Our insightful and popular articles as posted on LinkedIn.
“Our board meetings are a nightmare. It was so much easier when we could just make a big decision and just go execute it. Instead, we are increasingly being second-guessed
A Board Chair asked me recently “As you evaluate boards week to week, what characterises the “very best of the best that you see?”. I responded indicating that all of the
In a recent webinar on how boards have been handling the Covid-19 crisis, an experienced non-executive director put the following question to me during our Q&A session : “My company board
In our board best practices workshop, one of the interesting exercises we set for the board team is to imagine a scenario where the next few board meetings are streamed
A veteran board chair once hauled me over the coals for recommending as part of an external board evaluation, the addition of a female non-executive director (NED) to improve the
One of the encouraging differences between the current Covid-19 crisis and the global financial crisis a decade ago, is a far greater awareness of and sensitivity within boards of directors
A veteran non-executive board director (NED) shared with me in recent days some valuable insights into the workings of an experienced board dealing with severe impacts to their organisation due
The relationship and engagement between a Board Chair and CEO has a fundamental importance for and impact on a board’s effectiveness and performance. Where this relationship is too close, it
A company board chair recently lamented to me during an external board evaluation that he regretted his approach to board composition over the years and that at a time when
Courage might seem a strange word to talk about in terms of the boardroom and boards but as we get ready to enter a new decade, courage is a quality
Many of us have experienced frustration when we stand in front of an ATM or try to access our online banking service at home when we realise the system is
A company board chair asked me late last year for guidance on a dilemma he was struggling with in terms of one of his strongest non-executive directors coming up to
A strong non-executive director (NED) I know, recently stepped down from the board of a large company after just six months. I was naturally very curious to understand the factors
“My board frustrate the hell out of me, we put in a huge effort into producing our board packs and I seriously question if they read them properly, they are
The factors that impact on a company’s performance are complex and multi-faceted ranging from the quality of goods/services, business and pricing models, financial strength, market and competitive dynamics to the
One of the hallmarks of high-performing board teams is an ability for the board team to demonstrate consistently strong levels of high-quality challenge and debate which not only optimises the
While watching the outstanding recent win by the Irish rugby team against the New Zealand All-Blacks, I was reminded of a strongly held view I have of the strong parallels
In recent years the major focus on board diversity has been correctly on the gender area and I have seen first hand in the board teams that we have supported
Gaining valuable insights into the DNA and performance of your board and its members over successive periods can add real value for shareholders and stakeholders. The terms board effectiveness and
A board member recently contacted me for support and inspiration to help his board team address a long-standing challenge around how his board handles the area of strategy and development
In working with board teams across the UK & Ireland, one of the interesting characteristics I have noticed in high-performing board teams is that they develop a strong “gut feeling
A colleague at Board Excellence recently published a thought-provoking article which proposed a hypothetical scenario in which the board meeting be streamed live to shareholders. Following the meeting, each shareholder
The terms board effectiveness and board performance tended in the past to be associated with, and thought about solely in the context of the annual board evaluation – this is
A debate has continued for many years regarding the title of Company Secretary, not necessarily about whether or not it adequately describes the essence of the role, as anyone who
For many board and executive teams taking on investment from a private equity (PE) firm, the board represents one of the biggest areas of change and in some cases challenge
Many company boards, irrespective of their scale, do not have an accurate understanding of their board effectiveness & performance. In most cases, their shareholders have even less of an understanding
On a weekly basis, I am genuinely taken aback by the complacency & naivety of company boards when it comes to the serious threats posed by cyber-attacks and their potential
As we begin January and a new year ahead, many chairmen and board members have been contemplating the year just finished, reflecting on the positives, the challenges and now looking
The great people thinker Stephen M. R. Covey once wrote “Without trust we don’t truly collaborate ; We merely co-ordinate, or at best co-operate. It is trust that transforms a
One of the key characteristics of a highly effective board team is that they have a genuine performance culture, have a very realistic understanding of what the board’s strengths &
A CEO once commented to me that one of the saddest days of his professional career happened when he attended the first board meeting of a large company that had
“The highest performing companies have extremely contentious boards that regard dissent as an obligation and that treat no subject as undiscussable” is a key finding from ground-breaking research carried out
The last decade has been a very challenging time for non-profit organisations and their boards. The significant challenges in the funding landscape have been compounded by a number of serious
“Boards need to look further out than anyone else in the company” commented the chairman of a leading energy company. “there are times when the CEOs are the last ones to
While this may seem a very straight-forward question, the answer in reality is multi-faceted and has a significant impact on the effectiveness & performance of a board. In the majority
A significant number of boards have and continue to experience the challenge of a problematic board member who impacts on the board’s effectiveness and harmony. This can vary from slightly
If it does, you are not alone as the vast majority of boards, from the smallest to the largest companies, organisations and non-profits, really struggle in this area and often
As our Board Excellence team engages with boards for either best-practice workshops or board reviews, one of the key characteristics I am looking out for early on is an initial
This famous book title is an apt description of the unprecedented challenge faced by organisations as they deal with the exponentially growing level of cyber attacks. Every hour of the
A perennial challenge facing all boards is the curse of group-think where the board settles in to a comfortable groove, disruptive & innovative ideas/discussion discouraged, the board members happy to
Joining a board of directors, particularly for a first-time director, can be a daunting experience. A boardroom setting can initially be very intimidating particularly where the board is composed of
It is often said that “good boards are created by good chairmen” who create the conditions for overall board and individual director effectiveness. The chairman sets the board’s tone and
For many years, boards of directors, from the largest global organisations to the smallest, have wrestled with and in a significant number of cases have simply failed to understand the
Non-executive directors (NED) play an increasingly key role on boards of directors. Non-executive directors perform a critical role in providing an independent objective and external perspective in the boardroom –
