My 89-year-old mom—a force of nature who’s never met a challenge she couldn’t tackle solo—recently looked at me and said something I never thought I’d hear: “I might need some help.”
Cue the record scratch!
This woman—who raised four kids, traveled the world, and still teaches yoga every Monday—admitted that independence has its limits.
And there it was—my lightbulb moment about nonprofit governance.
Because let’s face it: we live in a culture obsessed with going it alone. The rugged individual. The “self-made” founder. The Instagram influencer who needs no one. “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps!” says everyone with suspiciously supportive footwear.
My mom doesn’t just need me—she needs a group of experts with skills I don’t possess. Physicians, nurses, physical therapists, social workers, and specialists, we won’t know we need until the need arises. It’s not “independent living” or “dependent living” she requires—it’s interdependent living. We all do, and so it is with boards.
According to a study published in the Harvard Business Review, boards with collaborative (a.k.a., interdependent) decision-making processes were 73% more likely to report high-performance outcomes for their organizations compared to boards characterized by individualistic approaches. That’s not just a good-to-do; it’s a must-do.
From the care team to your board team.
In our Powerhouse Governance Symposium, we take a deep dive into what helps boards become dynamic and high-performing. Here are a few pro-tips you might find handy.
Embrace and Activate The Three Duties (Care, Loyalty, Obedience):
These baseline requirements are the foundation of effective governance and guide both the independence and interdependence of board behavior. Core Functions: Just as Mom’s wellness depends on interconnected systems (medical care, social engagement, spiritual health), your organization’s success relies on the board’s interconnected responsibilities—shaping strategy, ensuring resources, and monitoring performance—none of which function in isolation.
The Team Dynamic: Mom reluctantly admitted that her “I can do it myself” approach was limiting her quality of life. Similarly, boards dominated by lone-wolf personalities or silent passengers never reach their potential. A Stanford study found that boards scoring high on “collective leadership” metrics experienced 40% less leadership turnover and significantly higher program effectiveness.
Making Interdependence Your Superpower
So how do we turn this insight into action? This month, try just one of these:
-
- Revamp the board agenda – Allocate your time in these chunks: 10% administration; 20% organizational performance; 60% strategy; 10% decisions and next steps. This simple reframe is a gamechanger that focuses the board’s attention and intention on results, impact, and performance.
- Map your board’s ecosystem – Spend 15 minutes visually mapping how your board members’ skills interconnect, then identify any gaps in your collective expertise.
- Adopt the “no solo heroics” rule – Challenge yourself to replace “I’ll handle it” with “Who else should be part of this conversation?
As my mom wisely noted while reluctantly accepting a temporary walker, “ “I don’t have to love this thing, but I can live with it!”
The same goes for your board’s interdependence. You might not love every decision, but finding a way to live with and commit to the board’s action strengthens governance.
Because ultimately, we all need some form of “assisted living”; we’re in it together. The sooner we embrace that truth, the stronger our governance and impact will become.
Onward!
Kimberley
