Build Better Boards

In this episode of Build Better Boards, hosts Dr. Keri Jacobs, Richard Fagerlin, and Mitch Majeski explore what a director owes the board after voting no. Agreement and alignment are different jobs: Agreement is a yes or no on the decision itself. Alignment is the commitment to carry that decision forward as your own once the board has made it, which the hosts tie directly to fiduciary duty. Align...

In this episode of Build Better Boards, hosts Mitch Majeski, Dr. Keri Jacobs, and Richard Fagerlin continue the principled-lens series that began in Episode 39, "Growth Through a Principled Lens: Part I." The conversation widens from growth to how a board can pressure-test any progressive decision without slowing it down. All seven principles, as a decision lens: Keri lays out the full s...

In this episode of Build Better Boards, hosts Dr. Keri Jacobs and Richard Fagerlin open a new series on running strategic decisions through the lens of the seven cooperative principles, using growth as the entry point. The dual mandate: Co-op leaders carry two responsibilities at once: running a competitive, sustainable business and maintaining a member-centric enterprise grounded in principles. H...

In this episode of Build Better Boards, host Richard Fagerlin talks with Byron Enix (retired President & CEO, American AgCredit) about what boards owe their organizations before, during, and after a CEO transition. The three real jobs of a director: Accountability, strategy, and risk. Get those right and CEO selection becomes the natural outcome of good governance. Build the playbook before yo...

In this episode of Build Better Boards, hosts Dr. Keri Jacobs and Richard Fagerlin dig into CEO succession planning, using Egon Zehnder's article  "CEO Succession Planning for Tomorrow's Success"  as a launch point for what boards should actually be doing right now. Succession is not search: Search is the moment you pick someone. Succession is everything that happens in the years...

In this episode of Build Better Boards, host Dr. Keri Jacobs talks with Sylandi Brown (Manager of Communications and Administration, Middle Georgia EMC) about why the cooperative is better understood as a movement than a model, and what that shift means for how boards recruit, govern, and engage the next generation. Movement, not model: A model is something you apply. A movement is something you p...

In this episode of Build Better Boards, Richard Fagerlin, Mitch Majeski, and Dr. Keri Jacobs dig into a question that shows up in boardrooms all the time: when is a board governing, and when is it slipping into management? Using a framework Keri has been sharing with boards, the conversation offers a practical way to assess where a board is spending its time and whether that time is being used in...

In this episode of Build Better Boards, hosts Richard Fagerlin and Dr. Keri Jacobs explore how boards can maintain momentum between meetings instead of resetting progress each time they convene. They share five practical practices to help boards stay aligned, engaged, and proactive throughout the year. Clear ownership after decisions ensures follow-through by defining what was decided, what succes...

In this episode of  Build Better Boards , Dr. Keri Jacobs, Richard Fagerlin, and Mitch Majeski discuss how board agendas shape the mindset and behavior of cooperative boards. They explore how many agendas unintentionally reinforce a managing mindset and share practical ways boards can redesign agendas to encourage more strategic governance. Agendas often become copy-and-paste routines that reinfor...

In this episode of the Build Better Boards podcast, Dr. Keri Jacobs, Richard Fagerlin, and Mitch Majeski explore how the Working Genius assessment can strengthen board governance. They discuss how understanding directors’ natural strengths and frustrations improves agenda discipline, decision clarity, and healthy oversight. Working Genius looks different in a boardroom than on a management team. D...

In this episode of Build Better Boards, Mitch Majeski, Dr. Keri Jacobs and Richard Fagerlin discuss practical strategies for integrating board development into the regular cadence of board meetings. They explore how directors and board chairs can foster continuous learning, build shared perspective, and support new members without relying solely on outside consultants or formal events. Bite-sized,...

In this episode of  Build Better Boards , hosts Mitch Majeski, Dr. Keri Jacobs and Richard Fagerlin explore the often-unspoken challenges that make board work more difficult than it appears. They examine why even well-intentioned, committed directors can struggle to find alignment and move forward together. Misunderstandings around what it means to “represent” members can create confusion and misa...

In this episode of Build Better Boards, the team recaps their season-long focus on CEO succession and evaluation. They reflect on why these topics matter even when a transition is not imminent and how the processes and questions explored can strengthen boards and cooperatives overall. CEO succession and evaluation are not just “event” activities; treating them as ongoing processes helps boards cla...

In part two of this conversation on CEO evaluations, Dr. Keri Jacobs and Richard Fagerlin continue with guests Kevin Berchelmann and CEO Jason Brancel to explore how boards and CEOs build a process that is clear, fair, and genuinely useful. We discuss how: Boards should clarify what they’re measuring, whom they’re hearing from, and how they’ll gather and synthesize input. Expectations and criteria...

In this episode of Build Better Boards , hosts Dr. Keri Jacobs and Richard Fagerlin talk with guests Kevin Berchelmann and Jason Brancel about one of the board’s most important responsibilities—evaluating the CEO. This is part one of a two-part conversation exploring why evaluations matter, how to make them meaningful, and how boards and CEOs can turn the process into an ongoing, productive dialog...

In this episode of Build Better Boards , hosts Dr. Keri Jacobs, Richard Fagerlin, and Mitch Majeski reflect on insights from a year of podcast episodes. They explore shifts in board dynamics, director behavior, and leadership expectations, sharing how boards can remain effective in a complex environment. Big G (governance) and little g (culture) must develop together for boards to thrive. Director...

In this episode, hosts Richard Fagerlin and Dr. Keri Jacobs explore why top talent leaves and how boards can know whether turnover is a healthy sign of growth, or a warning signal. They introduce the “coaching tree” concept that highlights the power of developing leaders who, in turn, grow more leaders. Learn how to reframe turnover as launching leaders as part of building a thriving leadership pi...

In the third and final episode of our executive search series, hosts Mitch Majeski, Dr. Keri Jacobs, and Richard Fagerlin continue the conversation with John Wright (Kincannon & Reed), Kevin Drury (Hedlin Ag Enterprises), and Leigh Taylor (NRECA). Together, they explore how boards can navigate their most important decision: hiring the next CEO.  • Discuss when and how to keep staff and members...

In this episode of Build Better Boards , hosts Richard Fagerlin, and Dr. Keri Jacobs continue their conversation with John Wright (Kincannon & Reed), Kevin Drury (Hedlin Ag Enterprises), and Leigh Taylor (NRECA). The panel explores how boards should navigate internal versus external candidates, the importance of succession planning, and the common pitfalls that can derail a CEO search. Interna...

In this episode of Build Better Boards, hosts Dr. Keri Jacobs and Richard Fagerlin—joined by host Mitch Majeski—kick off a three-part panel on CEO succession and executive search. Guests John Wright (Kincannon & Reed), Kevin Drury (Hedlin Ag Enterprises), and Leigh Taylor (NRECA) unpack why boards mistrust “headhunting,” how retained vs. contingency models differ, and what it takes to run a di...

In this episode of Build Better Boards , hosts Dr. Keri Jacobs and Richard Fagerlin join Mitch Mojewski to discuss how boards can recognize whether their organization needs a “wartime” or “peacetime” CEO. They explore the traits required for each type of leadership, the circumstances that may trigger a shift, and how boards can prepare for and respond to these changing organizational needs. Wartim...

In this episode of Build Better Boards , host Mitch Majeski is joined by Dr. Keri Jacobs and Richard Fagerlin to discuss the strategic considerations boards face when choosing between internal and external candidates for CEO succession. They examine the pros, cons, and nuances of each option and emphasize the importance of a thoughtful and rigorous selection process. Key Discussion Points: Interna...

In this episode of Build Better Boards , hosts Dr. Keri Jacobs and Richard Fagerlin examine how boards can keep CEO-succession plans alive and relevant. They distinguish emergency “hit-by-the-beer-truck” scenarios from long-term leadership development, and explain why creating a forward-looking CEO “avatar” helps boards hire the right leader when the time comes. Differentiate an emergency response...

In this episode of Build Better Boards , hosts Dr. Keri Jacobs and Richard Fagerlin launch Season 3 with a focus on one of the board’s most critical responsibilities: selecting and supporting the CEO. Prompted by listener feedback and insights from a recent survey of CEOs, they explore how boards can better prepare for CEO transitions and strengthen their leadership acumen. The season will explore...

In this season-closing episode of Build Better Boards , hosts Dr. Keri Jacobs and Richard Fagerlin reflect on Season 2’s “future-proofing” theme through a candid conversation with Courtney Berner, Executive Director of the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives. Together they examine how boards can stay resilient by strengthening member connections, clarifying governance roles, and foster...