Board member archetypes
Recognizable patterns you can identify quickly.
Coming soon
Bad Boards
Surviving dysfunctional boards without losing your job or sanity.
You were hired to lead. Not to manage the board.
Bad Boards is a practical field guide for nonprofit executive directors, CEOs, and senior staff dealing with board behavior that derails the work.
The patterns are real
If you have worked with a board long enough, you have seen it.
The micromanager who cannot let go. The absentee who disappears when it matters. The dominant voice that takes over the room. The well-meaning member who keeps pulling the work off course.
These are not rare situations. They are patterns. This book helps leaders recognize them faster, respond clearly, and stay steady when the room gets difficult.
Inside the book
Practical help for the moments when theory is not enough.
Real-world scenarios
Situations that feel uncomfortably familiar.
Practical strategies
Ways to respond without escalating the dysfunction.
Meeting language
Clear lines you can actually use in the room.
Combination patterns
How difficult dynamics interact.
A reset playbook
A practical path for stabilizing expectations and roles.
About the author
Keri Stokstad
Keri Stokstad is a nonprofit executive and operations leader with experience working alongside boards, staff, and community stakeholders. Her work focuses on strengthening organizations through practical systems, clear communication, and grounded leadership.
Because the work still matters