🌟 Walking Beside Your CEO: How Boards Can Show Real Support

Serving on a nonprofit board is both an honor and a responsibility. While governance and oversight are critical, the most effective boards know their role goes beyond reviewing budgets and approving minutes.

True support means walking beside the CEO—understanding the weight they carry, creating space for candid dialogue, and offering partnership where it matters most.

And sometimes, that support starts with asking the right questions.

🤔 But first, a caution…

Too often, when boards ask “How can we help you?” the CEO hears: “Please create another report, compile more data, and bring us new information.”

That’s not support—that’s extra work.

“The best board questions lighten the CEO’s load, not add to it.”

The goal of these questions isn’t to add more to the CEO’s plate. It’s to lighten it. To identify where the board can step in, open doors, or solve problems so the CEO can focus on leading.

3 Questions That Strengthen the CEO–Board Relationship

1️⃣ What is keeping you up at night right now?

A simple but powerful way to surface the CEO’s biggest challenges. It builds trust while giving the board insight into where the organization may need attention or resources.

2️⃣ What’s one thing the board could do in the next 90 days to make your job easier or more impactful?

This shifts the focus from oversight to action. Instead of asking for more updates, it puts the board in service of the CEO’s priorities.

3️⃣ Where do you feel you need the most partnership from us as you work toward our strategic goals?

This connects the conversation directly to strategy. It helps the board align its energy—through advocacy, fundraising, or connections—without creating new to-do’s for staff.

💡 Why These Questions Matter

These aren’t about micromanaging. They’re about listening, showing up as allies, and reinforcing that the CEO isn’t in it alone.

When boards walk beside their CEOs in this way, they create stronger leaders, stronger organizations, and ultimately greater impact for the communities they serve.

✨ Final Thought

Supporting your CEO doesn’t require more reports, more meetings, or more complexity. It requires curiosity, empathy, and a willingness to ask questions that reduce work, not add to it.

Start here, and you’ll not only strengthen your CEO’s leadership—you’ll strengthen the board’s role as a true partner in advancing the mission.

👩‍💼 At Purposeful Consulting Group, I help CEOs and boards build strong, trust-filled partnerships through coaching, strategy, and leadership development. If your board or leadership team is ready to grow into the next level of impact, let’s connect.