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technical knowledge of the organization’s key functions or aspects of
the economic development process. Those skills can be useful during
a change initiative.
4. The Board provides time and energy to help implement plans for

change. Employees are already overloaded. Giving them yet more
work to do (during the change process) can completely overload
them resulting in a failure to achieve desired results. This is likely to
significantly damage the organization.
5. The Board can provide a more objective assessment on specific
project issues and results than staff. Board members usually are not

involved a great deal in the day-to-day activities of the organization.
Consequently, they often retain an objective perspective on its
activities and resulting changes. Their perspective can be useful when
addressing issues in various projects and evaluating the quality of
change in the organization and the results achieved.

6. Involvement of Board members is a powerful means to Board
development. One of the best ways to get good Board members is to
give them something meaningful to do. Of course, it is also true that
one of the best ways to get rid of Board members is to give them
something to do they aren’t happy with. A particular organizational
project can be a useful means to give Board members something
productive to do – and, thus, develop the Board. 233

Dr. Bill Berger, the past chairman of the president of the American College
of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, stated: I believe that the functions of
leadership involve creating a purpose and sense of community, fostering
commitment rather than compliance. Successful leadership inspires trust by
integrating diverse views, supporting skillful conversations through dialogue, and

helping others exert their influence. This sharing of leadership is accomplished by
constantly facilitating, energizing, and sustaining others while encouraging
achievable tasks, creating a proper perspective of history and hope, and leading to a
collective vision for the future. 234

We should never forget the words of that great philosopher, Yogi Berra,
who advised others that you’ve got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re

233
http://managementhelp.org/misc/board-in-change.pdf.
234
http://www.news-source.org/ACAAI/Archive/2003/acaaionline09-03-03.htm.
David Kolzow 239