Being a Board Chair is Like Downhill Skiing

Much of downhill skiing is learned behavior. Leaning downhill runs counter to every survival instinct one might possess, yet that is precisely what it takes to ski and not end up falling on one’s rear end.

Similarly, being an effective board chair—and likely being an effective board member, too—is learned behavior that often goes against one’s social instincts. For example, consider the all-too-common scenario of a faculty member or parent of a current student who calls (or emails or texts) the chair to register a complaint about the head of school. The norms of social behavior would have us lean into others when they bring us complaints, lending an ear and hearing out their concerns. However, this is exactly what one should not do as the board leader (or a member)!

The problem in hearing out the complaint is that the teacher or parent will believe they have brought their concern to the board, in direct conflict with the principle of good practice that says the board should never become a grievance committee for people unhappy with management decisions. You may not think you are offering to open a grievance channel or pathway for complaints to reach the board, but that is what you have done by hearing the person out.

New board chairs are especially vulnerable. Having been rebuffed by the previous chair, who may have learned the hard way, there is always considerable pent-up demand for an audience with someone who might overrule the head. The problem is that having the conversation ends up with the chair or board member falling on their keister just as surely as learning backward when downhill skiing.