Tag Archives: #directors

Three things they don’t teach you at ‘Board Boot Camp’

Nobody’s born a director. We don’t grow into being a governor, the way we do with walking, talking, parenting, or making a success of a job.

Becoming an effective director requires a range of technical, social and communication skills, contributing as one of a group, rather than as individuals.

Over the years, I’ve found that a few things – ways we approach the role – typically aren’t taught, but can make a huge difference …

Before the main course – 

Do you recognise this board? Directors arrive shortly before the scheduled start; you take your places, open your board packs and work your way through the agenda, item by item; as the chair closes the meeting, you shut your pack, gather your iPad and phone, and head to the taxi. Other than exchanging a fewContinue reading “Before the main course – “

Four times twice as much: how the Chair’s job has grown.

The latest edition of the Australian Company Director magazine quotes a senior board chair describing how the role has evolved in recent years: For the mathematically challenged, I think she’s saying that a board chair today has about eight times the typical workload an NED had, only a few years ago.  People unfamiliar with theContinue reading “Four times twice as much: how the Chair’s job has grown.”

The (other) Rule of Six – and the mistake we make in using it

Last week, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson introduced the ‘Rule of Six,’ limiting gatherings to six people, in order to slow the spread of Covid-19. This brought to mind the older ‘Six Block Rule’ that directors have used to guide them on their capacity to accept new roles. The ‘Rule’ proposes that, in general, aContinue reading “The (other) Rule of Six – and the mistake we make in using it”

The Four Levels of Board Maturity … and what you need to do about yours

Some people tower over their profession: Albert Einstein – physical sciences, Chuck Yeager – test flying, Florence Nightingale – nursing (and statistics – check her out). In corporate governance, few are as respected as Professor Bob Garratt, author of ‘The Fish Rots from the Head’. It’s an excellent metaphor to illustrate his discussion of board leadership, albeit,Continue reading “The Four Levels of Board Maturity … and what you need to do about yours”