LEADer Issues and Topics

Looking for a specific past issue of the LEADer? We offer this simple index in the hopes that it helps you find the topic or issue you’re looking for.

Issue # Date Topic Articles
1 Fall 2008 Member linkage How can boards better fulfill their responsibility to “link” with members?
2 Winter 2008 Board/GM relations Building a strong board/GM partnership
3 Spring 2009 Board leadership Thoughts and suggestions on how boards can provide leadership and live up to key principles of good leadership
4 Summer 2009 Board decision making Options and tips for helping board clarify who decides and how to make decisions productively
5 Fall 2009 Member linkage A deeper look at member linkage and our first issue to offer a “study guide” to help guide board discussions and further study
6 Winter 2009 Board retreats Guidelines and tips for productive board retreats
7 Spring 2010 Enhancing board effectiveness: 1 Assessing board effectiveness and systems to support improvements
8 Summer 2010 Enhancing board effectiveness: 2 What is board culture and how does it contribute to effectiveness
9 Fall 2010 Board orientation Orientation for new directors and for building board cohesion on an on-going basis
10 Winter 2010 Monitoring financials Understanding financials and the 8 key indicators for boards to monitor
11 Spring 2011 GM evaluation The art and science of effective GM evaluations
12 Summer 2011 Strategic thinking Thinking strategically and specifically looking at co-op demographic trends
13 Fall 2011 Dealing with a crisis Build agreements in advance so you’re prepared when a crisis hits
14 Winter 2012 Board committees The role and potential of board committees
15 Spring 2012 Why co-op? Is our co-op structure a key to our success? How will it serve us to meet our full potential?
16 Summer 2012 Grow that co-op! Why is growth important for your co-op? Food for thought and questions to discuss as your board considers deciding what your co-op’s growth strategy is.
17 Fall 2012 Power for the co-op and its leaders How do boards balance the power of their position and the need to be decisive and take action, with a deep commitment to co-op values? We offer thoughts and discussion questions on what power means, where power resides, and how your board embraces its power in a healthy, productive manner.
18 Winter 2013 Be ready for those growth opportunities! Building a culture of growth. Five stories and lessons learned from co-ops’ experiences with growth: Community Food Co-op of Bozeman; La Montanita of Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Gallup; Sacramento Co-op; Great Basin Community Food Co-op; and First Alternative of Corvallis. And then three sets of questions to help your board envision a future for your co-op.