Note: A complementary reading for MtL Module 8 Get Help

Leaders who “get help” know success comes not from going it alone but from surrounding themselves with structures that strengthen thinking, accountability, and action. In Manage to Lead, we emphasize the value of an Accountability Board, Advisory Board, Coach, and Peer Group.

There is another form of outside help that deserves equal attention, especially for initiatives that affect customers, partners, or community stakeholders: the Steering Committee.

What a Steering Committee Is

A steering committee brings together stakeholders who represent the organizations, communities, or customer segments that will be most directly affected by what your organization or initiative produces. Unlike an advisory board, which offers expertise, or a governing board, which ensures accountability, a steering committee co-creates success by helping shape priorities, decisions, and outcomes.

Why Steering Committees Matter

• They give leaders direct access to the voices of those who will live with the results of decisions.
• Members often have decision-making authority and access to resources within their own organizations, allowing them to influence adoption, funding, and partnership.
• They help leaders anticipate resistance, discover alignment opportunities, and stay connected to real-world needs.
• When members see that their guidance has been heard and acted upon, they become even more committed to the success of the effort—often becoming early adopters, users, and buyers of what is produced.

How Steering Committees Add Value

• Guidance and Direction: Members provide grounded input, helping leaders avoid blind spots and adjust course before costly mistakes occur.
• Legitimacy and Endorsement: Their involvement signals credibility to others in the ecosystem.
• Acceleration: Members help open doors, clear obstacles, and facilitate decisions that move implementation faster.
• Sustained Alignment: Regular engagement ensures the organization’s goals stay relevant to stakeholder priorities and that everyone is working from a shared picture of success.

How to Form and Manage One

• Identify six to ten individuals who represent the key stakeholder groups your initiative depends on.
• Be explicit that their role is to advise and connect, not to manage day-to-day execution.
• Meet quarterly or at major decision points with focused materials and specific questions.
• Listen deeply. Summarize and report back on how their input has influenced what you do next—this simple feedback loop builds extraordinary trust and advocacy.
• Keep the tone collegial, practical, and forward-looking. Participation should feel rewarding and consequential.

How It Fits in the Leader’s Support Structure

Adding a steering committee complements the existing support framework:

• Accountability Board: Keeps leadership focused on plans, performance, and resources.
• Advisory Board: Provides wisdom from experienced operators.
• Coach: Strengthens the leader’s use of self and interpersonal effectiveness.
• Peer Group: Offers perspective, learning, and accountability from equals.
• Steering Committee: Connects leadership directly to those who will benefit from, and champion, the organization’s results.

The Payoff

When stakeholders see their fingerprints in your output, they work harder to make it succeed. Their ownership translates into faster adoption, greater influence, and more sustainable results. A well-run steering committee transforms external stakeholders into allies, advocates, and extensions of your leadership team.

Call to Action
As you design your leadership support structure, ask:

“Who outside the organization has the most to gain from our success… and how can we bring them inside the tent?”

Form your steering committee early, engage them often, and show them how their voices shape your outcomes. You will multiply your leadership capacity and set your organization up for enduring success.

Keep Growing with Manage to Lead

Steering committees are one of many ways leaders can expand their impact by bringing others into the process of thinking, managing, and acting strategically. If this approach resonates with you, explore how the Manage to Lead (MtL) System helps organizations like yours:

• Get clear about purpose and priorities.
• Align leadership teams and stakeholders.
• Drive change that sustains performance and growth.

Visit intelliven.com to learn more about the Manage to Lead framework, download tools, or join an upcoming session to practice applying MtL methods to your organization’s real-world challenges.

Get Clear. Align. Grow.