I recently caught up with a friend and partner, Steve Gasser, owner of Vivid Image in Hutchinson, over coffee. I so enjoy connecting with business leaders like Steve to share the latest news from our respective organizations.
He brought up a conversation we had over a year ago when he asked me to share some thoughts about what makes a good board chair. I was honored he asked and even remembered what I shared. Here’s the list of the top ten most important roles of a board chair—at the time, off the top of my head—which after looking at it again, I believe still holds very true today!
A good board chair:
- Keeps a board on task
- Starts/ends meetings on time
- Makes sure all board members have the opportunity to express their thoughts and that all board members contribute to discussions
- Manages conflict of interest and/or other potential conflicts between members of the board
- Communicates regularly with the president/CEO/executive director of the organization or business to stay up to speed on big picture needs and issues of the organization or business
- Works closely with president/CEO/executive director to set agendas for meetings
- Takes a leadership role in evaluating board performance
- Takes a leadership role in evaluating president/CEO/executive director performance
- Is available to the president/CEO/executive director as appropriate to discuss special issues, challenges, opportunities, etc.
- Plays a key role in recruiting new board members, reviewing board member performance as necessary
In addition, I think the most important role of the board chair is the relationship with the president/CEO/executive director. Both are leaders and are critical to the success of the business or organization. “Alignment” comes to mind as a key for success—both for the leaders and the entire organization they serve.
I feel honored again as I think about working with our SWIF board chair, Bill McCormack, and past board chairs who have been such great leaders for our foundation. The effectiveness, thoroughness and enthusiasm they show definitely sets the tone for SWIF’s success. It is a pleasure to work alongside our entire volunteer board to serve SWIF and our region.
What qualities to you think are most important for a volunteer board chair or member?
