Welcome to The Savvy Directorâą blog, a place to engage on board governance topics as you travel the path to being a savvy director.Â
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.
âConflict is inevitable, combat is optional.â â Max Lucado, US author
As a board director, I find thereâs nothing like robust boardroom debate to get me really engaged. After all, thatâs what weâre there for, isnât it? To wrestle with big, important issues; to help guide the organizations we care about around dangers and into a bright future; to make sound decisions in the interests of all our stakeholders.
But what about when the debate is not so healthy, when it degenerates into disrup...
Recently, our local newspaper ran a column about the importance of character in our political leaders. It got me thinking about how important it is for board directors to âbe of good character.â
Character is a foundation for effective decision-making. That makes it vital for board directors. Sure, directorsâ competencies determine what they can do, and their commitment affects how hard they work, but itâs their character that drives how they make important decisions, not just in the boardroom...
The value you bring to the boardroom is what matters.
Youâre in the boardroom for a reason. It's not enough to simply show up. Putting your skills and attributes to work will enable you to make a positive impact on your board.
Knowing how and where you can add value helps you be the most effective director you can be. It gives you the confidence to engage actively with your peers around the board table (or on the computer screen).
âThe board is a special group of people. People who are pr...
Much has been written and discussed about purpose since May 2021, when we posted our Savvy Director blog, The Purpose-Led Board. One of the key points for boards and their management teams was a siren call to collaborate toward a common understanding of the purpose â the âwhyâ â that guides the mission, vision, and values supporting their work.
When organizations are formed, thereâs usually a clear purpose in mind. Itâs often described as the reason why a company or organization exists â bey...
We say it all the time â âPreparation is the key to success in the boardroom.â Thatâs why we call our company DirectorPrep. Thatâs why our tagline is âReady for your board meeting?â
And thatâs why we developed the PREP Framework that provides individual directors with a consistent, repeatable process to prepare for board meetings. We want to support directors to be ready for their board meeting every time. (Visit the PREP for Success page on our website to download the PREP Framework.)
Bein...
In our last Savvy Director blog, we explored how a director may incur personal liability because of their board service. Practicing due diligence is all well and good, but a directorâs actions or inactions may still expose them to litigation and penalties. Thatâs why companies provide their directors with protection through indemnification.
Well-crafted Directors and Officers (D&O) insurance provides an additional line of defense. As a director, itâs a good idea not just to confirm that there...
When you join a board of directors, and throughout your service on the board, you probably wonât give much thought to the personal financial risk youâve taken on. And yet, a past board decision could come back to haunt you.
In general, the legal structure of a corporation provides you with protection from personal liability. But that protection is limited. There are instances where directors are held personally liable for a companyâs violations of laws or regulations. The possibility of being...
Â
Your success as a board director isnât about how smart you are, itâs about your willingness to do the work. Iâm calling it âBoardroom Gritâ. 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 familyâs 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 off-topic comments and rabbit-hole questions?
Todayâs S...
Hereâs a recent email from a DirectorPrep member: âI am serving on a board that does not have much understanding of risk management. What suggestions would you have to get the discussion going?â
Thatâs a great question from a risk instigator â a board director whoâs looking to find a way to push their risk management rock up a hill when their fellow directors donât see much value in having the discussion.
Thatâs okay. It wonât be the last time directors view risk management as nothing more ...
Stay connected with our weekly posts about what it takes to be a savvy board director