It’s a Battle on the Board

Debra Allcock Tyler’s approach to the challenging subject of trusteeship is characteristically engaging as she adopts a different ABBA tune as the theme for each chapter. Mixing leadership theory with practical advice and real-life examples, she dispenses her wisdom straight from the shoulder.

Wouldn’t charity governance be so much easier if it wasn’t for all of your fellow trustees? Being knowledgeable and experienced as a trustee is important, but having the ability to interact effectively with your fellow board members, that is where good governance really starts. Get it wrong and, very quickly, you’ve got a battle on the board. Working in sustained harmony towards a common goal can be a tall order for many trustees.

What does it cover?

It includes:

Understanding your role as a trustee
Working with fellow trustees and the CEO
Dealing with information and finance
The psychology of decision-making
Managing risk and handling crisis

If you want to be the dancing queen (or king) of good governance and avoid a waterloo for your charity, then this book is for you.

About Debra Allcock Tyler

Debra Allcock Tyler is CEO of the Directory of Social Change and an experienced chair and trustee of many charities over her long career. Author of several books on management and leadership, she has many years’ experience of training and coaching boards, chief executives and top teams. She is a popular public speaker, has a regular monthly column in Third Sector magazine and has appeared on Radio 4’s The Moral Maze.

Reviews

“‘Debra Allcock Tyler’s book manages to take on the subject of being a trustee in an engaging, informative and very human way which is both incredibly useful and accessible. Packed with tips and advice on best practice, and delivered with a warm, conversational tone, it neither bores nor belittles. Instead, it offers lived examples, practical exercises and just the right amount of humour. It is vital reading for every trustee – both novice and experienced – and I recommend it highly.”
Jon Snow, former Channel 4 journalist and presenter

“A book with a difference. It recognises that self-awareness and emotional, social and cultural intelligence are at the core of exemplary leadership.”
Tesse Akpeki, Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute, Organisational Health and Person-centred Consultant and Founder of the Wellbeing, Leadership and Resilience Leadership initiative (from the foreword)

“This is a brilliant, personal primer for board members on how to combine best practice and process with emotional intelligence and the human factor. It’s like a long, lively conversation with a warm, empathetic, very experienced and astute fellow trustee.”
Dr Andrew Purkis, trustee, Directory of Social Change, former Charity Commission and board member and former chair or vice-chair of seven UK charities