BI for MAY..

  BOARDROOM LEADERSHIP CHANGES - NOW WHAT HAPPENS?

Leadership at American corporate boards of directors has changed radically over the past several years -- but coming repercussions will bring tough new challenges, says the May issue of online corporate governance monthly Boardroom INSIDER. 

In “5 Ways the Lead Director Role is Evolving,” publisher Ralph Ward notes that the new boardroom idea of a formal leader for the board’s independent directors “has a speeded-up evolutionary cycle.” Among the changes (and challenges) cited for the lead director today is; a wider portfolio of duties, much greater time and effort demands, and grudging acceptance of the role by CEOs.  The latter have accepted an empowered boardroom leader as “a tradeoff for keeping the combined CEO/chairman role.”

But boards that feature a separate, independent board chairman face their own challenges, Ward writes in “Emeritus Chair - The Next Boardroom Headache?”  With a separate chair also growing in acceptance, the problem of what to do with a chairman who retires from the role -- but stays on as a director -- arises.  Ward cites Ray Lane leaving the powerful board chair position at Hewlett-Packard, but continuing as a board member while a new independent chair assumes the role.  “As with a retired Pope, boards are not quite sure what to do with a retired leader.”  

 Also in the May Boardroom INSIDER:

How do you “grade” a board of directors?
Should every board have a director ready to step up as interim CEO?
Q&A: What to do at your first advisory board meeting?

Ralph Ward will conduct a three-day program on Building High Performance Boards for the IIR Middle East in Dubai, UAE, June 16-18 2013.  For more information, download the program brochure, or contact me at rward@boardroominsider.com