Board Chair and CEO — Healthy Relationships are Built on Trust, Mutual Respect, and Open, Honest Communication

Whether or not we experience Valentine’s Day as a sign of Hallmark’s brilliance or just one more great reason to eat chocolate, it is likely to trigger some reflection on our most important relationships. For our nonprofit friends, what relationship is more important than that of the Board Chair and CEO? Yes, that is rhetorical…. Like a friendship, partnership or marriage, ideally that relationship is built on trust, mutual respect, and the ability to have open, honest communication.

In our personal relationships, our measure of relationship health may be based on the sum of words, gestures, and “give and take”- but it is ultimately based on how we feel about and relate to each other, and to the things we care most about.

So how do we know if the Board Chair - CEO relationship is a healthy one? Here are a few signs:

• Shared commitment to the organization’s mission

• Ability to challenge each other’s beliefs and ideas

• Mutual respect of the different roles each plays in the organization

• Regular communication, including an annual evaluation of the CEO by the Board Chair, based on input from the full Board

• Understanding that it’s incumbent on the Board Chair, representing a fiduciary board, to ask probing questions

• Ability of each to listen and respond to constructive criticism with a positive attitude

• Mutual willingness to modify behavior and reach middle ground to best serve the interests of the organization

• Elevating each other in conversations with staff, other board members, external stakeholders and the community at large

Like all relationships, that between the Board Chair and CEO requires effort and attention- and occasionally a good sense of humor- to keep it on track!