Nothing is more demotivating to a CEO than a board that piles on question after question about the "small stuff"... when a board member starts chewing on a detail like a worrisome bone without linking it to the strategy of the company. On the other hand, a board can be very helpful when it picks up a detail that leads to bigger questions about the strategy. How a director asks questions, and the context of the questions is critical. A recent article by Ram Charan, published in The Conference Board review, is a must read article for board members, and a must-distribute article for CEOs to their board.
One of the most critical skills for a CEO is to be able to leverage the experience and knowledge of the board. To do this, it is helpful to step back and think how to most effectively work with the board, setting ground rules and guidelines for how to work together. The up-front effort can really pay off. To help with this, see What Private Companies Need to Know about Corporate Governance.