Boards often believe their role is to build trust with the communities they serve. In reality, most organizations begin with trust already in place. The responsibility of governance is not to create that trust, but to steward it wisely.

One of the things I didn’t fully appreciate before serving as board chair was this:

Boards rarely create trust.

By the time most board members arrive, trust has already been built – sometimes over decades. It lives in the reputation of the institution, in the relationships donors have formed, in the credibility staff have earned through years of work, and in the quiet confidence communities place in organizations they believe in.

That trust is the foundation on which everything else stands.

Yet board discussions often focus on strategy, growth, and expansion. These are important conversations. But they can unintentionally obscure something more fundamental.

Before boards build the future, they are first........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)