Are Heads of Boards good Leaders?

Interrelational skills stand for long-term performance – particularly in technology oriented firms

 

 

 

 

Due to recent prominent bancruptcies questions have popped up if not the respective boards have been responsible, too, to say the least. But could better controls and better decisions actually have avoided these failures? Rather yes is the reply of a Swedish-Israelian scientific paper where interviews with 336 board members out of 200 publicly listed firms have been analysed. Crucial is according to the study leadership of the head of the board – extraordinary reputation, brilliant expertise in the field and exceptional networking contacts are particularly in volatile times not sufficient. This resonates especially with technology-oriented firms.

The researchers recommend leadership trainings to establish and enhance interrelational skills.

Nahum/Carmeli/Uman, “On the Power of Professional and Relational Respect of Chairpersons”. In “Psychology of Leaders and Leadership, 2025, vol. 28, Nr. 1, 65-95.

From the praxis:

What are interrelational skills? Well, the capability to communicate respectfully, to build up trustful relationships and to motivate toward constructive cooperation. When dealing with alpha animals – and we can assume each of the members of a board is one of these – it is key that professional leadership applies and steers the best processes beyond any possible differences in opinion. That´s the only way to create respect for each other and therefore to provide an atmosphere where an efficiently working board can get to bold decisions if necessary.

Ok, but why is this so important for boards in the technology-oriented field? Because there – even up to my own observations over decades – social skills and so also interrelational skills are upgradable both on the operative level and in the boards which control. I am offering leadership training for head of the boards for more than 10 years. So I am a bit proud that now my move is confirmed by science.😊