Great Companies Deserve Great Boards

Great Companies Deserve Great Boards

Author: Beverly Behan

Publisher: Macmillan

Published: 2011-05-15

Total Pages: 190

ISBN-13: 0230120547

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Despite the many changes in governance regulation over the past decade, few boards function as a true corporate asset to the companies they oversee. In this book, Behan offers practical advice that a CEO, Chairman or board member can introduce at the very next meeting. Boardrooms are filled with intelligent, accomplished people—yet seldom achieve their full potential and add the kind of value for the CEO, executive team and company shareholders that many boards are actually capable of. Beverly Behan draws on her experience working with more than 100 boards over the past 14 years—from major Fortune 500s to recent IPOs—offering no-nonsense insights that can take any board from mediocrity to the top of its game including establishing a constructive working relationship with your board; addressing some of the dysfunction that may lie within the board you’ve inherited, and making your board a significant asset to you, your company, and your executive team. Working with the Board of Directors is one of the most important components of any CEO’s job—and most will admit it is something they wish they knew more about. Nearly all CEOs want to change at least something about their board, yet many are unsure how to go about this in the right way. This book not only alerts the reader to common pitfalls that CEO's can make with their boards, it provides workable approaches to a tackle a variety of boardroom issues from getting new talent into the boardroom to engaging effectively with the board on strategy and succession planning.


Becoming a Boardroom Star

Becoming a Boardroom Star

Author: Beverly Behan

Publisher:

Published: 2021-09

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9781737229544

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Practical advice for board members on optimizing their effectiveness, influence and impact in the boardroom - whether as a new director or Board Chair. The book was developed from the author's experience undertaking board and director evaluations at nearly 200 boards (largely boards of public companies) over the past 25 years - where more than a thousand board members spoke to her in confidence about the capabilities and contributions of their peers. Becoming a Boardroom Star offers insights about what makes a great director shine in the boardroom - earning the genuine esteem of their peers, the respect of senior management and, most important of all, adding real value for the company's stakeholders. While it focuses primarily on what distinguishes those directors considered truly outstanding from the others, the author also identifies common pitfalls that directors should be careful to avoid. It begins with advice for new directors about steps they can take to embellish their orientation program, discusses hallmarks of a boardroom star and concludes with insights on becoming an outstanding board leader - whether in a committee chair role or as Chair of the Board, itself. It also includes appendices designed to illustrate some of the models and processes discussed in the book.


How to Manage Your Board While Your Board Manages You

How to Manage Your Board While Your Board Manages You

Author: Martin M. Coyne, II

Publisher: Booksurge Publishing

Published: 2009-10-04

Total Pages: 118

ISBN-13: 9781439239278

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A no-nonsense guide for CEOs and boards of directors seeking strategies for mutually improved and effective relationships, with essential information about the functions and ethos of corporate boards.


Board and Director Evaluations

Board and Director Evaluations

Author: Beverly Behan

Publisher:

Published: 2020-10-15

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9781734719086

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A board evaluation is the most powerful tool in the governance arsenal - and one that is rarely used to its full potential. Today, sophisticated directors are increasingly demanding more from their board and director evaluations, eschewing their tired old board surveys for new approaches that effectively tap into directors' insights and good thinking - and produce meaningful outcomes that can take a board from good to great and keep a great board vibrant.The book begins by describing typical outcomes other boards have achieved from taking this approach and points out that the most important element in a meaningful board evaluation is a boardroom champion - someone in a board leadership position who's genuinely committed to excellence, to making his/her board the best it can be. From there, the key features of a genuinely worthwhile board evaluation are outlined in depth- from the creation of the interview protocols, through to the development of the Action Plan. Board 2.0, an innovative exercise that engages directors and executives in designing the optimal board to govern the company in the future - is also discussed in detail; any board can benefit from learning about this exciting new approach and incorporating it as a component of a comprehensive board evaluation process. The final chapters focus on individual director evaluation - designing a meaningful peer review process that delivers constructive and actionable feedback; sophisticated directors deserve no less. It also introduces the New Director 360, an innovative practice that may be a useful final phase of any director orientation program.


Back to the Drawing Board

Back to the Drawing Board

Author: Colin B. Carter

Publisher: Harvard Business Press

Published: 2003-10-16

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 1422163229

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Business scandals from Enron to WorldCom have escalated concerns about corporate governance into a full-blown crisis. Institutional investors and legislators have dominated the debate and enacted important changes in corporate accounting and other areas. But Colin B. Carter and Jay W. Lorsch say that we must now focus on the performance of corporate boards. This timely book argues that boards are being pressed to perform unrealistic duties given their traditional structure, processes, and membership. Carter and Lorsch propose a strategic redesign of boards--making them better attuned to their oversight, decision-making, and advisory roles--to enable directors to meet 21st century challenges successfully. Based on the authors' deep expertise and longtime experience working with boards around the world, and on a probing survey of CEOs, Carter and Lorsch help boards to develop a realistic value proposition customized to the company they serve. The authors explore the core dilemmas and responsibilities boards face and outline a framework for designing the most effective structure, makeup, size, and culture. This book provides a candid account of the current state of boards and points the way in a time of crisis and change.


Mean Business

Mean Business

Author: Albert J. Dunlap

Publisher: Mr. Media Books

Published: 2014-07-15

Total Pages: 364

ISBN-13: 1500498831

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Al Dunlap is an original: an outspoken, irascible executive with an incredible track record of injecting new life into tired companies. The business media have coined a new verb--"to dunlap"--when describing a fast company turnaround.


CEO

CEO

Author: John Decker

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2016-01-25

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 1440840172

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How does a good CEO deliver value? An ideal resource for all aspiring executives, this book provides a comprehensive portrait of the CEO's role and a clearly defined roadmap for acquiring the skill set of a successful CEO. There is a critical and growing need for effective and enlightened leadership in the private sector. The corporate world needs CEOs who can build companies, exceed customer expectations, address the needs of the world's growing population, and deliver superior value to investors. CEOs must balance on an incredibly difficult and challenging tightrope and apply a daunting range of skills and experience at the highest levels to do so. Over one third of all new CEOs are out within three years and many companies don't achieve their full potential due to lack of leadership talent. CEO: Mastering the Corporate Pyramid shines a spotlight on what CEOs actually do, identifies the skills necessary to do the job, and explains how to develop these skills for anyone aspiring to the executive suite as well as those considering starting or buying a business. It supplies a unique and powerful roadmap for career success and increases the chances for an aspiring CEO to make it to the top and survive and thrive in the position.


Transitions at the Top

Transitions at the Top

Author: Dan Ciampa

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2015-04-20

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 1118975081

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Clear, actionable guidance toward managing a major leadership change Transitions at the Top is an insightful, informative guide to navigating a change in leadership. A smooth transition is critical to both the health of the organization and the success of the new leader, but good planning and strong strategy can help organizations come out fresher and more driven on the other side. This book provides the specific principles, guidelines, and actions that boards, C-suite executives, and HR leaders need to guarantee a successful CEO transition. Continuity is key as one leader passes the mantle to a successor, and this book spans the steps and events that take place from when the candidate accepts the offer, all the way through the point where a critical mass of followers have accepted him or her as the established leader. Coverage includes guidance on who should be engaged in the process, as well as role-specific advice for each member of the transition management team. Many books have been written to advise new incoming CEOs, but there is little guidance available for the organization as a whole. This book provides actionable advice on smoothing the transition without breaking stride. Maintain continuity during leadership transitions Strengthen focus on culture, systems, and processes Engage all influential executives in smoothing the transition Lay a foundation to help the new leader succeed The transition management team plays a crucial role in maintaining the health of the organization during a time of major change. Strong strategy becomes critical when an organization is in flux, and high engagement is key. Transitions at the Top provides expert insight, clear guidance, and a solid plan for a smoother transition.


Boards That Lead

Boards That Lead

Author: Ram Charan

Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press

Published: 2013-12-10

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 1422144054

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Is your firm’s board creating value—or destroying it? Change is coming. Leadership at the top is being redefined as boards take a more active role in decisions that once belonged solely to the CEO. But for all the advantages of increased board engagement, it can create debilitating questions of authority and dangerous meddling in day-to-day operations. Directors need a new road map—for when to lead, when to partner, and when to stay out of the way. Boardroom veterans Ram Charan, Dennis Carey, and Michael Useem advocate this new governance model—a sharp departure from what has been demanded by governance activists, raters, and regulators—and reveal the emerging practices that are defining shared leadership of directors and executives. Based on personal interviews and the authors’ broad and deep experience working with executives and directors from dozens of the world’s largest firms, including Apple, Boeing, Ford, Infosys, and Lenovo, Boards That Lead tells the inside story behind the successes and pitfalls of this new leadership model and explains how to: • Define the central idea of the company • Ensure that the right CEO is in place and potential successors are identified • Recruit directors who add value • Root out board dysfunction • Select a board leader who deftly bridges the divide between management and the board • Set a high bar on ethics and risk With a total of eighteen checklists that will transform board directors from monitors to leaders, Charan, Carey, and Useem provide a smart and practical guide for businesspeople everywhere—whether they occupy the boardroom or the C-suite.