Reciprocity
We don’t talk nearly enough about reciprocity in board governance—but we should.
Reciprocity isn’t about scratching backs or quiet quid-pro-quos. It’s not about trading votes, currying favour, or keeping mental scorecards. That’s politics—not governance.
True reciprocity is a culture of mutual accountability, strategic generosity, and shared ownership. Think of it like a boomerang: what you put out into board work—your time, your insight, your respect—comes back, often when you need it most.
It’s not soft. It’s not sentimental. It’s one of the most under-leveraged forces in high-performing boards.
Here are three ways I’ve seen reciprocity show up in strong boards—and why it matters:
1️⃣ Time for Time
Great directors know board work doesn’t end when the Zoom call does. They give time outside meetings—coaching a CEO, mentoring a peer, making an introduction, digging into a knotty issue.
In a reciprocal culture, that effort boomerangs back. When one director consistently shows up with curiosity and commitment, others feel the nudge to do the same.
✅ Example: A director offers to help management frame an ESG strategy between meetings. At the next cycle, a colleague steps in to support a new director facing a steep learning curve.
❌ Not reciprocity: Expecting recognition or favours in return. Reciprocity isn’t transactional—it’s cultural. It’s not about being nice. It’s about building a bench that’s got each other’s backs when it counts.
2️⃣ Challenge That Lands
Reciprocity doesn’t mean going soft on oversight. It means pairing the tough questions with a willingness to help solve.
✅ Example: A director pushes hard on a proposed acquisition—but follows up with a call to walk through an alternate valuation lens. That’s not just resistance. That’s engaged governance.
❌ Not reciprocity: Taking potshots in meetings and ghosting between them. Critique without contribution erodes trust fast. Challenge without context feels combative. Challenge with reciprocity earns trust, makes the board smarter, and keeps management listening.
3️⃣ Mutual Mentorship
In the best boards, learning runs both ways. Senior directors have institutional wisdom; newer members often bring sharper tech, or stakeholder fluency.
✅ Example: An experienced director breaks down a complex audit report for a new colleague—who later flags a digital risk pattern no one else caught.
❌ Not reciprocity: Withholding knowledge to maintain status. That’s not leadership—it’s fear in a blazer.
Final Thought: Governance Is a Boomerang
Reciprocity isn’t about being agreeable. It’s about playing the long game—where what you put into board work, intentionally or not, has a way of coming back.
Give respect. Get trust.
Share insight. Gain perspective.
Show up. Watch others rise.
Reciprocity doesn’t replace independence, challenge, or rigour. It enables them.
Because in governance, as in life, what goes around really does come around. And when it does—smart directors are ready to catch it.