Four Board Commitments During a CEO or ED Search
ISSUE 3
Before interviewing candidates for a new CEO or Executive Director, a board has some important decisions to make.
What needs attention first?
What authority will the new leader have?
What resources are available?
How will the board help the person get established?
These questions shape the job a candidate is considering. They also shape the working relationship that begins after the offer is accepted.
A board may want stronger finances, improved staff retention, expanded services, and more fundraising. Each goal requires time and resources. The search is an opportunity to agree on which goals are most urgent and what the board will do to support them. BoardSource [1] identifies hiring and supporting the chief executive as central board responsibilities.
Consider posing this question to your board:
What will the next leader be able to count on from us?
Board of Directors meeting.
Four practical board commitments through the CEO search and into the leader’s first year.
These are hypotheticals to illustrate board decisions and make no claims about specific organizations or client results.
1. We will agree on what needs attention first
Board members bring different perspectives on what the organization needs. Those differences deserve a full conversation before they become expectations of a new CEO.
Consider a behavioral health nonprofit with staff vacancies and financial pressure. Some board members want to open another location because community demand is growing. Others want the next CEO to strengthen existing services and address the budget.
A candidate could leave separate interviews believing that both expansion and financial stability are the immediate priority. Once hired, that person could face conflicting expectations about where to spend time and money.
The board can address this during the search. It is a good time to review the organization’s current position with leadership, agree on the most urgent needs, and explain the sequence it has in mind. For example: address the operating deficit and staffing gaps first, then assess whether expansion is feasible.
The search committee can speak to those priorities consistently when describing the role and evaluating candidates.
After the CEO arrives, the board and CEO should revisit the priorities together. The new leader needs time to review the finances, hear from staff, and understand service needs. That information will help them agree on a realistic first-year plan. Bridgespan [2] recommends beginning with the board’s initial direction and developing the leadership agenda jointly during onboarding.2
🔷 The board’s commitment: “We will give you a clear account of our priorities and work with you to agree on achievable goals for your first year.”
2. We will respect the authority assigned to the CEO
The new leader needs to know which decisions they can make and which require board approval. Board members need the same understanding.
The search provides a useful time to review the job description, bylaws, and policies that define those responsibilities. Work through actual decisions: hiring staff, approving spending, changing a program, or entering a significant agreement. Identify where existing guidance needs clarification.
This is especially useful after a long-serving executive leaves. Over time, people may have developed informal working arrangements that the next leader will need to understand.
For example, board members may be accustomed to asking staff directly for additional reports or new projects. Those requests can affect staff workload and organizational priorities. The board and incoming CEO can agree on how routine requests will be coordinated, including the information committees need to do their work. Established channels for reporting misconduct, safety, or compliance concerns should remain available.
The chair also has a role in addressing conflicting instructions. If an individual board member asks the CEO to pursue work outside the agreed priorities, the chair can bring the question to the appropriate board discussion.
Clear authority gives the CEO a workable basis for leading the organization. It also helps the board carry out its oversight responsibilities.
🔷The board’s commitment: “We will clarify decision-making authority, follow our agreed governance practices, and address conflicting directions promptly.”
3. We will be realistic about the resources behind our expectations
A board’s goals need to reflect what the organization can feasibly support.
Suppose staff retention is a concern. Supervisors are covering vacancies, workloads are heavy, and employees have raised questions about compensation. The board wants the next CEO to improve retention.
During the search, candidates need an honest explanation of those conditions. They also need to know what resources are available and which funding decisions remain open.
The board can review the current budget with leadership and identify what it is able to authorize. After the new CEO has assessed the situation and developed recommendations, the board can consider the proposed costs and make decisions within its authority.
Some recommendations may require additional funding. Others may involve changing service commitments or adjusting the timing of planned work. Each choice has consequences that the board and CEO need to discuss.
This approach connects the expectation to a practical decision: What can the organization fund, and what results are reasonable with those resources?
The same question applies to fundraising, technology improvements, service expansion, and other goals. Candidates should have a clear picture of existing support, known constraints, and the process for considering additional resources.
🔷 The board’s commitment: “We will explain the resources available, make timely decisions on proposals, and review expectations when funding or capacity changes.”
4. We will make time for the working relationship
A new CEO needs access to information, people, and timely decisions as they learn the organization. BoardSource and Bridgespan both emphasize the board’s role in onboarding and supporting the incoming leader.1 2
Before the start date, the board can identify who will coordinate its part of onboarding. That includes providing relevant board records, explaining unresolved governance questions, and arranging introductions to key partners and funders.
The chair and CEO can then agree on a communication schedule. Weekly conversations may be useful early in the transition. The frequency can change as the working relationship develops.
Those conversations should give both people room to raise questions. The CEO may need a board decision, feedback on a proposal, or help understanding an existing commitment. The chair may need more information about an emerging risk or progress toward a priority.
The full board has work to do as well. Members need to prepare for meetings, complete the support tasks they accept, and provide feedback against the goals they have agreed on together.
When an agreed priority leads to a difficult decision, the board needs to remain involved within its role. If it approves a change in services, for example, the board and CEO should decide how to explain the decision and respond to concerns. The board should also review new information that could affect the decision.
🔷The board’s commitment: “We will stay engaged, provide candid feedback, and follow through on the support we agree to provide.”
Write these in your own words. Carry these commitments through the search
The board can capture its commitments in a short working document. Record the initial priorities, clarify authority, describe available resources, and assign responsibility for onboarding support. Identify any questions that still need a decision.
The full board should agree on what it is prepared to offer. The search committee can then share that information consistently with candidates.
Once the new leader joins, use the document to begin a conversation about how the partnership will work. Refine the first-year goals together and schedule a review of both organizational progress and the board’s follow-through.
A useful question at that review is:
Have we provided the decisions, information, access, and support we agreed to provide?
The board’s preparation during the search gives the next leader a clearer understanding of the work ahead. Following through helps that person lead with the authority and support the role requires.
If your board is preparing for a Chief Executive Officer or Executive Director transition, I welcome a conversation about priorities, expectations, and the support your next leader will need. Connect with me through WileyExec.com.