The Board–President Relationship as the Make‑or‑Break Factor
Boards govern; presidents lead. In practice, the quality of governance depends less on maintaining that distinction than on how well the board–president relationship bridges it: whether it functions as genuine partnership or defaults to formal protocol. In a modern governance environment, that relationship operates less as a hierarchical reporting structure and more as a system of coordination grounded in a set of interlocking practices that shape how governance works in practice. When it works, decision‑making remains coherent, even amid sustained pressure. When it breaks down, governance quickly becomes fragmented, reactive, and difficult to sustain.
12 | Boards of Trustees in Higher Education
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