Spring ‘Tonic’

Spring ‘Tonic’

The prevailing condition for many leaders is fatigue, overload and energy loss. Individuals are required to be resilient and persist against all odds.

Articles proliferate with advice on prioritising rest and ‘playtime’. There are no universal solutions. We each bring unique strengths and perceptions to the situations we face, so a personalised approach to finding our tonic(s) is essential.

For the musically inclined, Tonic is the first note of a scale and is most important because it serves as the focus for melody and harmony.

So what is the first note of your sound track? What signal does it send? What lifts your spirits and makes your feet dance?

In my search for music to feed my spirits I look for artists and gigs in smaller venues. Over the last few months, serendipity has led to the happy discovery of talented performers from around the World. Recent advice has come from many sources including the curious taxi driver taking us to a recent gig and sharing the long and impressive list of musicians he has seen this year.

For the active, Tonics are ‘the activities which invigorate and sustain us.’

The current focus on health and well-being practices provides an extensive list of alternatives. Choosing wisely and developing sustainable habits takes effort.

For decades I have protected time for swimming. Involving very early starts, the habit provides both exercise and a precious opportunity to reflect. Colleagues and friends have chosen walking, cycling, yoga and running. On Sunday, London will celebrate the 2024 Marathon attracting entrants of all ages running for multiple causes. We will be there cheering their efforts. A tonic for all supporters and participants.

For the epicureans, ‘eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.’ is an appealing philosophy. Tonics are the ‘medicinal’ substances which lift our spirits. Tonics are restorative, reviving, stimulating or invigorating,

In these health conscious times, ginger shots and electrolyte tablets seem to be a popular alternative to cake and wine. Make wise choices seems to be good advice.

And for all of us as we seek tonics to provide harmony for our body, mind and spirit, what about:

The tonic of laughter?

Being part of a community?

The company of friends?

Stimulating and rewarding ‘work’?

As we spring into Spring, let’s all make time to find our own tonic(s).

For the curious, the tulips include Happy Feet from https://blomsbulbs.com/

Curiosity and Perseverance

While clearing winter flower beds and trying to identify bulbs, serendipity found me listening to a radio broadcast by the Astronomer Royal, Lord (Martin) Rees. He was discussing NASA’s mission to Mars and describing the robots sent to gather scientific data on the surface of the red planet. The first, sent in 2011 was named Curiosity. It moved across Gale crater and Mount Sharp slowly in one direction. A successor named Perseverance was sent in 2220 and was designed to move around objects.

Curiosity and Perseverance are two of the perennially cited strengths required for organisation and leadership success and certainly for gardeners.

Curiosity

Natural curiosity is the behaviour we admire in children and often blame external factors for limiting in ourselves. Perhaps we should ask ourselves if we are self- limiting our natural curiosity?

To develop an organisation’s curious mind takes effort and active leadership. Capturing the imagination and energy of all by role modelling curiosity in action, encouraging and enabling the behaviour in others. In organisations with high levels of trust, individuals may have greater confidence to explore and an inclination to share discoveries with colleagues.

Curiosity needs to be sustained in times of great uncertainty. Defined as ‘a strong desire to know or learn something’ the concept of curiosity is central to motivation. Strengths Profile assesses the extent to which you are ‘interested in everything, constantly seeking out new information and learning more.’

Perseverance

There are several aspects to perseverance. The current focus on individual and organisational resilience is just one. Resilience is the strength to take hardships and setbacks in your stride, recovering quickly from adversity. A second aspect is the strength to persist, to achieve success by keeping going when confronting difficulties. And finally, we see examples of individuals and organisations who use adversity to spur them on to greater efforts and achievements. They bounce back from setbacks.

Health check:

Where do you look for new ideas?

How do you reflect on and apply new thinking?

How do you acknowledge and share your discoveries?

What and who helps you to keep going when you face challenges?

How do you overcome setbacks?

How do you use setbacks to spur you on?

What can you do now to nurture the enablers of curiosity and perseverence?

What new habit would you like to develop?

And for the curious gardeners, I have persevered and finally found my garden planting plans. These tiny green shoots are snowdrops, transplanted last year to form new clumps.

Sources:

Curiosity

https://www.strategy-business.com/blog/How-to-think-like-a-CEO?utm_source=itw&utm_medium=NL20240125&utm_campaign=resp

Resilience

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/01/global-risks-2024-business-resilience-in-an-era-of-risk-turbulence/

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/01/building-resilient-tomorrow-concrete-actions-global-leaders/

Strategic location, direction and path

After a busy month spent judging awards, in conversation with alternative thinkers and reviewing research from business analysts and academics, one key question emerges as preoccupying business leaders:

‘How do we think, decide and act in the long term interests of our organisation?’

Strategic thinking

Our attempts to imagine alternative futures require curiosity and creativity. We bring together a range of interested parties and share insights and dreams. When we encourage diversity of thinking, our biases and pre-conceptions are challenged. Shrewd boards ensure that they are composed of individuals who bring a range of perspectives to the exploration and discussion of strategy.

These ingredients appear simple but are complex to engineer. The currency and contribution of each thinker are critical. This raises complex questions about refreshing board membership and planning succession. Offboarding directors involves difficult but honest conversations in the interests of the organisation’s future. Onboarding directors is an art form, best tailored to the needs of each individual to ensure they can contribute as soon as they are ready.

Our ability to look ahead also requires us to understand our past. We therefore need to ensure that corporate memory informs our discussions but doesn’t prevent imaginative thinking beyond a simple extrapolation of our current approaches.

We are often reminded that listening to the business and its stakeholders is an essential part of any strategic thinking activity. When these conversations go beyond mechanistic process and take place in a culture of trust, they provide valuable intelligence.

Strategic decision making

Your governance framework identifies the roles and responsibilities for strategic decision making but ultimately the responsibility for the strategic direction of your organisation rests with the board. When your board is only used as a ratifier of strategy, valuable opportunities to contribute experience, challenge and stress test assumptions may be missed. A dialogue between horizon scanners and operational experts generally produces robust decisions.

Award winning organisations, projects and initiatives share a common factor in that they are able to clearly articulate ‘value delivered’ and ‘impact’ against defined criteria. Where decisions are made with no clear rationale or intention, tracking performance is problematic.

Among the decision criteria receiving significant attention are cultural fit and risk appetite. Strategic decisions which are aligned to the beliefs and values of your organisation are more likely to engage the support of those responsible for delivering them. Equally, those decisions which are perceived to be contrary to the shared understanding of ‘how we do things around here’ are likely to meet obstacles. Given that the Board are tasked with creating the tone in their organisation, the debate around whether a decision is ‘right for us’ is critical.

Having set the risk appetite of your organisation, the board can assess strategic decisions against clearly defined tolerances. The wise ensure that risk appetite is kept under regular review and does not constrain the selection of innovative options with the potential to deliver value.

Enabling living strategy

Strategy is merely window dressing if action is missing. Effective strategy formulation involves and engages those who are accountable for delivery. By the time the strategy is launched, a critical mass of enthusiasts can be ready to inspire and encourage their colleagues to deliver the required value and impact.

Effective monitoring involves tracking quantified performance metrics and listening to the real voices along your value chain. Together these practices create focus and sustain momentum. Importantly, they may provide early insight into strategy modifications required and, in some cases, obsolescent activities and initiatives which should be stopped. A continuous appraisal of resource deployment enables agile redeployment where appropriate.

It takes effort to provide opportunities for board members to be visible sponsors of strategy. ‘Walking the floor’ may result in valuable conversations when leaders encourage the transparent sharing of opinions and capture intelligence for discussed with their colleagues.

The potential for intrapreneurship is often neglected by organisations. If curious and creative individuals are not valued and nurtured, they go elsewhere taking their insights and dreams with them. There is merit in identifying individuals with the natural strengths to think strategically and generate innovative and creative ideas. By exposing them to board thinking, your organisation can increase the probability of retaining their talents.

A quick healthcheck

What contribution do you make to strategic thinking?
How do you enable other contributions?
Who encourages you to be imaginative?
What metrics do you use to evaluate different strategic options?
How do you stress test your strategic decisions before ratifying them?
Who ensures that strategic decisions, once taken, have collective board support?
How do you show support for those who are accountable for delivery?
What involvement do you have in tracking performance against strategic objectives?
When and how are strategic decisions reviewed and modified?

Sources:

Henry Mintzberg on Strategic Seeing

Nasdaq 2023 Global Governance Pulse

PWC Strategy and Business CEO articles

Intrapreneurial culture

Engage to transform

Governance Awards 2023

Focus

What do you see?

How clearly?

How far do you see?

My picture shows the Kerry Peninsula in Western Ireland taken from the Dingle Peninsula. Do you focus on the surf hitting the shore along the impressive 5 km Inch Strand; the sparkling track of light across Dingle Bay; the mountains of the Ring of Kerry or the extraordinary variety of cloud formations. Do you anticipate the arrival of Storm Agnes moving across the Atlantic Ocean and due to hit Western Ireland a few hours after I captured this picture. For those of you who have joined me virtually, you will have seen my library of cloud formations used as backgrounds. My eyes are drawn to the far horizon and then move to the foreground before widening to encompass the whole picture.

Many ‘experts’ have long advocated that we need to hold different horizons in mind at the same time, among them McKinsey 3 Horizons Model

What we naturally focus on is not automatically the same as colleagues. We each have a unique strengths profile which includes our propensity to focus on detail and our ability to see strategic horizons. What may seem obvious to one person may be obscure to another. Cognitive diversity is prized as contributing to better thinking and decision making. Creating an environment in which different perspectives are honestly shared is an essential foundation to effective governance by boards.

It takes effort to hold now, soon and the future in mind. When times are tough, the frequent response is to focus on survival now. The business challenges of the past five years have provided stories of organisations managing crises effectively but failing to think beyond the immediate situation.

We are also aware of imaginative businesses that made tough decisions about activities they needed to modify or stop and others they needed to invest in and launch. Courage, curiosity and creative thinking characterised the successful navigators. Importantly, the leaders in these businesses demonstrated an interest in and empathy with their internal and external stakeholders, engaging in continuous conversations and providing a strong sense of purpose and direction.

Wise boards are able to shift their focus according to priorities. Increasingly they consider immediate matters requiring their decision making and strategic issues for reflection and discussion at each board meeting. The practice of separating strategic thinking and planning to an annual or six-monthly event can prevent the entrepreneurial and opportunistic leadership required in volatile times.

Where trust exists between the board, the business and it’s stakeholders, it lays the foundation for empowered operators to make responsive decisions to adapt and meet the requirements of their markets. Tracking performance, recognising contributions and celebrating adaptability are important board activities, which create focus and sustain momentum in their businesses. They require the visible and inspirational involvement of directors with genuine curiosity and a desire to listen and learn.

Returning to the picture above, what did you see? The following situational questions provide food for thought about focus:

Now – presenting situation.

Q: What is the tide state and when will it turn?

Q: What time of day is it and where is the sun positioned?

Q: What is the air pressure and visibility level?

Soon – emerging themes.

Q: How soon will the light change – sunset time?

Q: What is the wind direction and speed?

Q: What weather fronts are expected, when and what severity?

Later- alternative developments.

Q: What are the levels of erosion impacting the coastline and how will global warming impact the communities living on the coast of Western Ireland?

Q: How will the local seafaring industries – fishing and tourist excursions – be impacted by changes to the sea and weather conditions?

Q: How can the community of Dingle Peninsula adapt to changes in their natural environment?

‘The headhunter just rang. Should I be interested?’

©Lucy Burley Ceramics

In these challenging times, choosing to lead an organisation requires Situational Intelligence – knowing yourself well and understanding the context in which you operate. The following thoughts and questions are based on our Situational Intelligence methodology, co-created with Dr Laurence Lyons. They are informed by applying that thinking when coaching in the c suite and facilitating board development.

A director’s perspective

Sitting on a board is a responsibility and a privilege. People expect much of the individuals who lead organisations whether in the public, private or third sector. Scrutiny is continuous. Personal reputations are precious. They take time to build and can easily be lost.

The roles of directors and trustees should not to be undertaken lightly. It is wise to carefully pick the boards you join and ensure that you are properly supported in order to effectively fulfil your duties and obligations.

Whether you are a director of a large, listed entity in a regulated sector, a trustee of a charity, a director of a hospital or the founder of a small business, you are responsible and your liability can be unlimited. Look down the road and you will see more regulation and legislation coming.

There are no universal solutions, so understanding your context matters and informs the strategic choices you make. It is also important to recognise that as a member of a board, your beliefs, decisions and behaviour have a significant impact on the value you contribute to the organisations you lead.

Situational Intelligence.

Dr Laurence Lyons and I started working together in the early 1990s at the launch of The Henley Future Work Forum. We combined our experience of supporting boards and directors to highlight a different way of thinking, more relevant for the complex and changing business environments in which we operate. The result is our Situational Intelligence methodology, a pragmatic approach to making sense of our complex and volatile world.

Situational Intelligence is based on understanding the strategic context in which you operate, what your organisation is here to do, what it believes is good and right, what it wants to achieve and what priorities it has set. Defining your situation – your objectives and the people you need to engage with. Understanding what motivates each individual in that specific situation. Recognising your own strengths, potential and reputation. Once you have developed those insights, you are in a position to choose the approach which will create a motivated community of people prepared to enable you to achieve your objectives.

Responding to the headhunter – due diligence questions

Q1 Exactly what role is being offered?

Will the position provide me with the power to influence/decide/act?

What responsibilities and accountabilities are involved?

Therefore, what is the level of risk/liability and how does that fit with my own risk appetite?

What am I expected to give and what return will I get? What are the costs and benefits in tangible and intangible terms.

What value could I bring? Why me?

Q2 Would the right people be there with me?

Does everyone know what we are here to do – the purpose?

Does everyone know what board capability we need to deliver that purpose?

What value does each individual contribute?

Where are the board capability gaps? How could I fill them?

What is the boardroom culture – collaborative:challenging?

Q3 Are we clear about the way we will operate?

What governance framework would enable me to provide the expected value?

Where is the focus of the board’s attention – strategic:operational?

How diverse are the voices and insights offered and heard in the boardroom?

What opportunity exists to empower others to lead?

Is the board fit for purpose or fit for the future?

Navigating your path

Stepping forward takes courage. Awareness of your own strengths, style and reputation/ brand can increase your confidence. Your success is often based on your ability to contribute and orchestrate the contributions of others.

Curiosity helps you create and recognise opportunities, particularly those that are counter-intuitive. Preparing for those opportunities involves reflecting on the past, learning in the present and positioning yourself for the future.

The importance of developing a support network cannot be overstated. Ensuring you have a sounding board will enable you to engage in safe but challenging conversations. Expectations can be high that you will always have the answer. Your network is powerful when it included diversity of thinking and exposes you to a wide range of ideas.

It is always flattering to be approached but choosing wisely is essential for success.

Governance Leadership Programme 2010 – 2022

This is the moment to thank the many individuals who collaborated and contributed to the Governance Leadership Programme (GLP) over the past twelve years. With publication of the Governance Hot 100 2023 it is wonderful to once again see Alumni among the nominees and winners.

Back in 2010, prompted by enquiries from my clients, I approached the Joint Managing Directors of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators’ (ICSA’s) commercial business. We discussed the need for The Institute to provide non-technical personal development for senior, experienced professionals. The GLP was co-designed to enable individuals to develop Situational Intelligence™. Participants were provided with opportunities to reflect on how they thought, decided and behaved in the situations they faced. Providing facilitated conversations in trusted groups and peer and professional coaching, the programme reached a global alumni of governance professionals drawn from CGIUKI and Europe, Africa, Asia, North and South America. With a focus on currency and practicality, GLP encouraged hundreds of individuals to be curious and brave.

Among the many inspiring colleagues, speakers and hosts who shared their own stories and insights, special mention goes to:

Will Booth who co-designed the programme and bought so many people together in this valuable collaboration.

Simon Osborne who was an active and enthusiastic sponsor and advocate.

David Venus and Charis Evans who were among the gracious hosts.

Chris Moon who excited and challenged each group to explore their own resilience.

Victoria Whyte, David Press, Jeremy Small, David Gracie, Annemarie Durbin, Rob Bellhouse and Lyn Coloff who were among the many wise and generous speakers.

Ten of the best #GLPWisdom

People always remember how you made them feel #GLPWisdom
The biggest limit in life is the way you choose to think #GLPWisdom
Understand your strengths and reputation #GLPWisdom
Be easy to deal with, a capable and safe pair of hands #GLPWisdom
Understand the language of the boardroom #GLPWisdom
With difficult people find out why they are behaving like that and work on an accommodation #GLPWisdom
Flex your style to fit the situation #GLPWisdom
Create the opportunity for healthy tension and robust debate #GLPWisdom
Be curious, learn continuously and know what is coming up #GLPWisdom
Build your support network #GLPWisdom

Thank you all.

Anna Bateson,

Founder of Cutting through the Grey

GLP Programme Director

Board dynamics

Insights from practitioners

In conversations with Chairs and CEOs from across the private, public and third sectors, a number of clear themes are emerging on HOW TO create and sustain effective Board dynamics in tough times. The insights fall into three key areas:

Develop effective connections:

Meet Directors on a 1:1 basis between formal events to build relationships based on a real understanding of each individual’s strengths and ability to contribute to Board discussions.

Identify how each Director operates, the way they prefer to engage and the format in which they can digest information to inform their decision making.

Check out assumptions to make sure they are well founded. Don’t fall into the trap of ascribing views to individuals based on your own perceptions.

Create continuous dialogue:

Tell the whole story to everyone, not partial stories to different audiences. They are all instantly connected and will know.

Tell the truth. It builds confidence and trust, which will create resilience in tough times.

Listen to insights and challenges, particularly from stakeholders who hold different views.

Build understanding of context:

Focus the Board on strategic discussions and avoid tactical game playing, however satisfying for individual egos.

Develop the big picture but ensure that operational reality checks also occur.

Ensure that there is collective understanding of risk appetite and that it informs your discussions.

And the final message from practitioners:

“Don’t try and bounce the Board!”

Reflections 3 years on

March 2020 Looking back at my diary, the month started with a busy week facilitating a number of different workshops for Boards of Directors and Governance Professionals in London. On Friday 6 March I replanned all my Q2 scheduled activity for virtual delivery. Looking back, it is difficult to identify the single trigger which prompted me to replan. Based on my experience as a founder member of The Henley Future Work Forum (FWF) back in the 1980s, and my subsequent collaboration with Dr Laurence Lyons, the FWF co-founder and Research Director, the technological and behavioural transition was smooth. I am fortunate to have a valued support network and trusted client relationships.

Adversity Much of my time over the last three years has been spent supporting business leaders as they navigate adversity. The privileged position of being invited to talk with leaders across multiple sectors and territories, highlights two truths:

– Adversity corrodes inspirational leadership

– Adversity reinforces inspirational leadership

Identifying angels and devils has pre-occupied business authors for decades. The corrosive damage which toxic behaviour can wreak on any organisation is universally recognised. Perhaps it is surprising that multiple recent examples exist of visible devilry being tolerated and condoned. The behaviour can be viral and damages people.

Conversely, spirits lift with examples of inspiring leadership practiced passionately and altruistically. This celebration of angels is also viral and draws together communities of loyal followers, eager to share and collaborate.

Leaders Our decisions and behaviour are scrutinised to determine whether we are devils or angels, or perhaps a bit of both. Taking time to consider the impact we have on others is essential, but as a solitary activity we can be selective in what we choose to see and believe. It takes curiosity and also bravery to develop self-awareness of the real impact of our behaviour and how people perceive us.

Relationships Resilient and agile leaders nurture relationships, investing time and effort in building and sustaining trust. These relationships extend beyond the boundaries of their organisations and create continuous conversations which lead to shared solutions to challenges. It is heartening to hear many examples of supply chains and customers collaborating to sustain organisations in the difficult trading environment of the last three years.

Constructive challenge Talking to people who don’t think like us takes more effort but provides insights which may be far more valuable than existing in an echo chamber. Inspirational leaders are increasingly ensuring that they make robust strategic decisions by creating small groups of empowered individuals with the brief to rigorously test implications and impact. The practice is not new. When co-writing the British Airways Leadership Story with Tony Voller back in 2004, we highlighted how the CEO, Rod Eddington, navigated the airline through 9/11 supported by a ‘Gang of 5’ constructive challengers who gathered ideas and perceptions from across the airline and beyond.

Learning The last three years have been characterised as ‘unprecedented.’ Reflecting on the organisations who have navigated well, one characteristic stands out. They have experienced adversity before and learned from it. Going far beyond a mechanistic review process generating ‘lessons learned,’ these organisations have probed to discover causes behind symptoms and developed new ways of operating which anticipate change. Mistakes are shared not hidden and ‘near misses’ are discussed openly. This behaviour requires the visible sponsorship and involvement of all leaders to become instinctive. It requires inspirational leaders.

Behaviours to admire

As the season for recognition and awards progresses, stories are shared of the behaviour which defines excellence in organisations and their leaders.

With the privilege of coaching directors and their advisors over many years, delivering chartered qualifications and judging professional awards, common themes are apparent to me. They highlight the behaviour we admire and seek to emulate:

Explaining why – Organisations, initiatives and individuals who can clearly articulate their purpose are able to attract and retain the interest and attention of their audiences. Their decisions and behaviour are continuously judged against that purpose.

With a human face – It is easy to intend being clear about what you believe in, taking decisions in the light of those beliefs and behaving in a way which is consistent with your stated principles and values. Living your values at organisation and individual level takes effort but pays dividends. Values in practice are evident in the opportunities you choose not to pursue as well as the actions you take.

In conversation – Award-winning organisations and individuals recognise the importance of visible and continuous dialogue with their stakeholders. Their project Gannt-charts have ‘engagement activity’ as the top line. Effective conversations listen to the unfiltered voices of diverse people and respond in a way which demonstrates appreciation for ideas contributed and an understanding of concerns.

Working together – Collaborative ventures, based on common understanding and commitment, deliver value for all participants. Identifying individuals and organisations with complementary strengths provides a foundation for creating productive and enjoyable relationships. Award winning partnerships are defined by natural curiosity, the desire to look beyond the current and obvious and anticipate changing trends and the opportunities they provide.

For the greater good – Altruistic leaders, clearly motivated by more than self- interest, attract loyal followers. They understand that leadership is about more than directing and controlling. The generosity of spirit which enables others, characterises excellence. The media have labelled the late Queen Elizabeth II as a globally recognised exemplar of ‘servant leader’. Recognising the organisation as a separate legal entity, identifying the expectations and aspirations of all stakeholders and balancing the collective good are all characteristics of award-winning organisations.

And delivering – Promises made and kept inspire trust and confidence. They epitomise an organisation’s or individual’s lived brand. Intentions are laudable but delivery is essential. Excellence is demonstrated by behaviours that pay continuous attention to progress against objectives and that track both the achievement of outcomes and the approach taken.

Directors ask the right questions to develop ‘Situational Intelligence’

Effective boards know how to ask questions of their organisations and board advisors. The opportunities for individual directors to ask searching questions are often greatest during their own due diligence activity through the recruitment, appointment and onboarding process.

Remaining curious and asking challenging questions is an essential strength for any director. Vigilance is better than complacency given the significant responsibility and liability which directors carry.

Rigorous questioning can establish:

– Fashion or true sentiment

– Initiative or strategic intention

– Clear purpose or agile rebranding

– True or disposable values

It pays dividends to develop a real understanding of the context in which you are expected to add value as a director.

Words matter, behaviour must follow

Over decades, business language has developed. Fashionable boardroom vocabulary adopts three letter acronyms referencing philanthropy, socialisation, corporate responsibility, compliance, governance, stakeholder engagement, sustainability, diversity, inclusion, environmental conscience. The words which leaders use may change but to be trusted, true sentiment must be apparent and behaviour must follow. A strong foundation for trust is to develop a clear and common understanding of what the words mean.

Purpose – why we exist

Purpose guides strategic choices, provides clarity and a rationale for activity. It is seen by internal and external stakeholders and can guide consistency of messages. Director due diligence pre-appointment will often involve making judgements on the clarity and resilience of an organisation’s purpose.

Culture – what we believe and how we behave

Our values are evidenced by what we choose not to do as well as what we do and how we do it. Shrewd Director candidates use every opportunity to establish the extent to which beliefs, principles and values are embedded in an organisations’ practices. Beyond a menu of fine words is the reality of what is acceptable behaviour. Valuing difference underpins the practices which deliver diversity and inclusion.

Strategy – what we aspire to be and how we will deliver that aspiration

Multiple metrics arrive in the boardroom. Newly appointed Directors are in the privileged position of contributing to and observing strategic decision being made. Astute individuals notice what really drives strategic decision making and the success with which the organisation balances the requirement for short term performance with the need to build long term stability. Understanding the board’s appetite for risk and change and the level of organisational agility, helps newly appointed directors to challenge effectively.

Stakeholders – who we choose to work for and with

Our brand is a promise to our stakeholders. In a transparent world, all stakeholders can see the promises we make to each other. We are judged on whether our promises are fair and whether we keep them. If we can’t keep our promises we are judged by the clarity with which we explain why. In today’s turbulent world, demonstrating an understanding of the attitudes, aspirations and intentions of organisational stakeholders is one of the most critical strengths a newly appointed director can evidence.

Responsible business

Government, regulators, investors, talent and consumers are among the many stakeholders calling for clarity on the ways organisations make strategic decisions, prioritise and implement those decisions. Evidence is required to demonstrate materiality, commitment, action and the impact of initiatives. The way in which a board formally and informally reports progress and performance is critical in developing stakeholder perceptions of the voracity of the board. Being a director is not for the faint hearted.