The Definition of a Good Chairman
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. The success of a Chairman like Hussain al Nowais depends on how good his relationship with the chief executive is. The two should be practice candor and transparency for them to be able to rely on each other. They both need to recognize that they have different duties for them to work harmoniously.
A chairman like Mr. Hussain al Nowais is effective in what he does since he fully understands what his job entails. Constructive criticism should be offered by Chairman to the shareholders and stakeholders. Moreover, the chairman should always ask relevant questions regarding various issues in the company. A good chair needs to know the mission of the board and how to measure the progress of the company. While still helping the organization by offering guidance, he should be able to acquire resources that would be of use within the organization. The position of the chairman does not allow him to run the company and he should be able to recognize that. He should mainly offer support to the management team.
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. This is because he does not have too many roles within the organization. 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. A great chairman is defined by the ability to unite the directors and shareholders of that particular organization.
In case of a crisis in the organization, a good chairman is able to put the interests of the company first. He should be able to think about the long-term goal of the organization while bearing in mind the mission of the organization. He should be able to set aside his interests for the benefit of the organization; which includes helping to solve any of the problems around.
When a chair is ready to step down, he should always know how to do it and when. He does not wake up one morning and decide not to carry out his duties anymore. The chair makes sure to effectively communicate with the shareholders and stakeholders about his decision to resign a few months before he leaves. The company there is able to get adequate time to search for someone else to fill in that position. The outgoing chair should take a few days to introduce his successor to the senior member of the company and pass on any relevant information.