IMHO: Picking your chair – best player or best captain?

OPINION: The role of the board chair is often compared to that of a captain leading a sports team. In this metaphor, the chair’s primary responsibility is not simply to be the ‘best player on the field’ but to coordinate, guide, and inspire the board to operate effectively and make strategic decisions. 

This raises an important question about selecting your board chair: should a chair be the best director or the best leader? 

While the most skilful director might be the strongest individual performer, leadership requires different competencies, such as the ability to bring the best out of the team and ensure all members contribute effectively to the board’s collective goals. These two skill sets – being a top director and being an effective leader – are distinct and require careful consideration when selecting a chair.

The chair as leader

In sports, a team captain is not always the most skilled athlete on the field but is someone who understands the game, motivates the team and creates an environment for success. Similarly, a board chair needs to focus on more than just personal expertise. The chair must possess strong leadership qualities that foster teamwork, support diverse perspectives and guide the board toward cohesive decision making.

An effective chair should draw out the views of more reticent board members and manage the more zealous contributors, and ensure robust, independent views are brought to the table. This highlights the importance of leadership qualities that go beyond individual expertise. The chair must foster an inclusive culture where all directors feel empowered to participate in discussions.

One of the key responsibilities of a chair is to manage board dynamics and ensure it operates as an integrated, high-functioning team. The best chair is someone who can oversee the direction and flow of meetings, ensuring a balanced exchange of ideas. Therefore, leadership skills, such as emotional intelligence, communication and the ability to manage conflicts or disagreements, are essential.

There are distinct skills needed in a chair:

• • Facilitation and inclusion: One critical function of the chair is to facilitate discussions so all board members have a voice. A chair’s success hinges on their ability to create an environment where different perspectives are respected, where dissent is valued as much as consensus, and where the board works collectively towards the organisation’s goals. This is akin to a sports captain ensuring every player understands their role, listens to the input of others, and makes strategic decisions to position the team for success. A strong chair recognises the importance of diversity of thought on the board, much like a captain recognises the unique strengths of each team member. 
  • Leadership over expertise: In many ways, the chair’s leadership capabilities are more important than their technical proficiency as a director. While the chair must have a solid understanding of governance and business strategy, these qualities do not need to be exceptional beyond the rest of the board. Instead, what’s vital is the chair can inspire confidence, communicate the board’s strategic vision, and manage diverse director personalities effectively. In a sports team, the captain is typically someone respected not just for their skills but also for their leadership qualities. They help maintain team morale, manage underperformance and galvanise the group during critical moments. 
  • Emotional intelligence: Emotional intelligence plays a crucial role in a chair’s ability to lead a diverse board. A chair with high emotional intelligence understands how to engage various personalities and styles. Similarly, in sports, captains need to manage the mental and emotional state of the team. They ensure players are focused, motivated and that interpersonal conflicts do not derail performance. Both team captains and chairs need to understand the human elements that influence team performance.
  • Supporting the CEO: The chair plays a critical role in managing and supporting the CEO, a responsibility that requires distinct leadership skills beyond the standard governance insight expected of directors. Unlike other board members, the chair acts as the primary point of contact for the CEO, providing mentorship, strategic guidance and regular feedback. This relationship demands a high level of trust, clear communication and an understanding of both governance and operational challenges. A successful chair will ensure the CEO remains aligned with the board’s long-term vision while empowering them to lead effectively, which requires leadership qualities that not all directors possess.

Strategic leadership

Beyond managing group dynamics, a chair must take on a strategic leadership role, ensuring the board maintains a clear focus on long-term objectives. This involves keeping the board’s attention aligned with the company’s purpose and ensuring governance supports the organisation’s long-term sustainability.

This kind of strategic focus is a hallmark of great leadership and distinguishes the best chairs from those who might excel only as individual contributors on the board.

AI assisted in the creation of this article.

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KP is the Chief Executive of the Institute of Directors. She is a qualified lawyer and a Distinguished Fellow of the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand. Her governance roles include:

Chair, Global Network of Directors Institutes (GNDI)
Chair, Brian Picot Ethical Leadership advisory board
Trustee, Voices of Hope
Board member, XRAP Advisory Panel, External Reporting Board (XRB)
Ambassador, Wellington Homeless Women’s Trust. 
With extensive governance and leadership experience, she is actively involved in community initiatives.

A strong advocate of diversity, KP was also a founding member of Global Women’s ‘Champions for Change’, a group of senior executives and directors who commit to diversity in the workplace, and a founding member of WiSPA, an organisation promoting women in sport, and mentors a number of business leaders. KP was also previously Director of the NZ Rugby Foundation.