Tough Conversations: Roleplaying Common CEO-Chair Challenges
Some nonprofit board conversations are hard - especially when the CEO and the Chair don't quite agree.In this video series, governance leadership experts Joan Garry (Nonprofit Leadership Lab) and Rob Acton (Cause Strategy Partners) roleplay the most challenging conversations board leadership faces - then unpack each issue and offer their advice.
In our first session, "The Overstepper," Rob and Joan tackle how leadership should react to a big personality on the board. How do you create space for an all-star to lead, while also maintaining room for other voices?
What do you do when a board member crosses the line and starts getting a little TOO involved in the day-to-day of the organization? Let's find out. In our second session, Joan and Rob consider how to rein in a rogue board member - even when that board member is the Chair themselves.
Is it better to motivate a board member who is seemingly disengaged, or should you cut ties? With either choice, what do you risk? In our third conversation, Rob and Joan roleplay the Chair and CEO discussing a checked-out board member and then weigh the options moving forward.
When a nonprofit CEO uses their board as a "rubber stamp" for their agenda, whose job is it to step up and intervene? In our final session, Rob and Joan roleplay a challenging, but common scenario - the Micromanaging CEO - and offer insights on how to course correct.
Interested in learning more?
Join Joan Garry's upcoming workshop, "How to Overcome a Dysfunctional Board" to unlock the key to building a board with the right mix of skills, experiences, and attributes.