Earning the Trust of Trustees and Boards: What Separates Facilities Leaders Who Gain Credibility From Those Who Lose It: Insights from Matt Lesher
A facilities or capital projects leader at a university, health system, or cultural institution can be technically excellent and still struggle if the board does not trust them. Matt Lesher, a search consultant at Real8 Group who places VP of Facilities, Director of Construction, and Director of Facilities Operations candidates across higher education, healthcare, and cultural institutions, sees this pattern regularly. The leaders who last tend to be those who earn credibility with trustees early and keep it.
This post outlines what boards and trustees look for, the behaviors that build or erode trust, and how hiring leaders can screen for those qualities before making an offer.
Why Board Credibility Matters in Institutional Facilities Roles
Boards Control Capital and Priorities
In most institutions, trustees approve major capital plans, budgets, and risk decisions. A facilities leader who cannot explain a plan clearly or who surprises the board with bad news will find that approvals slow and confidence erodes.
Buildings Are Visible and Personal
Trustees may be donors, alumni, physicians, or community leaders with strong feelings about specific buildings. Leaders need to handle those opinions with respect while keeping decisions grounded in facts.
The Audience Is Not Technical
Most board members are not engineers or builders. A leader who relies on technical language or buries the key message in detail will lose the room, no matter how sound the underlying analysis.
What Trustees and Boards Tend to Look For
- Clarity. A concise explanation of what is happening, why it matters, and what decision is needed.
- Honesty about risk. Early, direct communication about cost, schedule, and safety concerns.
- Command of the numbers. Comfort discussing budgets, contingencies, and tradeoffs without hesitation.
- Alignment with institutional mission. Understanding how buildings support academic, clinical, or cultural goals.
- Consistency. Follow-through on commitments and predictable reporting.
- Composure. Calm, professional responses to tough questions.
Behaviors That Build Credibility
Lead With the Decision, Then the Detail
Strong leaders open with what they are asking the board to do and why, then provide supporting information. This respects the audience’s time and helps them engage with the right questions.
Bring Bad News Early
Boards forgive problems that are reported promptly with a plan. They rarely forgive problems that are discovered late. Leaders who communicate early, even when the news is uncomfortable, build lasting trust.
Translate Technical Issues Into Institutional Impact
A failing chiller plant is a mechanical issue to an engineer. To a trustee, it is a risk to research, patient care, or events. Effective leaders connect infrastructure to outcomes that the board cares about.
Build Relationships Before They Are Needed
Leaders who meet with committee chairs and key trustees outside formal meetings tend to face fewer surprises when difficult topics arise. Those relationships need to be built carefully, with the approval of the executive sponsor.
Know What You Do Not Know
Admitting that an answer requires follow-up is far better than guessing. Trustees notice when a leader is honest about limits, and they remember when a guess turns out wrong.
Behaviors That Erode Credibility
- Overly technical presentations that leave the board unsure what to decide.
- Optimistic forecasts that later prove unrealistic.
- Defensiveness when challenged or questioned.
- Going around the executive sponsor to lobby individual trustees.
- Inconsistent numbers between meetings.
How to Screen for Board-Level Credibility
- Ask for a specific board presentation. Request an example of a recommendation the candidate made to a board or senior committee and what happened.
- Test clarity. Ask the candidate to explain a complex project to you as if you were a trustee with no technical background.
- Ask about a time they delivered bad news. Listen for timing, candor, and how the leader handled the response.
- Probe their relationship approach. Ask how they build trust with senior stakeholders and respect reporting lines.
- Use references wisely. Speak with an executive or board member who has seen the candidate present and respond to questions.
Compensation and Seniority Considerations
Board-facing responsibility generally rises with level. Owner-side Directors typically earn around $175K to $250K and VPs from $275K to $600K and above, with the highest-level roles carrying the most exposure to trustees. Candidates who have operated successfully at that level often have a track record of board communication that can be verified.
Where a Specialist Search Partner Helps
A search firm that works closely with institutional facilities leaders knows which candidates have built credibility with boards and which have not. That insight, gained through conversations with candidates and with the people who work alongside them, helps hiring committees go beyond a résumé and assess how a leader will perform where it matters.
Real8 Group has no large minimum retainer, handles Director-level searches as well as C-suite, and typically presents qualified candidates within two to three weeks. To discuss a facilities or capital projects search for your institution, visit real8group.com/finding-talent, meet our team, see how we work, or reach out at real8group.com/contact.
Real8 Group is a specialized executive search firm serving the real estate, construction, engineering, and facilities operations sectors across the U.S.