Reading Eli Mina's "101 Boardroom Problems [and How to Solve Them]" leaves us with the impression that he has seen it all. Or, if he hasn’t, that he has the wonderful breadth and depth of experience to help us see the challenges of leadership so we can recognize and resolve them when we are running meetings. Mina--a clear, concise, and thoughtful writer whose decades of consulting experience makes him a valuable resource for any trainer-teacher-learner serving as a leader within an organization--leads us through the sort of structural overview of organizations that help us anticipate and prevent problems effectively. He also, through his 101 brief case studies with summaries of potential damage and recommended interventions, takes us where we need to be with the best teaching-training technique we know: effective storytelling. The real value of the book is that it’s driven by a clearly-defined philosophy: "An effective Board generates quality decisions, together, and within a reasonable amount of time," Mina proposes in words that can serve us well in any meeting, not just the board meetings which are the focus of his book. It's through this level of advice that he provides the strongest guidance to any of us involved in accepting leadership roles within the organizations we agree to serve. We may not win re-election or reappointment during fractious times by following his bluntest advice, but at least we know we met our greatest responsibility: to put the interests of the organization and its constituents at the forefront of our thoughts each time we act to meet the responsibilities with which we've been entrusted. ( )

Very concise and very handy -- there is an excellent set of Board self-evaluation documents at then end. It is actually unfortunate that the book has the title it does, as I think it will keep well-functioning boards from picking it up and learning from it. ( )