Association Leadership

If you think your board meetings are chaotic, hold my beer. We’ve imagined and dramatized how board meetings, leadership, and just generally being a board member can go off the rails in our Leading With Confidence video series. While what you see in the short video sample below is fiction, there’s a kernel of truth in each of our videos that veteran association leaders will recognize.

We’re not advocating that you try any of this at your next meeting. But what we do know is that making education fun makes it more likely people will watch and learn. Well-run meetings, effective communication, and a focus on mission can elevate an association’s governance and make it more effective. That’s why we produced this series of videos. 

New to Board Service?

When you first join a board, it can be a little intimidating. You want things to go well, and you want to have an impact. Understanding your role, preparing properly and practicing a few habits will help you stand out as a leader and make a difference for your organization. Mistakes can be a great teacher. In that spirit, we present How Not To Be An Effective Board Member, where we explore some not-so-far-fetched scenarios of fundraising ideas getting completely divorced from an organization’s mission and values. 

Subcommittee Purgatory

Committee meetings are part of the job for most board members. It’s where a lot of the work gets done. Subcommittee Purgatory is a cautionary tale of what happens when meetings lose their purpose and become a rote exercise. Remembering purpose turns this dark and comically dismal meeting into a bright, joyful event. 

First-Time Board Chair

Chairing a board can be a challenge — even for board veterans. You’re in charge, but how do you get things done? A good board chair knows how to listen and engage other members in the discussion. In First Time Board Chair, we follow the adventures of a new board chair who learns what not to do the hard way. 

Bring Professional Video Production to Your Organization

Ewald’s Studio E content team produced these dramatized videos with professional actors and script writers from Danger Boat productions. It’s an example of the level of production we bring to all of our videos, including promos to increase conference attendance, recruit new members, workforce development and more. 

We have more videos to help board members. If someone just joined your board, we have the perfect video to share with them: Welcome to the Board is a pep talk for new members, reminding them they wouldn’t have the job unless other people believed they had the skills and know-how to succeed.

For those who may be new to association leadership, we have a video demonstrating the difference between mission, vision and values. Yet another shows how the Superpowers of Associations touch our lives every day. 

All these videos are available free at www.ewald.com/leading. We encourage you to watch, laugh, learn and share as we serve at the intersection of business, government and society to improve industries and professions.