January 19, 2021
In American folklore, the feud between the Hatfields and McCoys has long served as a metaphor for bitterly warring rival parties. However, this twenty-eight-year dispute in the backcountry of West Virginia pales in comparison to the battle that rages among thought leaders about the best way to lead a board...
January 7, 2021
Do you believe that people can achieve whatever they set their minds to? Do you believe that if you work hard, you will be rewarded? Do you believe that where there is a will, there is a way?
December 16, 2020
Oversight of risk has long been an important role of directors. Boards and executives alike are identifying greater complexity, citing political instability, legal and regulatory constraints, local product safety and environmental laws, tax regulations, local labour laws, trade policies, and currency regulations.
December 1, 2020
In the world of technology, we describe the crippling condition that occurs when two computer programs vie for control—a phenomenon that happens when each program waits and prevents the other from making progress—as a “deadly embrace.” A similar stalemate occurs when board members try to influence others to concede the defects in their arguments, without acknowledging the failings in their own.
November 18, 2020
I heard it again last week, “What’s the rush?” Sometimes I hear, “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” or the one that really makes me crazy, “We are so much better than we were.” Many a leader has said to me a version of, “You should have known me ten years ago, I was much worse.” My all-time favorite was when an executive, in charge of risk management, yelled at me (complete with a red face), “Our decisions are NOT emotional!”
November 3, 2020
The CEO and board chair relationship is the most important relationship in the company. I have seen chairs and CEOs who disagree, who have had to navigate their way to a common strategy, who have sought my advice in approaching a sensitive situation with the other, and in all cases, they have a foundation of trust.
October 14, 2020
Directors have the opportunity to establish a culture that doesn't ignore, diminish, or deny fear, but accepts it. Then they can trust in their abilities to sail in uncharted seas and disrupt the status quo.
October 1, 2020
All strategic decisions involve cognitive bias. The greatest risk is to those who think they are above it all. Here are the most common biases and how to spot them.
September 16, 2020
Sometimes intelligent, experienced and highly committed directors get mired in a circular debate that continues as each side offers evidence to support their viewpoint. Here's how to resolve the issue and move on.
