Elevating Values in Governance
A Small Liberal Arts Board Engagement
Training and Certification
Core Services Delivered
01
Executive Education
Half-day, evidence-based institute with formal presentation, interactive polling activities, pre-work, and group exercises.
02
Workshop-Style Training Toolkit
Structured reflection and practical tools and resources to support each participant’s individual learning journey.
Allyship Starter Toolkit: Micro-practices for trustees to model inclusive leadership.
Generational Intelligence Concept Paper: Practical insights for engaging Gen Z students and early-career staff.
Thought Leadership Access: Strategic Leadership for Governance Boards paper licensed for board use.
03
Board and Leadership Alignment
The ABCD Framework™ → Governance Mapping: Translating values into board charters, norms, and decision criteria.
04
Executive Coaching
One-one-one, confidential sessions with board members and our coaching team.
Strategic Situation
A trustee from a well-respected private liberal-arts institution asked CSLSI to help the Board of Trustees authentically elevate values as a top priority.
Leadership wanted strategy development, professional learning, and capacity building that would strengthen governance - and do so in a way that resonated across a generationally diverse board (ages ~35–80).
The charge: align on values, improve stewardship, and equip trustees to lead confidently in today’s polarized environment.
CSLSI Engagement
CSLSI designed a board-focused engagement blending:
Professional development
Thought leadership
1:1 Executive coaching for trustees
Early diagnostics surfaced that inter-generational understanding would be pivotal for shared vision and decision quality.
Half-Day Board Institute
(delivered with pre-readings and self-directed activities; optionally powered by NIXLA)
Governance & Stewardship Fundamentals
Dialogue sessions and pulse surveys synthesized into prioritized themes.
Generational Diversity & Gen Z
What trustees need to know about today’s students—and how that informs strategy, risk posture, and communications.
Allyship Principles
Practical starting points for trustees (e.g., Boomer-to-Gen Z rapport, cross-difference sponsorship) that support mission without mission drift.
ABCD Engagement Framework™
Values Backbone
Affirming Diverse
Identities
Emphasize dignity, role clarity, and protections in board policy and practice.
Building
Community
Strengthen belonging, access, and trust with campus and external stakeholders.
Cultivating
Leaders
Equip trustees and senior leaders to act with clarity under scrutiny.
Deliberate
Dialogue
Set norms for civil discourse, scenario planning, and decision-quality in contested conversations.
Thought Leadership & Coaching
Provided early access to Strategic Leadership for Governance Boards (DAW thought-leadership paper) to frame best practices.
Delivered targeted executive coaching for trustees, focusing on values-aligned oversight, communications, and inter-generational bridge-building.
Impact
Values Elevated
to Practice
Trustees aligned on a shared ABCD-based values compass, with clear implications for oversight, policy, and communications.
Inter-Generational Cohesion
Improved understanding across age cohorts; trustees reported greater confidence navigating Gen Z concerns and campus climate issues.
Sustained
Development
The president invited CSLSI to continue with individual coaching and follow-on training, extending learning beyond the institute.