Furthering a Head–Board Chair Partnership: Six Practices for Shared Stewardship

What makes for a strong partnership between a Head of School and Board Chair? I’m thinking today about components beneath the surface. We know that chemistry matters and that role clarity is critical, but what are some of the practices worth establishing early and revisiting throughout the Head and Board Chair’s relationship to foster trust, high-quality discernment, and mutual accountability? Here are a few I’ve found especially useful as a Head of School and in my work with Heads and Board Chairs navigating both opportunity and uncertainty together.

1. Invest in the relationship before it is tested.
   Schedule time simply to think together, not only to solve immediate issues. Trust is accumulated in ordinary conversations long before it is called upon during difficult ones.
   
   
2. Practice saying the things it seems too hard to say.
   Decide together what it will take for each of you to offer difficult truths early and receive them with curiosity.
   
   
3. Stay curious longer than feels comfortable.
   Resist the temptation to rush toward certainty. Consider whether you’ve actually identified the real problem or asked the right or best question(s). If culture eats strategy for breakfast, then clarity eats certainty for lunch.
   
   
4. Protect one another's credibility: Consider who you’ll be when you disagree.
   Address disagreements directly and privately whenever possible. Agree upon and practice what will be said when you disagree.
   
   
5. Make reflection part of the work.
   Periodically ask questions like: 
   - What’s the thing I’ve done that’s been most supportive of you in your role?
   - What’s a specific thing I’ve done that’s made it harder for you to do your best work?
   - What have we learned? What might we do differently?
   
   
6. Leave every conversation and end every meeting with discipline.
   Before concluding, ensure that each of you understands what has been decided, what remains uncertain, who will do what, and when you will reconnect. Clarity is an act of both kindness and responsible stewardship.
   
   

About the Author:

Mike Hanas, born and raised in Chicago, loves to learn and has been a leader in education and leadership development for nearly 40 years. After falling in love with the classics as a high schooler and an undergraduate, Mike brought his passion for learning to work in schools. He has worked as a teacher and leader in six different independent schools (two boarding and four day), including 20 years as a Head of School in Durham, NC, and in San Francisco, CA, and most recently as an Interim Head in Santa Rosa, CA. Mike's sincere belief in (a) the power of reflection to catalyze wisdom and (b) the deep potential of others led him to launch Furthering in 2018 to advance learning, leadership, and service through individual and team support. His executive coaching and consulting clients include Heads of School, Board Chairs, Boards of Trustees, and Senior Leadership Teams.