The Imperfect Board Member

Discovering the Seven Disciplines of Governance Excellence

Seven memorable disciplines that transform how boards govern, now fully updated 

Now in its 20th Anniversary Edition, The Imperfect Board Member distills the fundamentals of board work into seven disciplines presented through a narrative approach that readers can absorb cover-to-cover in just a few hours. Written by Jim Brown, USA Today bestselling author of The Imperfect CEO, Founding Partner at OrgHealth, and a board consultant since 1995, this new edition updates the original fable while adding significant new content. 

New to this edition are a foreword by Patrick Lencioni, a deep-dive on Governance Excellence, and a chapter examining changes in board operations over twenty years based on Brown’s interviews with CEOs and chairs. The seven disciplines are designed as mnemonics, enabling directors to recall and apply them in real time. 

The author directly tackles, in compelling narrative form, the central challenge faced by all board members: managing the human relationships that make boards healthy or unhealthy. The book is packed with straightforward tools, principles, lessons, and applications you can implement immediately in any corporate, nonprofit, public, or faith-based board. 

You’ll also find: 

• A narrative style that replaces dry academic governance writing with concise, engaging storytelling designed to hold attention 
• A fully updated recommended reading list reflecting new paradigms and thought leadership in board governance 
• Practical mnemonic frameworks that simplify complex governance concepts into seven disciplines directors can apply daily 

Board members across public corporations, venture capital, family-owned businesses, charities, and nonprofits will find direct, practical governance guidance in this book. Whether you are a long-serving director, a new member, a chair, or a CEO seeking a healthier partnership with your board, these seven disciplines apply. 

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