Skip to content

Board chair and CEO partnership evaluation

When strategic alignment issues and operational friction exist between the board chair and CEO, your organization may experience conflicting directives and compounding problems that could result in financial consequences. Through a neutral, structured evaluation of your board chair and CEO’s relationship, you will transform your top leadership partnership into a powerful engine for organizational success and sustainable growth.

How Board chair and CEO partnership evaluation adds value

Governance alignment

Reduces conflicting directives for unified strategic direction.

Board impact

Unlocks the board’s full potential to drive value across the organization. 

Relationship alignment

Provides actionable steps to foster communication, trust, and alignment. 

People-focus

Builds mutual respect, focusing on individual strengths to benefit collective governance.

Conflict resolution

Impartial facilitation creates a safe space to address and resolve relationship issues.

Resilient leadership

Equips the chair-CEO partnership with tools for enduring, productive collaboration. 

Unlock the full potential of your top leadership partnership. Build trust, align priorities, and propel your organization forward.

What to expect

We strengthen governance, align strategy, and empower your board chair and CEO to drive impactful organizational outcomes. Here’s how:

Assessing dynamics

We evaluate relationship trust, openness, alignment, and communication using tools tailored to your organization. 

Customized deisgn

We clarify objectives, select methods, and define participants to ensure a tailored approach that aligns with your goals. 

Role realignment

We help the chair and CEO clarify and align their roles, creating a foundation for strong, mutual support. 

Practical recommendations

We provide actionable recommendations to improve confidence, trust, and collaboration in the chair-CEO relationship. 

Conflict mediation

As an impartial partner, we provide a balanced environment that respects both perspectives and supports relationship growth. 

Post-engagement support

We offer options like policy development, facilitated discussions, and ongoing coaching to sustain and deepen improvements. 

Clients who have seen results

Read real stories of the people and organizations who have benefitted from board chair and CEO partnership evaluations.

Accelerated strategic execution through enhanced board chair-CEO partnership

"Our muted board chair-CEO dynamic was holding us back strategically."

-Governance committee chair, Confidential client

The expertise we bring

Read more about our team's expertise on our blog and discover insights from our experts below.

4 Questions All Board Chairs and CEOs Should Ask Each Other

The best board chair (chair) and chief executive relationships are founded on mutual trust and respect. But at Realize, we know that for some chief executives, this relationship can be a deadweight and feel like just another item on their pile of things to ‘manage’ instead of a real lift both professionally and personally. For boards, we know that this...

Designing Your Board for Maximum Value and Impact

Whether you’re a board chair, a board director, or a CEO, each role can uniquely address problems related to the top two common pain points that can hinder a board from maximizing their value to the organization: alignment, and expertise and resources.

Avoid the New CEO Crash: Thriving in Your First Year

Why do so many executives and organizations stumble with leadership transition, and how can you buck this trend? Explore common new leadership challenges along with strategies new leaders and boards should implement to set the stage for transformative success.

Expert opinion

"Who leads your organization? The board chair? The CEO? The answer is both. In today’s rapidly changing environment, your organization depends on having your board chair and CEO work as trusted partners who are inspired to build long-term value for your customers and challenge your employees to perform like Olympic athletes."

John Kay
Client solutions in strategy, governance, leadership, and finance

Additional support

When you begin strengthening the partnership between your board chair and CEO, you may want to explore other opportunities to enhance your organization’s leadership and effectiveness:

Strengthen your board

Enhance board effectiveness and build strong partnerships for better governance and strategic direction.

Board training | Board and governance transformation | Board chair and CEO partnership evaluation | Executive search

Grow your leaders

Provide personalized support to help leaders grow, develop their strengths, and lead with confidence.

CEO 360 evaluation | Team coaching | Leadership development | Executive search

Our team

Meet your team of Client Solutions specialists.

Can't find what you're looking for?

Access free resources and insights to solve your challenge.