What is Conscious Governance?

Conscious Governance in its widest sense refers to how any organization is run with conscious awareness. It is what the Board is responsible for in terms of strategic decision making and sustainability of the organization.

Many Board members and CEOs see the work of governing as “making policies” that the CEO and staff carry out. This is not the same as ‘Conscious Governance’. One of the major issues facing Boards today is the tendency towards prescription and conformance with governance systems, rather than conscious governance that adds value to the organization.

There is growing evidence that worlds best practice in procedures and policies amount to nothing when the business is conducted in an unconscious or anticonscious manner. No amount of form or structure, policies or procedures, quality control, or internal audits will provide the value and expansiveness that an organization has the right to achieve. A sophisticated and thorough compliance and governance system is only as useful as the people who are responsible for that governance. In other words, no amount of compliance or governance systems will compensate for Board members who do not consciously govern!

Conscious board leadership is the key. To govern consciously, the Board leadership must have awareness and choose to be conscious. When Board leaders are being conscious, they expand their awareness beyond its present limits. They function in a state of flexible awareness, with no fixed points of view. Conscious board leadership can facilitate a balanced integration of organization vision, strategy, operational realities and a culture of consciousness.

Why Conscious Governance matters

Conscious governance creates a strong future for an organization by consciously steering towards a vision and making sure that day-to-day management is always lined up with the organization's strategies. At its core, conscious governance is about conscious leadership.

Conscious Board leadership will improve the organization's results, both financial and social, and make sure the assets and funds are used appropriately.

Unconscious or anticonscious Board leadership, on the other hand, can put organizations at risk of commercial failure, financial and legal problems for directors/trustees, or allow an organization to lose sight of its purpose and its responsibilities to its owners and people who benefit from its success. Click here to find out -   Is your Board Conscious?