The Golden Triangle of Board Culture 

Effective governance is not just about what is on the agenda: it is also about culture and dynamics in the board room

Matthew McClelland, Director at Campbell Tickell, explores the ‘Golden Triangle of Board Culture’ – trust, openness, and respectful challenge – highlighting how these three elements are essential to strong and effective governance.

Trustees’ Week is a moment to celebrate the vital role Trustees play in the success of charities. It is also an opportunity to pause and reflect on how your Board works together. 

Effective governance is not just about what is on the agenda: it is also about culture and dynamics in the board room. 

At the heart of strong and effective Board dynamics sits what I think of as the Golden Triangle of Board Culture: Trust. Openness. Respectful Challenge. 

When these three are in balance, Boards flourish. Conversations are purposeful, decisions are better, and Trustees and executives leave meetings energised. 

Trust

Trust is the bedrock of good governance. It is the quiet confidence that everyone around the table has integrity and good intent. 

Trust grows when people demonstrate and assume good intentions in every interaction, speak honestly even when that is hard, keep confidences, and honour decisions and commitments. 

Ask yourself: 

• Are my questions always directed at ideas and evidence rather than motives? 

• How do I contribute to a culture where people feel safe to be honest? 

• Are the Board’s decisions always respected and followed though? 

When trust is strong, scrutiny feels shared, not adversarial. It turns challenge from a threat into a strength. 

Openness

Openness fuels good Board conversations. It is about timely, transparent information and honest conversations about risks, challenges, and shortcomings – no surprises, no spin. 

It is also about creating space for every voice, especially the quieter ones, and making sure the resident, community, or beneficiary voice is heard too. 

Ask yourself: 

• Are there sensitive topics we avoid, for fear of conflict or reputational damage? 

• Whose perspectives are missing from our discussions, and what could I do to bring them in? 

• Does the Board get all the information it needs to be able to perform effectively? 

Increased openness should not drag you into ever more detail: it should lead to candid, focussed discussions based on balanced information. 

Respectful challenge

Challenge is vital for good governance, but how it is delivered makes all the difference. 

Respectful challenge means probing ideas with curiosity, not hostility. It is critiquing evidence, not individuals. It is asking tough questions that improve decisions, framed in service of the charity’s mission, not ego or point-scoring. 

Ask yourself: 

• Do my questions come from curiosity and care for the mission — or from frustration? 

• How do I balance challenge with recognising achievement? 

• Does the Board challenge in a way that stretches ambition without knocking the organisation off course? 

The best Boards embrace challenge and do it respectfully. That is how ideas strengthen, and trust deepens further. 

Finding balance 

When all three elements of the Golden Triangle are in balance, the Board will flourish. 

If one side weakens – information is concealed, or challenge turns personal – the whole triangle wobbles. Culture is built in the small things: how we ask questions, how we share information, how we respond to each other. 

Take a moment to reflect during this Trustees’ Week not just on what your Board achieves but how you achieve it together. 

Ask yourself: 

• Which side of our Golden Triangle is strongest right now — and which might need a little attention? 

• What one behaviour could I change to strengthen the culture around our Board table? 

Interested to find out more?

To discuss any questions and comments made in this blog, email: Matthew.Mclelland@campbelltickell.com

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