Understanding leaders means understanding the world changing around them.
We examine how technology, industry shifts, globalization and organizational change are redefining leadership.
Board & governance
The Board's Transformation Dilemma: How to Support CEO-Led Change Without Micromanaging—or Abdicating
When CEOs lead transformation, boards face a dilemma: too much involvement becomes micromanagement, too little becomes abdication. Most boards err toward abdication, discovering problems only when transformation is failing. Here's how boards can constructively support transformation without undermining it.
8 min read
Board & governance
The Board's Blind Spot: Why CEO Wellbeing Is a Governance Issue—Not Just a Personal One
Boards monitor financial performance, strategic execution, and risk management. Most ignore CEO wellbeing entirely. This oversight gap creates succession crises, performance failures, and preventable departures. Here's why CEO health belongs on the board agenda—and how to put it there.
9 min read
Board & governance
The Board as Decision Partner: How Directors Can Improve CEO Judgment Without Micromanaging
Boards are supposed to provide oversight and guidance. Most do neither well when it comes to CEO decision-making. They either defer excessively or micromanage counterproductively. Here's how boards can actually improve the quality of CEO decisions.
11 min read
Board & governance
Say-on-Pay: When Shareholders Revolt Against CEO Compensation—and What Boards Should Do Before They Do
Say-on-pay votes were supposed to give shareholders voice on executive compensation. A decade later, most votes pass easily—but failed votes trigger crisis. Here's how to understand, anticipate, and respond to shareholder concerns about CEO pay.
9 min read
Board & governance
The CEO's Personal Board: How Top Leaders Build Private Advisory Networks That Corporate Boards Can't Replace
Beyond the formal board sits another board—the CEO's personal advisory network. These informal councils provide what corporate governance cannot: unfiltered truth, diverse perspective, and confidential counsel. Here's how the best CEOs build them.
10 min read
Board & governance
Is Your Board Ready for a Millennial CEO? The Uncomfortable Assessment Most Directors Avoid
Boards spend months evaluating CEO candidates but rarely evaluate themselves. As millennial executives increasingly fill CEO pipelines, the question isn't whether they're ready for the board—it's whether the board is ready for them.
9 min read
Board & governance
The Board's Blind Spot: Why CEO Onboarding Is the Most Neglected Responsibility in Corporate Governance
Boards spend months searching for CEOs and almost no time ensuring they succeed. With 58% of external executives failing within 18 months, the onboarding gap represents massive value destruction—and a fixable board failure.
10 min read
Board & governance
The 100-Day Myth: Why New CEOs Actually Have 12 Months—and Why Most Waste Them
The '100 days' framework dominates CEO transition thinking. But research shows CEOs have roughly 12 months to establish impact—and 62% of external hires need over 6 months just to reach productivity. Here's what the timeline really looks like.
10 min read
Board & governance
The Great Reversal: How America's Board Diversity Push Collapsed in 90 Days
ISS dropped diversity voting guidelines. Nasdaq's rules were struck down. Goldman abandoned its IPO requirements. In early 2025, a decade of board diversity momentum reversed almost overnight. What happened—and what comes next?
8 min read