Case Study: Learning to Take Authority
Coaching a new Board Chair
Names and identifying details have been changed to protect confidentiality.
Foundation
The transition from board director to board chair is a significant step, one that shifts the lens from contribution to leadership.
I began coaching a newly appointed chair of a not-for-profit organisation. While she had prior experience as an independent director, this was her first time leading a board.
Challenge
Her challenge was balancing confidence and humility.
Several experienced board members had strong voices and were used to driving the discussion. Others rarely spoke, unsure if their perspective mattered. The new chair felt uncertain about how to bring balance and to create space for quieter directors while maintaining respect for those with more experience.
My Role
Our coaching sessions focused on practical and relational strategies to strengthen her authority and confidence.
We explored:
- Why it’s important to hear every voice around the board table.
- How one-on-one conversations can help her understand what motivates each director and what helps them contribute effectively.
- The use of “go-rounds” to ensure every board member is heard before decisions are made.
- Simple reflective exercises to build the board’s listening skills.
Most importantly, we worked on how she could believe in herself, to take up her role fully, with quiet authority and trust in her own leadership.
Transformation
Through these sessions, she began to see that good chairing isn’t about control; it’s about creating the conditions for others to do their best thinking. Her confidence grew, her meetings became more inclusive, and she developed a stronger presence at the table, remaining calm, clear, and credible.
Outcome
By the end of our coaching work, she was leading with assurance and balance. Her board members reported feeling more engaged and heard. The experienced directors respected her style, and the quieter members began to speak with greater confidence.
Sometimes, the most powerful leadership development begins not with a strategy, but with a conversation that helps someone see that they already have what it takes.