This post discusses the secret sauce for success for new nonprofit executive directors.
What’s the secret sauce for a new nonprofit executive director’s success? There are many qualities that make a great executive director: leadership experience, time management, networking skills, financial acumen, and dedication. But do you know what will make or break you in your new role as an ED?
Your relationship with your board chair.
Much is written about the roles and responsibilities of the executive director vs. the board chair. And a lot of emphasis is placed on each person “staying in their lane.”
To be sure, clarity on responsibilities is crucial, but what about the important element of trust? How do you build it, keep it, and leverage it?
Here are 3 tips:
Secret Sauce Tip 1: Meet weekly with your chair.
I can hear you thinking, “But I don’t have time!” Believe me, you can’t afford NOT to do this.
It can be a phone call, a Zoom call, or an actual in-person meeting at either person’s office or at a coffee shop. The important thing is to put it on your calendar, the same day and time each week, and stick to the schedule without fail.
Agenda items could include budget concerns, staff and board issues, fundraising, and “things that keep me up at night.”
This regularly scheduled meeting will help you and your chair get to know each other, build trust, learn each other’s communication styles, and make sure you are on the same page…before the agency hits a crisis.
Secret Sauce Tip 2: View your chair as your partner.
As in a marriage or a business relationship, partners consult each other on major decisions and planning. It’s the same for the Chair and Executive Director relationship.
This was often a struggle for me as an executive director because it’s so much more time-efficient to go it alone. And as you know, you never have enough time as an ED.
It takes time to build a relationship, to talk things through. But it will pay off in the long run because your chair can serve as your strategic partner, your advocate, and your liaison to the board.
Secret Sauce Tip 3: Acknowledge that you need your chair.
As an executive director, you are probably very independent by nature. You have to be to survive the job.
Sometimes it’s hard to admit that you can’t do everything alone. And sometimes it’s just easier to pretend that there is no board or board chair…..until that bi-monthly meeting sneaks up on you.
It isn’t a sign of weakness to lean on your board chair occasionally. Especially if this individual has been with the agency for years and you are new.
Unfortunately, you could establish a great relationship with your chair only to find you have to start over in 2 or 3 years because of term limits in the bylaws. This constant change can be frustrating as well as rejuvenating, but in future blog posts, we will explore ways to build the line of succession for the chair and other officer positions.
Summary: Following the 3 tips above for developing your relationship with your chair will pay off in the long run. In the meantime, grab your free copy of “4 Tips for Running Your Nonprofit Without Getting Run Down.”
