Always reach for trusted and tested confidants when making board choices—but never place your destiny in their hands.
ADAGE
Recruit Simpatico Elders
———-
RESPONSE
Always reach for trusted and tested confidants when making board choices—but never place your destiny in their hands. Never appoint a board member for reasons of perception or the assumption that he will attract investors or customers. Avoid lawyers and consultants. Appoint board members who have vocational competencies you don’t. Use your board for operating advice and guidance. Never appoint a stranger. Always get their undated and signed resignation in advance. If possible, use a board of advisors instead of a board of directors. Make sure they are getting a good flow of information from sources other than you, and make sure they are telling you things you don’t want to hear as well as things you do. Put another way, enlist believers. Discern when to operate and when to evangelize. Godly counsel and counselors are priceless. Focus on men who love God and are highly skilled in their trade. Have honest men around you who love you enough to tell you the truth you don’t want to hear.
SCRIPTURE
Psalm 1:1-2 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
QUESTIONS
How do the Scripture(s) apply to the business adage?
When could an all-Christian board be a disadvantage?
Should you intentionally recruit non-Christians to your board? Explain.
Can discipling interfere with operating? How?
Should your board be able to fire you?
Should your board resemble Jesus’ disciples? What would that look like?
DOWNLOAD
Download the free PDF worksheet for this adage, print it, and use it in your meeting, conference, or group.
