- by Sophie Pinkoski

The relationship between the board chair and CEO is one of the most powerful drivers of organizational impact. It’s a partnership based on trust, open communication, and aligned purpose, all tied together by a passion for the organization’s mission and values.

A healthy CEO-chair relationship sets the tone for cultural standards expected of the organization. It gives everyone the psychological safety for the mutual trust needed for effective governance and decision making.

When the relationship tips one way or another away from this dynamic, it can create much larger dysfunction. Whether the CEO and board chair are too close or too distant, it can cause that delicate balance required to lead the organization to collapse. 

Friendship between the chair and CEO is helpful for building a collaborative relationship, yet too close a dynamic can begin to undermine their work. In the board room, one example is if the chair is shielding the CEO from difficult questions from board members.

A significant aspect of the board’s role is to enable healthy debate in order to make the best decisions for the organization.

A close dynamic between the CEO and board chair can mean these discussions aren’t given the time and energy to fully explore alternative options outside of the CEO’s preferences. This can further lead to blind spots, unchecked biases, and even factions. The latter can form a power struggle wherein the CEO, chair, and select directors make decisions outside of board meetings to be pushed through the board without entertaining in depth discussion. This type of support for the CEO can come at the expense of accountability.

The opposite approach of scrutinizing the CEO can make them feel unsupported. This erodes trust and diminishes transparent, honest discussions. When the CEO doesn’t feel they can come to the board with their concerns about the organization and vice versa, communication begins to break down between the CEO and board and neither are able to effectively do their job.

The ideal relationship between the board chair and CEO strikes a healthy balance between support and accountability, where the CEO feels both validated and challenged.

Here are ways to cultivate that perfect balance within your CEO-chair relationship:

Build a foundation of trust and respect –– Trust is the backbone of your organization. It allows for open honesty between chair and CEO that creates a comfortable environment for candid conversations and constructive criticism. It gives you room to challenge one another to improve. Building trust, however, takes careful work.

Taking the time to get to know your CEO goes a long way to understanding their needs and what motivates them most.

This encompasses their working and leadership styles as well as their stressors and communication preferences. Get on one another’s level by respecting these preferences and finding ways to work harmoniously together.

Clarify roles and responsibilities–– With respect comes boundaries, which means acknowledging one another’s responsibilities. The CEO is responsible for operations, while the chair’s role is governance focused. There will be some joint responsibilities in between, but it’s crucial to respect one another’s individual roles. Clarify where the line is and identify what responsibilities you share to avoid duplications, dual authority, and general confusion.

The chair-CEO dynamic should come with no surprises.

Even negative developments must be shared for effective organization leadership.

Set communication preferences–– Both the board chair and CEO will have their own personal communication preferences. Agree upon the appropriate channel and frequency of your communications. The way you structure your weekly check ins will be unique to your dynamic. Some board chairs and CEOs prefer a more formal approach with a set agenda while others settle for a more laid-back approach. Take these meetings as opportunities to gauge where you both are at. A healthy relationship means you’re comfortable enough to share your biggest concerns, whether that’s risks and challenges for the organization or what’s impacting your mental health. This is also a time to relay crucial information between the board and CEO. The board deserves to know every update pertinent to running the organization and the CEO must take any board concerns into consideration.

The chair is the liaison for the board and CEO. As such, the information given on both sides should be transparent to further nurture that relationship of honesty and trust.

Commit to continuous alignment–– Your ongoing check-ins will be an opportunity to review your partnership itself. It’s important to take a moment to reflect together on how things are going. As you adapt to continually evolving circumstances that impact your organization, consider whether your priorities are still aligned. Not only that, but are your interactions with one another still of high quality? Are you receiving the necessary support you require from your board chair? Adjust your approach depending on what’s no longer serving you. Leave your egos at the door and remember that everything you do is for the betterment of the organization, not to serve your individual agendas. Remember your organization’s purpose and re-align yourself to those shared goals and priorities.

A strong board chair-CEO relationship is more than just a friendship, nor should it have to exist in constant tension. The perfect balance for your dynamic relies upon a foundation of trust, clarity, and open communication. A healthy partnership for the board and CEO makes for a thriving organization that can survive just about anything that comes its way.

Further Reading:

Four Fundamentals for a Strong CEO-Board Chair Relationship, Association for Association Leadership

4 Questions All Board Chairs and CEOs Should Ask Each Other, Realize Solutions

How a CEO and Board Chair Can Build an Amazing Partnership, Joan Garry

Strengthening the Board-CEO Relationship, Watson Advisors Inc

What Does the Ideal Relationship Between the Board Chair and the CEO Look Like?,  Board Pro

Maintaining a High-Value Board-CEO Relationship, NACD Online

The “Goldilocks Zone” In the Board Chair – CEO Relationship and Its Impact on the Board’s Effectiveness and Performance, Issuer Services

5 Moments That Make or Break a CEO-Board Chair Relationship, Harvard Business Review