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Where Does the CRITICAL Board/CEO Relationship Begin?
Brian Kreeger • Sep 15, 2022
A few keys to a solid Board/CEO relationship are honesty, integrity, and displayed vulnerability among the parties. But that does not always come naturally as the leader many times fears that showing imperfection and fallibility will damage their position or the organization.
Being able to start, and maintain, a relationship culture that allows for a leader to exhibit who they truly are greatly increases the likelihood of avoiding a leadership fall.
This relationship decreases the likelihood of isolation and loneliness in the role of nonprofit executive leadership, which is the source of most leadership falls.
But where does the relationship start?
Believe it or not, the relationship between the board and the executive starts before they are even hired.
As the board sits around the table working to determine the profile of their ultimate candidate, many times what is considered are things like education, past experience, community involvement, standing in the community, expertise in the particular mission, fundraising potential, demonstrated ability to create and maintain culture, and general personal stability. This is typical, and each one of those points is very important. They are all “musts.”
(This blog focuses on starting a conversation centered on preventing the fall of nonprofit leaders. I write it from a Christian perspective, but all leaders will benefit. Be sure to sign up to receive these articles via email every Tuesday at
briankreeger.com as well as taking a look at previous blog articles. In addition to receiving these articles two days before they hit social media, you will receive the article "5 Early Indicators of a Christian Nonprofit Leadership Fall" along with the Contents, Introduction and the Appendix (My story) of my book,
The Courageous Ask: A Proactive Approach to Prevent the Fall of Christian Nonprofit Leaders.)
If you read this blog regularly, you know I am imploring boards to go the extra step by pushing the envelope on the personal side of life in our interviews. Although some candidates will be scared off by that, it is okay.
What you are looking for is someone who has the character that allows them to be the same person in your organization as they are at home or in other settings. If they protect that, it may be an indicator that they are not your ideal candidate.
As a board is looking for their ideal candidate and developing their executive profile, the board is in the driver’s seat. This needs to be taken seriously, and a board should take their time—be wary of those speed bumps on the road.
Too many times a board is so eager to fill a position and get on with business as usual that they rush the process, cut corners, and choose the wrong candidate. Sometimes a board will put someone in a position because they are the easiest one to get up and running fast. This is not a wise decision-making process.
Asking questions around a person’s holistic health should not be off the table.
Again, what I am advocating for, in the interest of the health of your organization, is for you to have the courage to probe areas of a candidate’s personal life. A board should look for indicators a solid relationship can be built between the board and executive, and that the candidate not only possesses strength and ability, but also humility.
There are certainly things that you cannot legally ask a candidate, but there are many you can.
So, asking about personal interests outside of the job and what they do with their time should be probed. You are looking to uncover the leader’s mindset and personal state.
Some people reading this will say, “Whoa, Whoa, the personal life of an executive is off-limits!”
But the personal life of an executive is going to affect their performance. And, as I have already mentioned, at the core of most leadership falls are personal issues.
Who a person is—the way they were brought up, their education, their faith life, their life experiences, etc.—forms the foundation of that leader and made them who you may choose to lead your organization. That is very personal.
The reason a board chooses a particular executive cannot just be found on the sheets of paper we call a résumé. If that were true, there would be no reason for interviews.
When a board conducts interviews, they are looking for character and personality. They are looking for indicators of proper application of the skills they found on the résumé. They are searching to see if this person can create or maintain the desired culture, and so on. These are mostly intangible and without measurable performance indicators. They are personal.
In a missional Christian organization, asking what their church involvement is and about affiliations is relevant. Asking if they attend a small accountability group is a good question. Asking about life challenges and how they handled them—now we’re talking. Inevitably, questions like these will lead to further discussion on topics relevant to your Christian mission.
Time and time again I have heard people talk about how proper vetting of leadership is so important. The problem is that many times they stop short in the interview process, and are talking about it after a fall.
I have experienced being on a board when we asked for the executive’s resignation. It was amazing how many people sat around that table (including me) talking about the indicators we saw before we even put them in the position. We all saw it, but took the easy route and put them in the position. Lesson learned.
Proper vetting of a potential executive by asking personal questions in a gentle, caring way during the interview process also has a few side effects. First, it tells the candidate something about the character of the board and the organization. It also shows a part of the character of the organization that you want incorporated as part of the culture when they carry out their duties.
It will communicate to them that they are cared about on a personal level, beyond the facts and figures that you no doubt will have reviewed as part of the job description communications. That is very attractive to your ideal candidates and may be the reason they choose your organization over others.
And we should see this same attitude in the onboarding of the new candidate. The board should develop a deliberate, purposeful onboarding process headed up by at least one board member.
A solid, healthy, and communicative relationship starts before the hiring of an executive. Do not take it for granted or be afraid to probe areas of a personal nature.
No matter where the board-executive relationship begins, whether it be during the hiring process or during the executive’s tenure, properly communicated expectations that are well thought out and reasonable, considering the individual, are essential.
A solid CEO/Board relationship is an absolute key for the success of any organization. Creating an environment that nurtures that relationship starts before a CEO is even hired.
I end with a question I have asked before: Would you rather end the year with a 20% shortfall on the P&L, or in the midst of repairing a devastating leadership fall?
I will take the 20% shortfall any day.
It's time to invest in a relationship beyond the job description.
Be Courageous!
Be Proactive!
Be sure to sign up to receive these articles via email every Tuesday at
briankreeger.com. In addition to receiving these articles two days before they hit social media, you will receive the article "5 Early Indicators of a Christian Nonprofit Leadership Fall" along with the Contents, Introduction and the Appendix (My Story) of my book,
The Courageous Ask: A Proactive Approach to Prevent the Fall of Christian Nonprofit Leaders.
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Executives -pastors or nonprofit executives in our context- are put on a pedestal. It’s not that the typical person necessarily believes they belong there or desires to put them there. But it is human nature that this happens. The general public often places much higher expectations on leaders than they do on themselves. Sometimes it is appropriate, and the leader has put themselves in that position. In some cases, it is simply scriptural. For instance, James 3 points out that those who teach will be judged more strictly, thereby heightening the expectations of those who lead and teach. But what about when we accept, and enact, those elevated expectations and forget the humanity of our leaders? Often a community heaps on a leader the expectation that they are to perform with the perfection of Jesus and not simply be a Jesus follower and disciple just like them, but with a unique calling and heightened responsibility. Too many times when a leader shows human imperfection, the respect we have for them is damaged. Leaders fall under strict judgment, and we forget they are no less fallible than us. The imperfection they have colors any positive experience we would have had with them otherwise. While most of us acknowledge this strict, hypocritical judgment and recognize it as not being how we want to treat our leaders, it is a difficult battle to fight in our own attitudes and minds. No matter who the leader is, they are not Jesus. But please allow me to reverently make some comparisons. (This blog focuses on starting a conversation centered on preventing the fall of nonprofit leaders. I write it from a Christian perspective, but all leaders will benefit. Be sure to sign up to receive these articles via email every Tuesday at briankreeger.com as well as taking a look at previous blog articles. In addition to receiving these articles two days before they hit social media, you will receive the article "5 Early Indicators of a Christian Nonprofit Leadership Fall" along with the Contents, Introduction and the Appendix (My story) of my book, The Courageous Ask: A Proactive Approach to Prevent the Fall of Christian Nonprofit Leaders. )
You are the community, no matter what formal role you play in a particular organization, or if you play any role at all. My blog articles typically focus on the roles the leader and the board have in preventing the fall of Christian nonprofit leaders. But I contend that the community that exists around organizational leaders and boards has a role as well. In fact, a community’s role can many times be much bigger. My next few blog articles will focus on the role of the community in preventing the fall of Christian nonprofit leaders. (This blog focuses on starting a conversation centered on preventing the fall of nonprofit leaders. I write it from a Christian perspective, but all leaders will benefit. Be sure to sign up to receive these articles via email every Tuesday at briankreeger.com as well as taking a look at previous blog articles. In addition to receiving these articles two days before they hit social media, you will receive the article "5 Early Indicators of a Christian Nonprofit Leadership Fall" along with the Contents, Introduction and the Appendix (My story) of my book, The Courageous Ask: A Proactive Approach to Prevent the Fall of Christian Nonprofit Leaders. )
