Our Team

Jim Best, Co-Founder of The Leader Network, brings over 30 years of experience leading and advising organizations across both nonprofit and for-profit sectors—helping schools and organizations strengthen leadership, governance, and strategy, particularly at the intersection of board and head partnership.

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A former Head of School and senior leader in the U.S. and abroad, Jim is widely recognized for his work guiding boards and leadership teams through moments of complexity, growth, and transition. He co-founded both The Leader Network and Global Online Academy, and is a co-founder of the Klingenstein Center’s Institute on Board Governance. He also serves as faculty in the Klingenstein Center’s Heads Fellows Program at Teachers College, Columbia University, where he works with Heads of School and Executive Directors on the real work of leadership, strategy, and the board–head partnership.

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Jim has led multi-day governance workshops and keynote sessions for national and international associations, and his work is sought by independent schools, nonprofit organizations, and senior leadership teams in professional sports—high-performance environments where alignment, trust, and execution are essential and non-negotiable. Across contexts, he is known for helping groups move from good intentions to clear alignment, disciplined strategy, and sustained results.

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Clients value Jim’s warm, practical, and highly engaging style. He builds trust quickly and creates conditions for honest conversation—enabling teams to navigate complex challenges, clarify priorities, and move forward with confidence. His work consistently leads to stronger board–head partnerships, sharper strategic focus, and more cohesive leadership teams.

Jim remains grounded in the work he supports. He currently serves on multiple boards and chairs the Board of Global Online Academy.

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He earned his B.A. with Honors as a Morehead Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and holds an M.A. and Ed.M. from Teachers College, Columbia University, where he serves on the President’s Advisory Council. He is a graduate of the Klingenstein Center and serves on its Advisory Board. His additional training includes executive coaching (UC Berkeley Haas School of Business), board consulting (BoardSource), and group facilitation (Forum).

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Jim partners with organizations ready to elevate leadership, align strategy, and strengthen governance—through coaching, facilitation, assessment, and strategic planning.