By Jane Ide, CEO, ACEVO
One of the questions I frequently discuss with other charity CEOs is a simple one: what does good governance really look like in practice from the CEO’s perspective, and how do we make it work day to day?
Our new research with the Association of Chairs and nfpResearch offers a clear insight. Relationships between CEOs and chairs are generally strong, but that strength does not always translate into consistently strong board performance.
Seven in ten CEOs and more than eight in 10 chairs describe their relationship as strong. Trust, honesty and the ability to have difficult conversations are widely present. Many of you will recognise that in your own experience, and it is something worth holding on to.
The research also provides evidence that this strong foundation is not always enough. Nearly half of respondents rate their board highly for effectiveness, but only 4% give the top score. Just 42% say their board is open to risk. Almost six in 10 have experienced challenging board behaviour, while only 15% of CEOs say that they have never experienced challenging board behaviour.
What comes through strongly is the importance of how relationships are lived out in practice. Trust and openness matter, but so does what they enable. The balance between support and challenge is central. Boards that can ask difficult questions, hold different perspectives and stay with that tension tend to make better decisions.
The CEO–chair relationship plays a critical role in setting that tone. Where there is space for honest reflection, for raising concerns early and for testing assumptions, the rest of the board is more likely to follow. Where that space is limited, challenge can become muted and important issues can go unspoken.
There is also something in how we approach roles. Clarity matters, particularly in avoiding confusion or overstepping, which the research highlights as common sources of friction. However, relationships that become too fixed can lose the flexibility needed to respond to complexity. Revisiting ways of working, responding to the realities of the here-and-now, and being open about how the relationship evolves over time can make a real difference.
Throughout, the basics of governance still matter. Processes such as induction, appraisal and board effectiveness reviews are not consistently in place across the sector, and there’s really no excuse for them not to be. Where they are missing, it becomes harder to surface issues early or support trustees to contribute fully. Questions of board diversity, preparedness and participation continue to shape how effective boards can be.
For many CEOs, the findings on challenging board behaviour will feel familiar. These issues are not always dramatic, but they are significant. And whether dramatic or not they can be very harmful. A dominant voice, unclear boundaries, or a reluctance to engage with risk can all affect how decisions are made. Addressing them requires confidence, support and a willingness to engage openly with the chair and the wider board and often comes with personal and professional risk.
There is also a difference in how governance is experienced, depending on the perspective and role. Chairs often see boards as more effective and more collaborative. CEOs are closer to the day-to-day dynamics and may experience those same environments differently. Creating space to explore that difference can help build a more shared understanding of what is working and what needs attention. Sometimes a chair needs a reminder that there are challenges they can’t easily see; sometimes a CEO needs a reminder that lifting their vision out of the operational and looking from a more strategic perspective might give them a more optimistic perspective.
This is where support and connection across the sector really matter. Through ACEVO, we see every day the value of peer networks, mentoring and shared learning in helping CEOs navigate these challenges. Our Dynamic Duo programme, developed with the Association of Chairs, focuses specifically on the CEO–chair relationship and the behaviours that underpin effective leadership at the top of organisations.
Being part of a membership body like ACEVO offers space to reflect, to test thinking with peers, and to access practical tools and advice when governance becomes complex. It also provides reassurance that many of these challenges are shared, and that solutions can be developed collectively.
What this research reinforces is that governance is shaped as much by behaviour as by structure. For CEOs, there is a real opportunity to shape that practice intentionally, in partnership with chairs and trustees, so that strong relationships lead to stronger boards and, ultimately, stronger organisations.