176: Does Your Nonprofit Board Have the Skills to Thrive? (Lisa Cook)SUMMARYIf leadership begins at the top, does your board ensure everyone is performing at their best at the work they pledged to do? In episode #176 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, board governance expert Lisa Cook shares how to identify, cultivate, train and engage your board for long-term success. She discusses why such skills as governance, strategic planning and financial acumen are necessary for success, and things new and aspiring board members must develop. Clear communication of expectations is a vital component at every level of nonprofit leadership, and none more important than between the CEO and Board Chair. Lisa shares how to engage in intentional communication of expectations, and how it provides a mutual understanding of needs, support, resources, and goals.  ABOUTLisa Cook is the Founder and Managing Director of Get on Board Australia, supporting aspiring, new and existing board members and boards to thrive. She has thirteen years of experience serving on boards from a range of organizations in the private, public, and not for profit sectors in Adelaide, Sydney, and across Australia, including Shooting Australia, Inclusive Sport SA, West Beach Community Bendigo Bank, and Australian College of Professionals. Along with writing and commenting regularly on governance, board members, and boards, Lisa hosts the Board Shorts Podcast; sharing insights, lessons, and advice from her experience in the boardroom and from subject matter experts across the world. Lisa holds a degree from Charles Sturt University in business management and marketing, has completed the Foundations of Directorship program through AICD, and is currently studying a Master of Business Law at the University of Adelaide.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESFierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time by Susan ScottHow to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale CarnegiePlays Well with Others by Eric BarkerLearn more about Lisa and her work with Boards hereCheck out Patton’s best-selling book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic Sector