Vol. 35 No. 3, March 2011
Index
- Board pros.
- A well-aged idea.
- Ali vs. Frazier: the passing of Joe Flom recalls a memorable matchup.
- Different (board) rules for different times? Reg Jones would be horrified by some of today's antidemocratic and anti-corporate governance impulses.
- Conflicted advisors causing trouble: directors are at risk of not being fully informed.
- The real upside of Dodd-Frank: we now have the promise of a robust dialogue between investors and boards.
- A severe case of rising settlements: securities class actions persist as one of the most significant litigation threats to companies and executives.
- Themes from the 2011 Director's Dialogue: say on pay, proxy voting, whistle blowing, succession planning, board restructuring ... a riveting mix for leadership thinking.
- Whom does the board serve? It is all a matter of perspective--evolving perspective, that is.
- Are boards too old? Or, is the better question this one: Should there be more younger directors on the board? Let's start by looking at the numbers. Here is a board comparison of the largest 25 companies of the Fortune 500 and the Forbes Top 25 most profitable growth companies.
- Age vs. experience: fixing on the ideal blend and balance boards may need some youthful representation to provide an important mix of perspectives, but there is no greater value directors provide than offering sound advice to the CEO--and that comes from years of experience.
- Wisdom is an invaluable asset on a board.
- Red flags for an investor: age alone is not a main driver of our concerns.
- Boards are getting older.
- Boardroom imperative: Youthful impatience: the challenge for corporate boardrooms is not to find younger directors, per se, but directors who are highly motivated to challenge conventional wisdom and practice.
- The directors & boards survey: director age and tenure: our survey respondents found it tough to generalize on issues of age and experience. Of greatest concern was the availability of qualified hoard candidates.
- Board duty: take back performance control: increasing the board's effectiveness in establishing and enforcing financial performance objectives will improve its effectiveness in many other areas as well.
- A respectful approach to director assessment: can individual board member development be conducted without awkwardness, tension, and the potential for upsetting boardroom decorum? Yes.
- Win negotiations before they begin: the Lazy Lawyer? The Damsel in Distress? Should these or other gambits be pulled on you, here are the countermoves.
- Emergency succession planning: get it done: it is up to the board to manage the risk of an unexpected CEO departure--yet many boards are falling short in this duty. Here is a checklist of what boards need to know and to do.
- A core competency for a global economy.
- The coming shortage of American talent.
- Board presentations: The stakes are high.
- Not the right models.
- A Randall's Ranger heads to VC country.
- How Ronald Reagan came into GE's orbit.
- 'Leave your guns at the door'.
- Seize the moment.
- Building the ideal pre-IPO board: assembling the right team from scratch brings competitive advantage.
- Directors Roster: a quarterly record of new director appointments.
- The CEO's role in board selection.
- Rethink the board's succession.
- What diversity? Slim findings in this regional tally.
- Harry M. Jansen Kraemer Jr., values champion.
- Teeing yourself up for a board seat: the scoop from Korn/Ferry vice chairman Jane Stevenson.
- 'One great adventure': Frances Hesselbein's career in leadership.
- William T. Coleman Jr., blue-chip board troubleshooter.
- Effective chair-CEO separation.
- The Directors Roster.
- Broaden your affiliations: when you build a network of diverse relationships, you never know where the path will lead.