Leadership Strategies – Board Composition Model

Michael Wilkinson, Managing Director
Leadership Strategies, Inc.

Many non-profit organizations seek a Board of Directors with members who are both highly involved and highly influential.  Board members who are involved care about the success of the organization and stay engaged in the work.  Board members who are influential have the resources, or access to the resources, to help support the organization.

However, having a non-profit Board made up mostly of members who are both involved and influential is very rare. How is your Board composed? 

At Leadership Strategies we have developed a model for analyzing the composition of a non-profit Board.  The model is a two-dimensional matrix that contrasts low and high influence against low and high involvement.

Board Composition Model from Leadership Strategies

1.     Superstars – High Involvement/High Influence

We use the term “Superstars” to refer to Board members that combine high involvement with high influence.  Superstars are typically highly involved in all aspects of the organization.  They typically will be officers on the Board or very active committee chairs.  At the same time, Superstars are so highly influential that their leadership attracts others who are also highly influential.  They have no trouble garnering resources for the organization, either through personal contribution, or through their wide network of influential contacts.

Most non-profit organizations would be fortunate to have one true Superstar on the Board.  Organizations with two Superstars can consider themselves blessed.  And non-profit organizations with three or more Superstars have likely positioned themselves as among the most prestigious boards in their area.

2.     Angels – Low Involvement/High Influence 

Angels are Board members who have low involvement with the organization, but bring high influence.  Angels are not likely to attend more than one or two board meetings a year.  They won’t be committee chairs and are not likely to attend many committee meetings.  However, Angels are committed to the organization.  And typically, once a year, you can make a request of an Angel and they will deliver. 

Because Angels are typically involved in so many other activities, it is important that requests be specific and limited in the amount of time required.  Requests may be to make a personal donation, to make a call to request resources, to lend their name to an important letter.  Because of their commitment to the organization, Angels are more than willing to contribute in any way they can, as long as the request is clear, worthy of their involvement, and short in duration.

3.     Worker Bees – High Involvement/Low Influence

In the typical non-profit organization, most Board members do not yield the influence of a Superstar or Angel.  However, their commitment and dedication to the organization is unquestionable.  We call this group Worker Bees.  Typically, Worker Bees care so much about the organization that they are willing to commit the time to be heavily involved.  Worker Bees likely attend every Board meeting.  They are willing to work between meetings to finalize plans, study reports, and interact with staff on implementing strategies.  For non-profit organizations that are short on staff resources, Worker Bees are typically willing to fill in the gaps.

4.     Bench Warmers – Low Involvement/Low Influence

Bench Warmer is the name we give to Board members who have low involvement with the organization and who also have low influence in the community.  While few Board members start out as Bench Warmers, over time those with low influence and low involvement can become a drag on the organization.  In essence, they are warming the seat until replaced by someone who can bring greater influence or involvement to the organization.

With these four definitions in place, let’s take a look at various Board compositions.

A Board that is dominated by Bench Warmers is an Absentee Board.  Board Members don’t show up for meetings, are not active outside of meetings, and do not provide significant support to the organization.

A Board that is primarily made up of Worker Bees and Benchwarmers is a Low Influence Board.  The Board will be involved in the work of the organization.  However, they will likely have trouble garnering the resources for sustaining or growing the organization.

A Board that primarily consists of Angels and Benchwarmers is a Low Involvement Board.  This Board serves much more in an advisory capacity:  members provide input, but seldom get their hands dirty.

A Board that is dominated by Superstars is rare indeed.  The Superstar Board is able to attract, engage and sustain a large group of Superstars from year to year.  This Board brings a level of influence and involvement that helps the organization excel in numerous areas.

While the Superstar Board may be unattainable for most non-profit organizations, we do recommend that organizations strive at least fora Stellar Board.  A Stellar Board roughly consists of 60 percent Worker Bees, 30 percent Angels and 10 percent Superstars.  For example, a Board of 30 will likely have a core group of about 20 at every meeting, and an additional group of 10 or more people who can be called upon as needed.

Some organizations have addressed the issue of involvement and influence in a different way.  They have created two boards: a primary Board that is low influence and engages in the work of the organization and an Advisory Board made up of Angels who can be called upon to provide resources as needed.

Where is your Board today?  Where do you want it to be?  As you consider your own Board and directions for the future, our services in strategic planning and board development may help you position your organization and your Board for success.

Leadership Strategies – The Facilitation Company has rapidly become one of the national leaders in facilitation services.  We provide organizations with professional facilitators who facilitate executive teams, boards and task forces in areas such as strategic planning, issue resolution, requirements analysis, process improvement and conference forums.  Along with being expert facilitators, Leadership Strategies also train people in facilitation, leadership and consulting skills. We offer public classes in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Washington, DC, and on-site private classes for clients around the nation and the world.

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