The New Rules for Board Chairs

What are the qualifications for a great board chair? Over the years, I've talked with plenty of associations that have developed matrices to thoughtfully answer the question. Fiduciary knowledge—check. Industry understanding—check. Past board experience—check.

A thoroughgoing grasp of the current polycrisis and its possible future impacts on members and stakeholders while managing sometimes contradictory instincts alongside the ability to work with a diverse group of fellow board members as well as the CEO? That doesn't fit so neatly on a spreadsheet, does it?

And yet that kind of amorphous assortment of soft skills—wisdom, stewardship, management—may be more important than the resume-level qualifications. Writing at the Harvard Business Review, business-school professor Pedro Fontes Falcão notes that the current moment has put ever-intensifying demands on the skill sets of board leaders.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.