Dear Reader
I have written about boards before.
And yet it continues to come up in almost every conversation with CEOs.
Not in theory.
In practice.
How do I make my board more useful?
How do I get the right level of challenge?
How do I work effectively with my Chair?
How do we evolve the board as we scale?
How do we handle CEO performance, succession, and strategy properly?
Most boards are not broken.
But many are not working as well as they could.
And the impact of that is significant.
A strong board improves the quality of decisions, strengthens leadership, and helps organisations move faster with more confidence.
A weak or misaligned board creates drag. Often quietly.
Where it typically shows up
Over time, a set of patterns comes up repeatedly:
1. Boards built for the past, not the future
Composition reflects where the organisation has been, not where it is going. Capability is no longer aligned to the next phase.
2. Support without enough challenge
Boards are engaged and positive, but do not push thinking far enough. The CEO is supported, but not stretched.
3. Lack of clarity in the Chair–CEO relationship
The Chair is not a line manager. But without a clear rhythm and trust-based relationship, engagement becomes reactive.
4. Meetings focused on updates, not decisions
Too much time on reporting. Not enough on trade-offs, risks, and real questions.
5. Weak onboarding, expectations and renewal
Board members are not set up clearly on their role, contribution, or how performance is assessed over time.
6. Limited discipline on CEO performance, succession and compensation
Some of the board’s most critical responsibilities are under-structured, delayed, or avoided.
7. Strategy not keeping pace with organisational reality
The organisation evolves, but the board is not engaging deeply enough in the real shifts required.
What makes the biggest difference in practice
A few shifts tend to unlock disproportionate value:
- Designing the board for the next 3 to 5 years, not the last
- Being explicit about what the board is there to do, and what it is not
- Building a strong, regular Chair–CEO rhythm
- Structuring board meetings around decisions, not updates
- Creating clarity on individual board member contribution
- Treating CEO performance, succession and compensation with the discipline they require
- Using the board to improve judgement, not just approve plans
None of this is complicated.
But it does require deliberate design.
A new Volante guide
I have pulled together these themes, along with practical tools and a board effectiveness diagnostic, into a new guide:
Working More Effectively with Your Board
It is designed to help CEOs and Chairs:
- Assess where their board is today
- Identify where it is underperforming
- Make practical shifts to improve how it works
I will be sharing more soon.
A question to reflect on
If you are a CEO or Board Chair:
👉 Where does your board genuinely improve the quality of decisions, and where does it create friction or slow you down?
That answer usually tells you where to start.
Warmly,
Liz
Strategic Advisor | Former CEO | Founder, Volante
Based in Kenya, available globally
