wars, and challenges in recruiting and retaining talented staff, has created an environment where change is the only constant.
The CEO and the Board: The Art of Nonprofit Governance as a Competitive Advantage provides a roadmap that will guide boards and senior leadership teams to openly examine and adapt its governance model so that it is tailored to drive organizational missional success. Dr. Senske offers the results of his research, including several common expectations that must be met, including addressing the elephants in the room, focused strategic planning, culture, skills, passion, purposeful succession, and integrity.
The author, Dr. Kurt Senske, is the Founder and Principal of CEO-Board Services. He previously served as the CEO of Upbring (formerly Lutheran Social Services of the South). His extensive board services include serving as Chair of Thrivent Financial as well as Lutheran Hour Ministries. Dr. Senske offers the results of his own research and experience, to help leaders and their boards openly examine and adapt its governance model to create a competitive advantage designed to drive organizational missional success.
Reviews
"Dr. Senske’s rich and provocative insights into non-profit governance best practices is a must-read for board chairs, members, and CEOs. This book moves at a fast, satisfying pace, and provides scores of questions and topics that help heighten the individual and collective self-awareness of board members. Good stewardship suggests that every board and CEO collaboratively read and explore Dr. Senske’s work as part of a self-evaluation and improvement initiative. Repeating this process every few years and using the book as a reference when governance issues and opportunities arise will help us lead our non-profits to outcomes that best serve our communities. They deserve nothing less."
-Don Scifres, Founder & Managing Director, 28:20 Capital
"Dr. Senske recognizes the tough challenges facing CEOs and boards in today’s increasingly complex and ever-changing environment and offers powerful insights and practical advice on both the art and science of governance. This is a must-read for nonprofit CEOs and boards who want a strategic board of directors that creates a competitive advantage and achieves their organization’s potential."
- Charlotte Haberaecker, President and CEO, Lutheran Services in America
"The most important aspect of governance expert Kurt Senske’s insightful book is that he recognizes upfront that nonprofit organizations, in fact, operate in highly competitive arenas. Yes, they are vital service organizations, but they must compete for constituent attention, gifted leaders, engaged experts, and financial resources. And what Senske makes clear is that the right governance structure and board composition can make the difference between mediocrity and excellence in those competitive endeavors."
-Kirk D. Farney, Ph.D., Vice President for Advancement, Vocation, & Alumni Engagement, Wheaton College (IL)