The role of a chairperson has become well recognized, and the expectations are consistently growing. A chairman is supposed to be charismatic, involved and does more than attend meetings in the organization. For a chairman to be effective in his duties, he should have a good relationship with all the directors. The two should be practice candor and transparency for them to be able to rely on each other. For the two parties to work in unison, they need to perceive that they hold contrasting positions in the company.
A chairman like Mr. Hussain al Nowais is effective in what he does since he fully understands what his job entails. He should be able to provide a constructive level of challenge to the senior management team. Additionally, he should know how and when to ask the right questions whenever there is a problem or he needs information. A good chair needs to know the mission of the board and how to measure the progress of the company. Offering guidance is a major role of the chair and finding new ways to purchase important resources for the company. The position of the chairman does not allow him to run the company and he should be able to recognize that. Support to the organization is his primary role.
A chairman, however, should make sure that he devotes just the right amount of time to the roles he is supposed to take care of. Since he does not run the company, he does not have much work. From time to time, he can walk around the organization and see how the employees are progressing and enquire about any challenges they may be facing. Like Mr. Hussain al Nowais, an excellent chairman can develop empathy with the business and engage with the people and any ongoing issues. The ability to run an effective board and make sure there is a good relationship between the shareholders and stakeholders is what defines a good chairman.
In case of a crisis in the organization, a good chairman is able to put the interests of the company first. While tackling the problem, he should always remember the set mission by the organization. A good chair should always be selfless when problems arise until they are well resolved.
A good chairperson knows when and how to step down from an organization. He does not wake up one morning and decide not to carry out his duties anymore. He is supposed to share his intention with the management team and directors about resigning from the company at least six to eighteen months before leaving. The company there is able to get adequate time to search for someone else to fill in that position. The outgoing chairperson gets an opportunity to hand over his roles to his successor.