It’s About Support

Sharing encouragement.  Seeking feedback. Asking questions of mindset, health, and job satisfaction. These are all elements that play into the role of supporting a company or non-profit leader.  These are key interactions from members of the Board of Directors that should be happening between themselves and the leader.

When that line of communication is not taken, the CEO is left to his or her own.  Yes, some would welcome a board that is disconnected and not active in their communication. However, the leader needs input and feedback between meetings to gauge their social and emotional wellbeing in the role.  Leading a company or organization is hard.  The term, lonely at the top, is true.  Most leaders are cautious who they share with and having a board that cares can be of great value to a leader in their work knowing that they have support. 

Board members are given specific roles to fill and that does include looking after the leader of the organization.  These connections and conversations between the board and the leader should be normalized and welcomed by all parties.  No one does anything alone and when the board seek to add support to the leader through intentional actions, the organization is strengthened in the process. 

Having a leader struggling without support is unacceptable. Even when a strong leader is performing well, the Board still has an obligation to show support.  This is the relationship, and when done well, everyone succeeds.  Board membership does not include avoidance and having established communication protocols between members and the company leader should be established and followed. 

Being overbearing, interacting too often, or showing lack of respect for the leader communicates a lack of trust. Add to that, when members avoid contact altogether, this communicates to the leader that they are not valued, and this creates animosity and lack of trust in the board and its members.  The pendulum swinging to extremes serves no one well.  The board president should take the lead, meet with the leader, and establish a simple system of support and then stick to it.

A stable leader is a supported leader.  A functioning board is one that cares for their organization leader and shows it in work and in deed.