The director as servant and leader.

• Author: Bere, James F.
• Position: Chairman's Agenda: Balancing Shareholder Interests

The Director as Servant and Leader

In reviewing different situations I have faced as a director, the many colleagues I have worked with, and the decisions I have been part of, both good and bad, a model of what I consider to be the ideal director began to emerge.

The foundation for my model is captured nicely in a book published in 1977 by businessman Robert Greenleaf. His title sums up the conceptual model - Servant Leadership.

A good director is a servant of the institution and its shareholders. A good director is also a leader of the institution. To do the job properly, a good director should fill these roles simultaneously.

As I define the role of a servant-leader, a director should strive to foster three attributes in his or her organization: * A vision of the future, which I define as a plan that includes the values of the corporation; * Good communications; and * An openness to change.

First, the vision for the organization must be present to provide a framework for all subsequent decisions made by the board of directors. This vision must emanate from the CEO and be validated by the directors.

When you have agreed upon an established vision, the specific decisions you are asked to make can be guided by those long-term objectives. Without being tied in to a vision of where the organization hopes to go, a board is in trouble.

We serve by helping establish the vision, and we lead by keeping the vision as a constant guide for our decisions.

Second, good communication is critical to the successful operation of any organization, and it is especially important for a board dealing with the most sensitive issues a company faces.

Trust is an essential ingredient of open and honest communication. It takes time to build trust among the board members and between the board and the CEO. If trust is eroded, there is no greater imperative than to open a dialogue that will re-establish the trust necessary for good communication.

Seek first to understand, then to be understood. We cannot serve, we cannot lead, without the basic touchstone of good communication.

Third, and finally, I believe a good director must be an advocate of change. Change should be evolutionary, building upon what is good about our current system, and not revolutionary, reacting to criticism by throwing out the good with the bad.

Build on the good

My experience has been that most boards have done well - directors have discharged their duties with a great deal of sophistication...