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 2, 2020
When board directors think about their roles in building and sustaining a brand, they usually concentrate on the company’s brand, too often ignoring their personal brands. Company brands and personal brands, however, must march in lockstep precision to guarantee growth.
August 19, 2020
Amazon named Indra Nooyi to their board of directors, on the heels of adding Roz Brewer. These two outstanding leaders and executives are excellent choices for Amazon. It couldn’t have taken more than two minutes to think of them as candidates.
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.
June 4, 2020
Most boards conduct a strategy session or board retreat on an annual basis. A well planned and executed strategy session is a boon for the management team.
How do I recognize when I have participated in a great board retreat?
