Does Your Board Trust You? By Henry Doorn

Leaders Must Work to Establish Board Trust and Credibility

Building board trust is essential. The relationship between a CEO and board is significant to an organization, and it cannot be overemphasized how important it is to establish trust and credibility.

Cultivate Relationship

As an organization leader, it is imperative that you establish trust and credibility by building relationships with each board member. Leadership is a relationship, and strong relationships build understanding. Understanding leads board members to believe in the leader and see them as worthy of their trust.

Leaders focus their efforts on the following conditions necessary to build trust and credibility with board members.

Develop Clarity

Develop clarity in all expectations, intentions, and agendas. This would require open communication and transparency so that the board clearly understands what to expect, our intentions, and the agenda. If there are objections or differences of opinion on any of these matters, they need to be raised and discussed. If there is an elephant in the room, it needs to be openly discussed with each board member individually and in board meetings. Also, it would be particularly important to make sure there are no surprises. Everyone must be in the loop before every board meeting.

Demonstrate Consistency

It is extremely important to be consistent in both word and deed. Leaders need to walk the talk and stay on a steady path with consistent effort in the right direction. Some of this is like the saying, “Seeing is believing.” Be a person of your word and follow through on all commitments and decisions. If I say I am going to do something, I need to do it. This, more than anything else, will move the board members to see the leader as worthy of their trust.

Respect Others

Strive to live and work with a genuine respect for what is important to others. This could begin with open communication among board members. Asking board members what is important to them. Asking board members what the organization needs to protect? Also, inviting board members into the process of building the agenda for board meetings would give them the opportunity to include items important to them. Also, make it a point to ask board members lots of questions about their thoughts on various items. Value their input. Ask board members how they think things are going, and leave an open door so they can contact you at any time to share their thoughts. However, while providing board members opportunities to express what is important to them, be careful to respect their time by guiding the conversations to stay on track about what specifically the board members’ roles and responsibilities are.

Be Passionate

Demonstrate a sincere desire to see the organization succeed. Be passionate about achieving the organization’s mission and vision, and that must be obvious to the board. This will build trust in that the board will see that you are committed to the organization. Success also includes succession. That is, to engage and encourage the board in the candidacy selection process, with the leader (CEO) playing a lesser role. Be careful not to interfere in this process, which is meant for the board.

Communicate Consistently

In addition to these four conditions, I would also like to highlight the importance of regular communication with the board to keep them informed between meetings.

I would keep a record of all my communications with individual board members. This would help me remember to talk with each board member regularly. At least once a month or more if necessary. I would also encourage board members to engage with various staff members when the opportunity presents itself. Some board members may want more of this than others.

Various communications and materials relating to board business should also be circulated between board meetings rather than waiting for the meeting.  Make sure the board has ample time to review the agenda before any upcoming meetings. Also, be sure to ask board members how they would prefer their communications. What they want and when they want it.

The importance of developing clarity, consistency, respect, passion, and communication is key to building relationships with the board that will establish board trust and credibility.

Henry Doorn, CCNL, has served as the Director of Stewardship at Westminster Seminary California (WSC) in Escondido, CA, since 2003. In obedient service to God, WSC seeks to glorify Christ, promote his gospel, and serve his church.