How Holiday Travel Has Me Thinking About Board Service

Editor's Note: The holidays are upon us, and with them a rate of holiday travel we likely haven't seen since the "before times." As we head into a Thanksgiving that probably involves the most gathering and traveling since 2019, we're revisiting a favorite post from Phil (from, yes, the holiday season in 2019). Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation!

‘Tis the season…to be on the move.  It’s that time of year when so many of us travel to be with our families and friends for the holidays. I often think of the movie “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” as the comedic, cinematic version of that endeavor with all of its antics and obstacles to getting home. But each time I take a flight (and I fly pretty frequently), I’m grateful that my trip—more often than not—is uneventful.

On recent flights, I’ve been thinking of my work in the nonprofit sector and specifically about governance. Once upon a time I worked for an airline, so air travel analogies are often top of mind for me. It occurred to me that flight attendants and board members play similar, though not completely analogous, roles. And I think exploring this connection has some good takeaways for nonprofit staffers who work with their board, and for board members themselves. What, you say?  Stay with me here! 

Imagine you’re a passenger on a plane. If the cabin pressure suddenly changed and the oxygen mask dropped in front of your face, would you know how to use it? Or what if your flight became a cruise: would you know where to find your life vest, how to put it on, and when and how to inflate it? Or if a medical emergency happened mid-flight, would you know what to do?

Your flight attendant does. That’s his or her primary role: passenger safety. Most people think that a flight attendant’s job is to welcome, seat, and serve beverages and snacks from a rolling trolley. There’s usually no reason to think otherwise since it’s typically the extent of what we as passengers see and experience on a flight. It’s an important part of the service, but it’s important to remember that it’s only part of the picture. Being ready and able to handle the unexpected, like a medical emergency or unruly passenger, is when much of the training that flight attendants receive gets activated, so they can respond quickly.

And that’s what nonprofit and foundation board members are there for, too: to provide stewardship and fiduciary oversight to protect and safeguard the organization. Nonprofit stakeholders usually see the more benign aspects of the role: attending meetings, serving on gala committees, cultivating possible new board members, fundraising, or acting as ambassadors. These tasks definitely contribute to the well-being and health of any organization. And yet they aren’t the tasks through which board members really show their chops.

Like flight attendants, board members have some profound “moments of truth” in their roles—where they have to quickly assess problems and/or react to emergency situations. These moments include helping organizations navigate leadership challenges and transitions and steer through financial issues. These are the moments when board members are called to lean in and step up. The insights and guidance they provide, and the decisions they make, are critical to the organization. 

Flight attendants and board members perform two main functions: safety and service, to benefit those whom they serve. Some of the more visible functions ensure the smooth operations and running on an ongoing basis, but we can’t forget the untapped (and fortunately, rarely needed) knowledge and expertise that shines in defining moments to help address urgent situations. After all, in an earlier time, flight attendants were called stewards and stewardesses – and being a steward is a primary responsibility of board members today.

So to nonprofit staffers, I say: you are the pilots, steering your organization through air that is sometimes smooth and sometimes bumpy. Don’t forget to utilize your expert cabin crew (aka board members) to help you through the rough air.

To board members, I’d like to thank you for your service. Thank you for the work you do, big and small tasks alike. Remember that you have been given your role for a reason, and that you will be called upon to help navigate challenging situations.

And last but not least, to any real-life flight attendants who may come across this piece: thank you for all you do. At the holidays and the whole year through, you keep the skies friendly—but more importantly, you play a very big role in keeping them safe for all of us.

Happy holidays to all, and safe travels!