September 16, 2021
Virtuosos distinguish themselves by exemplifying E5: excellence, expertise, experience, enterprise, and ethics. They force people to take them seriously. They don’t raise the bar—they set it for everyone else. They serve as gold standards...
February 9, 2021
CEO succession, done well, is a process and takes into account changes to context, both internal and external. These include: top talent, market changes, possible internal successors and how they respond to a larger role, as well as leaders emerging in other organizations.
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...
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.
August 4, 2020
Boards of directors commonly ask for my assistance to address CEO performance. In most cases, it is not achievement of the company goals that is the issue, it is CEO behaviour...
July 14, 2020
Historically, incumbent CEOs anointed their successors, but that all changed in the post-Sarbanes-Oxley environment that required the consideration of the entire board. Now the CEO’s job involves preparing one or two strong internal candidates—ensuring leadership continuity and the CEO’s legacy. However, selecting the right person from among internal and external candidates remains the single most critical task the board has.
January 24, 2020
It is difficult to overstate the importance of selecting the right CEO...
