Interactions Between the Chair and the Board
You have two ears and one mouth; use them in proportion.
—Old proverb
If there is no tension, then you’re not serious about what you’re doing.
—Wynton Marsalis
Introduction
As in previous chapters, I assume a contemporary Chair who wants a strong board team and is willing to form one, even if it makes meetings more challenging.
Demanding that board members engage in constructive conflict, avoid destructive conflict, and work together sounds good in theory— but how can a Chair form a functioning, strong board team? Board members tend, as colleagues do, to suppress debates and, as a result, conflict aversion sets in. Knowing that boards are full of powerful, successful, and opinionated people, ...
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