--- title: "CEO Strategies for Building Board Trust" id: "61342" type: "post" slug: "ceo-strategies-for-building-board-trust" published_at: "2023-01-25T19:00:18+00:00" modified_at: "2026-07-11T18:07:33+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2023/01/25/ceo-strategies-for-building-board-trust/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2023/01/25/ceo-strategies-for-building-board-trust.md" excerpt: "Trust among board members doesn’t happen automatically. CEOs need to cultivate it by nurturing relationships, identifying board champions, and recognizing the risk factors for dysfunction." taxonomy_category: - "Executive Leadership" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Associations Now" - "C-suite" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Executive Team" taxonomy_persona: - "Executive Leadership" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » CEO Strategies for Building Board Trust Part of the Deep Dive[Leadership Reimagined](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/leadership-reimagined-a-new-era-for-execs/) If you want to get a sense of the trust level in an association boardroom, just listen. If you’re not hearing much, that could be a sign of a problem. “When I walk into a room and people are either not willing to share or are only half-sharing, that’s a problem,” said Lowell Aplebaum, FASAE, CAE, CEO of the leadership consultancy Vista Cova. “You can tell they’re holding back, not asking questions, or not listening.” Trust among board members is harder to come by in the long-running pandemic era. On the cusp of a fourth year of pandemic-related change, boards have experienced extended periods without in-person meetings, had divisive conversations about how an association should act during a crisis, and worked to navigate economic hits from reshuffled meetings and other disruptions—all of which can make it more difficult for board members to find common ground. These conditions can also have trickle-down effects on an organization’s ability to fulfill its mission: According to a 2021 BoardSource report, nearly half (49 percent) of nonprofit chief executives said their boards lack the members they need to “establish trust with the communities they serve.” [Mark Athitakis](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/) Mark Athitakis, a contributing editor for Associations Now, has written on nonprofits, the arts, and leadership for a variety of publications. He is a coauthor of The Dumbest Moments in Business History and hopes you never qualify for the sequel. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/) Tags: [#Associations Now](https://associationsnow.com/tag/associations-now/) [#C-suite](https://associationsnow.com/tag/c-suite/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## More in this Deep Dive - [An Agile Board for Ever-Changing Times](https://associationsnow.com/2023/01/25/an-agile-board-for-ever-changing-times/) - [Expanding the Volunteer Leadership Pipeline](https://associationsnow.com/2023/01/25/expanding-the-volunteer-leadership-pipeline/) - [What’s Missing From Your Board’s Operations Playbook?](https://associationsnow.com/2023/01/25/whats-missing-from-your-boards-operations-playbook/) - [What Makes for a Healthy Hybrid Workplace?](https://associationsnow.com/2023/01/25/what-makes-for-a-healthy-hybrid-workplace/) - [Why Leading With Empathy Matters More Now](https://associationsnow.com/2023/01/25/why-leading-with-empathy-matters-more-now/) - [How to Fix the Disconnect Over Volunteer Effectiveness](https://associationsnow.com/2023/01/25/how-to-fix-the-disconnect-over-volunteer-effectiveness/) [View the full Deep Dive →](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/leadership-reimagined-a-new-era-for-execs/) ## You Might Like - [VideoSmarter Board Management for Associations: An OnBoard ShowcaseJuly 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/07/24/smarter-board-management-for-associations-an-onboard-showcase/) - [VideoAmerican Geophysical Union: Standing Up for Science: AGU’s Year of Action for Scientists and SocietySeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/american-geophysical-union-standing-up-for-science-agus-year-of-action-for-scientists-and-society/) - [VideoInt. Society for the Study of Xenobiotics: ISSX Africa: Transforming Science, Connecting WorldsSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/int-society-for-the-study-of-xenobiotics-issx-africa-transforming-science-connecting-worlds/) - [VideoAssociation for Financial Counseling and Planning EducationSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/association-for-financial-counseling-and-planning-education/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2023%2F01%2F25%2Fceo-strategies-for-building-board-trust%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !