This document discusses two concepts for improving homeowners association boards: servant leadership and policy governance. Servant leadership was developed by Robert Greenleaf and focuses on serving others rather than seeking power. It emphasizes listening, understanding others, and helping people grow. Policy governance was created by John Carver and provides a framework for boards to define their goals and monitor progress through written policies. It separates operational and governance roles to increase accountability. Together, these approaches aim to motivate board members through service and provide organizational structure to accomplish goals efficiently.

1. The One-Two PunchThe One-Two Punch
for Better Boardsfor Better Boards
Presented by
Rolf M. Crocker, AMS, CCAM
Chief Executive Officer
OMNI Community Management

2. The First Punch:The First Punch:
Servant LeadershipServant Leadership
Motivational Philosophy
developed by
Robert K. Greenleaf

3. How Greenleaf developed the
concept of Servant Leadership
The basis of Servant Leadership was developed
through ‘real world’ experience
 40 years at AT&T (1924 – 1964)
 A consultant to many businesses, foundations,
professional societies, church organizations and
universities
 A deep involvement with colleges and
universities during the campus turmoil of the late
1960’s and early 1970’s
 A desire “re-invent” big business

4.  HOAs are designed to be ‘serving’
institutions
 Board members are ultimately ‘Trustees’,
fiduciaries for that which is owned by others
 Management is also a ‘service’ industry
 Servant Leadership is a framework that
– Ensures those being served are heard
– Creates accountability
– Develops trust
Why does Servant Leadership
apply to HOAs

5. Core Statement of
Servant Leadership
The servant-leader is servant first… It
begins with the natural feeling that
one wants to serve, to serve first.
Then conscious choice brings one to
aspire to lead.
- Greenleaf, Servant Leadership, p.27

6. Why is ‘Servant’ before ‘Leader’?
 “It’s not about you.”
 It keeps ego at bay
 It sets a tone of being present to help
 It creates trust
 It reduces the ‘Animal Farm’ effect
– “We’re all equal, but some are more equal
than others.”

7. The Test of
Servant Leadership
Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while
being served, become healthier, wiser, freer,
more autonomous, more likely themselves to
become servants? And, what is the effect on the
least privileged in society? Will they benefit, or
at least not be further deprived?
- Greenleaf, Servant Leadership, p.27

8. What does THAT mean?
 Are you, by your leadership, making a positive
difference to those around you?
 If Leadership is Influence, are your decisions and
actions inspiring others to do more, be more,
serve more?
 Kind of like the “Butterfly Effect” – does your
leadership make a positive difference all the way
down the line?

9. Questions for Servant Leaders
What Are You Trying To Do?
 If you are leading the way, where are you going?
 Can you clearly articulate the goal and/or dream?
 Do you elicit trust in those you are leading?

10. The Qualities of Servant Leaders
Listening & Understanding
 “Lord, grant that I may not seek so much to be
understood, as to understand” – St. Francis of
Assisi
 Do not be afraid of silence; “In saying what I
have in mind, will I really improve on the
silence?”

11. Qualities (cont’d)
Language & Imagination
 What you say must have meaning to the hearer
 A relevant Frame of Reference
 Bridge Building

12. Qualities (cont’d)
Withdrawal
 The need to ‘think through’
 Energy for the task at hand
 A calming effect which encourages and enables
rational thought

13. Qualities (cont’d)
Acceptance & Empathy
 Never Rejects
 Tolerant of Imperfection
 No one ‘deserves’ – all are frail
 ‘Typical’ Human Nature

14. Qualities (cont’d)
Foresight
 WHAT is going to happen WHEN
 Seeing the ‘forest through the trees’
 A ‘better-than-average’ guess
 Bridging the ‘information gap’

15. Other Qualities . . .
 Awareness & Perception
 Conceptualizing
 Persuasion
 Healing & Serving
 Building Communities

16. Don’t be fooled – this isn’t for the
weak or faint-hearted…
Poem by Brewer ---Poem by Brewer --- as citedas cited
by Hansel, in Holy Sweat,by Hansel, in Holy Sweat,
Dallas Texas, Word, 1987Dallas Texas, Word, 1987
Controlled enough to be flexible
Free enough to endure captivity
Knowledgeable enough to ask questions
Loving enough to be angry
Great enough to be anonymous
Responsible enough to play
Assured enough to be rejected
Victorious enough to lose
Industrious enough to relax
Leading enough to serve
Strong enough to be weak
Successful enough to fail
Busy enough to make time
Wise enough to say "I don't know"
Serious enough to laugh
Rich enough to be poor
Right enough to say "I'm wrong"
Compassionate enough to discipline
Mature enough to be childlike
Important enough to be last

17. Keys To Remember…
 You CAN make a positive difference!
 Set Ego Aside
 Serve First
 Build Trust
 Always remind yourself:
It’s Not About Me!

18. The Second Punch:The Second Punch:
Policy GovernancePolicy Governance©©
Organizational Technology
developed by
Dr. John Carver

19. What Goes Wrong
 Time on the trivial
 Short-term bias
 Reactive stance
 Reviewing, rehashing, redoing
 Leaky accountability
 Diffuse authority

20. Historical Perspective
 Little thought given to the holistic
design of Governance
 Little consistency in:
- Defining what the Board’s Job is
- Defining how the Board’s Job gets done
- How to monitor adherence
- How to measure results

21. A model of Governance should:
 ‘Cradle’ vision
 Address values
 Bring focus
 Be outcome-driven
 Separate large/small
issues
 Force forward-
thinking
 Enable Proactivity
 Define constituencies
 Delineate the Board’s
role
 Determine level of
information needed
 Balance of control
 Use board time
efficiently

22. A Summary of Policy Governance
Policy GovernancePolicy Governance is a set of logical principles
wherein the Board, on behalf of the Ownership,
defines the purpose of the organization that
determines:
 What Good, for
 What People, at
 What Cost
* For more information, go to www.carvergovernance.comwww.carvergovernance.com

23. PG Summary (cont’d)
Once the purpose has been made clear, proceed to
develop a series of policies that:
1. Describe the organizational Ends to be
achieved
2. Set forth limitations on Means
3. Define the relationship between the Board and
the Ownership
4. Define the relationship between the Board and
Management

24. PG Summary (cont’d)
Management performance is then measured and
monitored by the Board as follows:
 Against written expectations
 Whether management violated any limitations
 Did the Board get what they asked for?
Management’s job above all else is . . .
““To make sure everything comes out right!”To make sure everything comes out right!”

25. A Core Value of PG . . .
The Board speaks as One VoiceThe Board speaks as One Voice
Why is this important?
 Eliminates Fractionalizing the Board
 Eliminates the perception that one has more
power than the other
 Delineates clear lines of authority to Staff
– Staff doesn’t have to worry about who the ‘real’ boss is

26. Policy Governance Is . . .
 A holistic governance model
 Addresses deficiencies in the current structure
 Enables Boards to fulfill their ‘higher purpose’
 Allows the Board to see the Forest thru the trees
 Defines the roles and relationships of all parties
 Focus on Results – is outcome-driven
 Creates a road map for long-term Association
continuity

27. Wrap Up
 Servant Leadership
MotivationMotivation – Why we do what we do
 Policy Governance
StructureStructure – How we can accomplish great
things together

28. Thank YouThank You
For Your Time!For Your Time!