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The Savvy Director Blog

Welcome to The Savvy Director™ blog, a place to engage on board governance topics as you travel the path to being a savvy director. 

If you're interested in upping your game at the board table, no matter the size of your board or the type of organization you serve, subscribe below to receive a weekly link right in your email inbox.

Finance & Audit Wants YOU!

Non-financial board directors are missing a huge opportunity by not serving on finance and audit committees. I know that sounds odd if you’re particularly averse to the numbers or believe that you don’t have an aptitude for them.
 
But take it from me - a non-financial director - participating on a finance and audit committee is a far more enjoyable experience than writing an accounting or corporate finance exam. There’s no last minute cramming or pulling an...
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When to Stop Talking

This response from a Savvy Director reader to the question ‘What boardroom skills do you want to learn?’ caught my attention:
 
“Knowing when there is no added value to ongoing discussion.”
 
You might think that particular skill is one that needs to be exercised by the board chair. After all, it’s the chair’s responsibility to guide the discussion, make sure all voices have been heard, and recognize when the time is right to bring the discussion...
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Talent vs. Effort

demonstrate courage Jan 23, 2022

 

Your success as a board director isn’t about how smart you are, it’s about your willingness to do the work. I’m calling it ‘Boardroom Grit’. Is there such a thing?

Think about the wealthy dude who gets a seat at the high profile charity board table because of the size of his family’s foundation and the potential for a sizeable gift someday … how gritty is that when he never opens the meeting materials and confirms that reality with his...

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Making Arguments with Impact

think independently Jan 16, 2022
One skill that Savvy Directors are always interested in improving is their ability to make clear concise arguments. When their board is faced with a decision, they want to express their views on the issue and try to convince their fellow directors.
 
Having influence in the boardroom requires good communication skills, like active listening and knowing how to ask tough but fair questions. But sooner or later every director has to speak up – otherwise you might as well pack up and...
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The Fading Bright Line


Directors - both new and experienced – often struggle with differentiating their role from that of management. As a board member – whatever the nature of the organization you serve – you want to get a handle on your governance role.

“I would like to find out more about / receive a refresher on the division of governance and operations – what falls under governance, operations, or possibly joint responsibility.” – A Savvy Director reader

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The Road Ahead

Late in the year we asked you - our readers - to share your issues, your concerns, and your challenges as you continue along your journey to be the most effective director you can be. We rely on your feedback to help us stay on track, so we can provide what board directors like you want and need for the road ahead, in 2022 and beyond.
 
And boy, did we get some valuable feedback! There’s no question about it – our readers are absolutely dedicated to this work. We’ve...
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Sharpening the Saw

“Sharpen the Saw means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have – you.” – Stephen R. Covey

It’s been 30 years since Dr. Stephen R. Covey published his bestselling book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, but it’s still going strong. And one of the most enduring of Dr. Covey’s seven habits is to ‘Sharpen the Saw.’ It’s about taking the time for self-renewal - constantly improving to become our best selves.

For the...

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The Savvy Director Celebrates 100

Today at DirectorPrep, we are celebrating our 100th post of The Savvy Director blog!
 
We published our very first, Why The Savvy Director? in October of 2019. Who knew how much the world would change in those two years?
 
Here’s how we introduced our new blog:
 
“This is a place for us to engage on topics that can help us on our respective journeys toward becoming savvy board directors – directors who are always prepared for our board meetings, ready to...
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The Board's Campfire

 
Building a great board of directors is like building the perfect campfire. You have to picture how high the flames might leap or how far the sparks could fly.
 
I’ve had this metaphor in the back of my mind for some time. I’ve always been fascinated by fires – campfires as a Cub Scout camping in the Rockies, and now wood-burning fires in the old brick fireplace of our vintage home.
 
I snapped the photo above during one of my favorite moments - early on a...
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Risk Governance Revisited

prepare for meetings Nov 21, 2021

Recently we re-published an earlier blog post, “What do I need to know about risk?” and shared The Savvy Director Guide to Risk with our subscribers as well as our network on LinkedIn.

Of course, there’s no way that a single blog post can cover the full breadth of a complex topic like risk. After all, there are entire books and courses of study devoted to the subject. Comments from some of our Savvy Director readers gave us great ideas for a follow-up blog on the topic.

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