8
In a case in which a board or member is abusive
to you or a member of your team you must muster the
courage to speak up in a professional manner and to
set tangible boundaries. For example, if a board
member attacks you publicly at a board meeting in
front of your administrative team and members of the
public, meet with the individual in private and, if
necessary, with the board president present.
Describe for the individual the unacceptable behavior
and make it clear that it is inappropriate. Tell them
that they can say anything they want to you in private,
but you will not tolerate similar public
displays. Personally, I am willing to put
up with a lot of abuse when it is
directed at me, but when members of
my administrative team are attacked I
intervene.
Are you assertive enough in
dealing with “bad behavior?”
Assertiveness involves making
your boundaries clear. A primary role
of the board concerns defining the
“sand box” that you are to play in as
the leader of the district. It is important
that you have frank discussions with
the board about the boundaries of the
sand box so that it is clear when either
you or any board members are out of
bounds. Being assertive means clearly
articulating your needs and the agreed
upon boundaries between the board
and superintendent. This assertiveness is vital to your
emotional well-being and your effectiveness as a
leader of the district.
Bad boards can create a culture of fear where
people are afraid to speak up and to stick to their
convictions. Courage is a critical attribute of effective
leaders, but don’t confuse being disrespectful or
aggressive with courage. Speak up and be assertive,
but never be unprofessional or disrespectful or your
behavior will become the focus of the conversation.
Can you still support your board publicly?
You will have disagreements with a board
member over an issue. Avoid publicly debating the
individual or publicly criticizing a member of the
board. Look for positive attributes in the individual or
in the decision of the entire board and try to publicly
affirm these attributes. This type of loyalty may pay
off later.
When a board member treats you poorly, meet
with the board member privately after the board
meeting. Describe their behavior calmly, and try to
remain matter-of-fact. Make it clear that their behavior
was unacceptable. Make it clear that the behavior
makes it more difficult for them to accomplish what
they want with you and the rest of the board. Bad
behavior undermines a board member’s credibility
and respect with fellow board members and the
administrative team, and that makes it more difficult
for the individual to accomplish what they want.
These are difficult conversations and hopefully
you will not have many of
them. Yet, you must have
the courage to confront the
issue and to be assertive --
even if you are betting your
job on it. Most people
respect the fact that you are
addressing your concern
with them rather than
gossiping or conspiring
behind their back. Most
rational people also know
when they are wrong.
Have you considered your
options?
Some of the best “teachable
moments”
for
board
members are when one of
its members misbehaves or
steps out of bounds. Seize
those opportunities to hold a mirror up in front of the
board or individual members so that they can fully
appreciate how their actions impact others. Follow up
with a discussion of lessons learned from an
experience and set clear goals or norms for the
future.
If the situation is bad enough, it may warrant your
resignation. I have seen many people in bad
situations with boards in which they have tolerated
repeated abuse and personal attacks that are not
good for them or the district that they serve.
Sometimes, the issue is simply summoning the
courage to speak up and to set clear boundaries with
rogue board members or the full board. Remember,
we get what we tolerate.
It also is good to remember that it is your choice
to remain trapped in an untenable situation. While
you may sometimes feel as if the board controls
everything, they can’t control your response to their
bad behavior.
(Continued from page 7)
“Bad boards can create a
culture of fear where people
are afraid to speak up and to
stick to their convictions.
Courage is a critical attribute
of effective leaders, but don’t
confuse being disrespectful
or aggressive with courage.
Speak up and be assertive,
but never be unprofessional
or disrespectful or your
behavior will become the
focus of the conversation.”
