How to Sabotage Your Board

Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images

Board governance can often be derailed by behaviors that undermine effective decision-making. In “How to Sabotage Your Board,” Jon Huggett and Dariusz Jemielniak identify 14 common actions—ranging from withholding critical information to creating factions—that can significantly hinder a board’s ability to function effectively.

The article emphasizes the importance of recognizing and addressing these behaviors to foster a culture of trust and collaboration. By proactively managing potential disruptions, organizations can ensure that their boards remain focused on their mission and deliver meaningful impact.

Learn more about how to identify and address these challenges in board governance here.

Passing the Torch, Lighting the Way

Equal Justice USA (EJUSA) undertook a leadership transition from a White founder to a Black executive director by implementing intentional strategies focused on racial equity.

The organization prepared by revamping its mission, diversifying its staff and board, and building a strong leadership bench. Proactive engagement with funders ensured sustained financial support, allowing the new leader to focus on advancing EJUSA’s vision without the burden of proving their worth under inequitable conditions. 

The authors emphasize the importance of proactive planning and institutional readiness to mitigate the systemic challenges leaders of color often face. Read more about Jamila and Shari’s leadership transition efforts here.

Community Foundations as Leaders of Place-Based Equity Work

CFLeads and Public Equity Group (PEG) began collaborating in 2022 to document the equity journeys of 13 community foundations that participated in the CFLeads Racial Equity Network (2017-present).

Convened by CFLeads, a national network of community foundations, the Racial Equity Network aims to build the collective capacity of community foundations interested in advancing equity.

CFLeads and PEG have launched a field report and 13 case studies that spotlight how community foundations are advancing racial equity and diversity within their regions.

Equity Learning Lab: Field Resources

Back in 2020, as the country was grappling with horrifying incidents of racial injustice and violence and a global pandemic, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded a cohort of organizations seeking to advance their learning and progress on racial equity. This effort, called the Equity Learning Lab (ELL), involved almost 40 organizations, all of which are working on transforming health and healthcare with a focus on health equity.

When Public Equity Group began the ELL journey back in 2020, we knew that we wanted to create a space where we could share our most valuable stories, tools and resources, and insights from the ELL experience, as nothing quite like it, on its scale, had been done before. 

It is our greatest hope that these ELL resources will continue to support organizational efforts to cultivate inclusion and belonging for diverse teams, and more directly center racial equity in culture and strategy, to achieve more racially equitable outcomes. Now more than ever we are inspired to advance work that calls forth all of our community members’ beautiful talents and multiple intelligences - in service of equity and justice.