What makes Chairs of Governing Bodies Effective?

That is the question posed by a new report prepared for CTN and NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations).

Relatively little research has been carried out on the important leadership role of chairs of governing bodies. What research has been done across different sectors suggests that the impact of chairs is highly variable. It is important therefore to understand in more detail what distinguishes effective from less effective chairs.

This report by Chris Cornforth, Yvonne Harrison and Vic Murray helps to fill that gap. It presents the results of an online survey of board chairs and the people they work with, including chief executives, board members and staff. The survey collected data on perceptions of the chair leadership role, including the quality of the chair’s relationships (with management, the board, and stakeholders), chair impact, and the influences on chair leadership.

Key Findings

Chairs that were seen as fair, open to ideas, focused on building high quality relationships with others and encouraging team work were seen as having a considerable impact on the effectiveness of the board, Chief Executive (CE), and organisation. The least effective Chairs were those that were not seen as team players and were unable to manage inadequate performance by the key actors with whom they interact.

Various dimensions of a Chair’s emotional and spiritual intelligence were associated with his or her level of impact. In particular chairs with high impact were perceived as being socially aware, able to manage relationships and helping and service motivated.

The Chairs’ contribution was seen primarily in terms of process (e.g. managing board meetings) and content (e.g. providing information) rather than as a source of inspiration to boost board morale and board member engagement.

Chairs tended to rate their own performance and impact higher than other people they work with did. There is a potential danger that if this gap becomes too wide these relationships could become dysfunctional.

The full report is attached below