Rusty O’Kelley co-leads the Global Board & CEO Advisory Practice and Laura Mantoura is Board Member and CEO Advisory Practice at Russell Reynolds Associates. This post is based on a Russell Reynolds Associates article originally published online in the NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors) Directorship Magazine.
Boards spend significant time ensuring they have the right mix of skills and experience around the table. However, composition is only part of the performance equation. Board performance depends on how those capabilities are collectively brought to bear. The chair plays a central role in making the board a strategic asset for the organization.
How can chairs translate the strengths of individual directors into stronger board performance? There are four actions the chair can take.
Set the board and management up for collaboration
The chair serves as the board’s orchestrator and leader among peers. He or she helps decide what merits the board’s attention, maintains strong working relationships among directors and with management, builds a special rapport with the CEO, and ensures important issues surface in the right forum. Chairs serve as the bridge between the board and leadership when hard decisions must be made.
Yet in Russell Reynolds Associates’ (RRA) 2025 Global Board Culture and Director Behaviors Study, only 67 percent of respondents said directors on their boards often or always cultivate relationships with the CEO, and 52 percent said the same of executives beyond the CEO. The study also found that spending more time on board priorities does not necessarily translate into results.
