Is your chair first among equals…or just first?

This often stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of the chair’s role or when the chair is empowered without adequate checks and balances. When this happens, the board risks becoming dysfunctional, driven by personality instead of principle.

While the entire board shares responsibility for governance, the chair occupies a pivotal leadership role, one that is less about authority and more about influence. Effective board governance recognises the chair as a facilitator who enables collaboration and sets the tone at the top, not as a commander or final decision-maker.

True leadership, especially in the context of a board, is not about exercising power or control. This philosophy is captured in the concept of the chair as “first among equals” (primus inter pares), a leader who brings the board together through influence, not authority. The concept underscores the idea that while the chair plays a leading role, they do so as a peer among directors, not a superior since all directors hold equal voting rights and share the same legal responsibilities. It is a subtle but powerful shift that can shape the culture and effectiveness of the entire board. This model of leadership is rooted in humility, collaboration, and the ability to create space for multiple viewpoints.

Chairs who lead in this way empower the board to function as a high-performing team, drawing from the collective wisdom of diverse perspectives. However, creating such an environment requires intentional practice. To truly embody the “first among equals” model, effective chairs must:

• Cultivate trust: Establish credibility through integrity, fairness, and consistency.
• Be active listeners: Draw out contributions from quieter directors and mediate where necessary.
• Facilitate, not dominate: Shape agendas to focus on strategic issues and encourage robust discussion. Be the voice of reason and not the only voice.
• Support the CEO, but challenge when needed: Maintain a clear boundary between governance and management, and be prepared to hold executives accountable.

Beyond the chair’s conduct, the board as a whole must be structured to support this approach. Key enablers of a healthy, balanced governance model include:

• Competency-based board appointments: Chairs and directors must be selected based on skill, temperament, and independence and not affiliation or hierarchy.
• Diversity: The board should be composed of members with diverse backgrounds, including gender, skills, age, and experiences to ensure a wide range of perspectives.
• Clear roles and boundaries: The chair facilitates, the CEO executes. Blurred lines erode governance.
• Culture of respect and trust: Chairs must create space for dissent and invite different views, even if it slows consensus.
• Regular evaluations: Board and chair performance should be reviewed periodically to guard against power imbalances and groupthink.

Board leadership isn’t about holding the gavel; it’s about holding the board together. Chairs who lead as “first among equals” unlock the board’s collective potential, enabling better decisions and stronger institutions. But when influence is mistaken for authority, boards can become fragile, reactive, and risk-prone.

So, here’s the question every board should ask: Is our chair truly first among equals, or simply first?

This is a guest article which contains the views of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the IoD.