Art Of Teaching

I just came across the list of candidates vying for positions of Trustees in a private school. Before this I was never interested as to who were the trustees when I was working in a PRIVATE SCHOOL.

But I soon realized that for an organization to run smoothly it is very necessary to have an excellent set of trustees.

Through the years of service, I got to know a lot of Managements, especially the CEOs (THE SECRETARY OF THE TRUST), both directly and indirectly. I got to know more bad CEOs and only a few good ones. I am concentrating on the CEO because he is the one always running the show in private schools.

I presume none of the bad CEOs have any awareness that they are bad to begin with. They are bad because they lack vision, because they are unable to   manage a team, or because they have self-doubt that get in their way or because of their vested interest to remain in power for monetary benefits.  

Of course, in the long run of my career, I found some good ones who were devoted and dedicated, able to lead and influence others, forthright and unbiased, well-informed and voracious learners, valued discretion and privacy, and weren’t crooks in the real sense of the word.  We really need to look for these traits in the trustees which include discipline, confidence, leadership, empathy, and intellect as important characteristics.

Trustees are an important part of a team of people responsible for the governance of an organization. We can say board members, together and collectively, set the direction of the organization.

The composition of a Board of Trustees can vary greatly depending upon whether it is a board for a for-profit organization or not-for-profit organization.

 We need to seriously identify traits that define a good board member on an individual basis depending upon situations and the precise objectives, purposes, and depositary duties of a board of trustees. These are some qualities or features that are shared across most circumstances.

1. Activity: Every Trustee should have the ability to set aside individual aims, benefits and schemes. They should represent the interest of the organization at large.  

2. Collectivism: Trustees should never act alone but as part of a team. They need to speak as one unit and provide direction to the CEO and the employees, respect the ideal of collectivism and should be excellent contributor for the team.

3. Intrusive Auditor: As a Trustee you need to collect info. and understand the requirements, remarks, commendation, and anxieties of the people of the organization, be it the parents, staff or students and then contribute to decisions through concrete actions.

4. Agent: Good Trustees are agents of the organization they represent and should be responsible for them and their resources through their CEO.

5. Variety: There should be variety as a trait in the selection of board members and its construction. Variety in background and perception inspirations decides how trustees act and there is a body of study that supports board diversity leading to organization performances. Variety balanced with unity can suggest a varied viewpoint and may fill experience or expertise gaps among the trustees.

 As per Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, I will not focus on those who were “bad” but on those who were successful.

 Who can become a Good Trustee?

 He needs to be intellectual and well-informed about the organization he is going to be involved in. He, however may not necessarily be a professional or expert on it. A person with a different circumstance or viewpoint may be very helpful.

Female trustees have been marked to be excellent because ——-

1. They do their homework.
2. They ask intelligence and probing questions.
3. They provide objective and critical input.
4. They are honest and creative
5. They do not see their post just as a situation to earn some additional wealth but they seriously want to contribute.

 What are the responsibilities of a Trustee?

A Trustee needs to take care of legal and depositary issues, approve of the organization’s mission, aims and objectives, prepare policies related to membership, programs and services, granting approval to annual budget and major programmes and fee structure, advising the Secretary, who is responsible for the management of the organization and its employees.

IN NO WAY IS THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO INTERFERE IN THE DAY TO DAY RUNNING OF THE ORGANIZATION.

The Committee can function for three years and maximum up to 9 years at a stretch.  A total of 15 trustees with a Chairmanship position. Otherwise as per byelaws drawn up by the Trust from time to time.

My experience of bad CEOs’———

1) Bad Leaders show forged confidence but have zero real courage.2) Bad Leaders tend to be self-centered , arrogant and conceited and have no humbleness and compassion.3)  They are only concerned in their self-worth and not what people think of them.4)  They hate being opposed or challenged and always disregard different viewpoints.5)  They like to take all the credit for good work done if any, but are not responsible.6) Most of them lack integrity and are shrouded in a cloud of vested interests.7)  They cannot stand failure and are terrified of failure and will go to any extent to avoid it and suffer from big inflated egos. 8) They really are not caring about their employees, tend to manipulate them and basically are not bright but tend to show their smartness at the cost of others.9) They always try to justify their bad behavior and one-upmanship.  10) They have no moral qualms but get into the role of trustees largely due to circumstances and not due to talent. They get into the role due to their brazenness and because they can manipulate people to vote  for them using falsehood as a weapon. 11) They are psychopaths who lack empathy and use gimmicks to get their way. 12) They will either lie or stretch the truth about a range of things in front of their employees and say that it is done for their benefit only. They will not hold themselves accountable for their actions and tell the employees what they want to hear till their goal is achieved. Then it becomes ‘My way or the Highway’.

Good CEOs have central administrative principals and it is easy to know where they stand at all times. They are clear about their work, authentic about their point of view, and are always willing to stand for their principles. They have unpretentiousness and refinement and are obliged to be in their position. They take the accountability seriously and are continually determined to do better. They will never shy from seeking advice from similarly placed people with expertise as they want their organization to improve.

The bad ones stand for empty words which they say to conciliate everyone. They will change their stand on a dime if the politics which they do to keep their position changes. Bad CEOs classify people in an effort to regulate the narrative, have zero empathy and always have their own agenda. For them everybody is a pawn in their game.

The skills which are needed to be a good Management Trustee can be learned if the person is emphatic and honest but it is very difficult to persuade an arrogant Trustee who thinks of himself as “know all’ and is full of self- ego.

When people are taking up a role for the first time, they will need to adopt the s ‘beginners’ mindset. ‘What is essential to learn? How to adapt my behavior according to the circumstances? Who are the people who can guide and advice based on their experiences?

 Bad Trustees suffer from megalomania which goes hand in hand with inconsequential and recurrent intimidation.

I end by saying —— Choose carefully as………

Strong leaders are always humble, recognize their mistakes and take decisive actions to correct them. They are modest as it is an important but often misunderstood leadership attribute which is very necessary to lead. They connect well as they are compassionate and care for those they are leading. A very strong foundation of a good leader is integrity and accountability, whether good or bad.  They need to be creative and innovative in their approach and must possess the necessary emotional intelligence. Last but not the least they need to maintain a healthy balance of courage and patience.