INSIGHTS & ARTICLES

The Diversity Imperative For Boards
Inside the Boardroom Paul Smith Inside the Boardroom Paul Smith

The Diversity Imperative For Boards

A recent study conducted by Monash University in Australia delved deep into this very issue. It's just the latest study on the topic. They interviewed remarkable women from diverse backgrounds, and what they unearthed is a wake-up call for every boardroom across the world.

Boardrooms are where decisions are made, strategies and policies devised, and yet diversity remains most elusive. This is not just a moral quandary anymore; it's a strategic blunder, a governance gaffe of epic proportions.

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We’re asking too much of board directors
Inside the Boardroom Paul Smith Inside the Boardroom Paul Smith

We’re asking too much of board directors

Last month, the Global Network of Director Institutes released their “The Future of Board Governance” report. The GNDI is a collection of 24 national governance institutes from North and South America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, with combined memberships of 150,000.

Why are key business issues being lobbed into the long-term bucket buy boards? Critical issues like board composition, technology and climate change all impact financial sustainability. These risks only increase when we put them on the back burner.

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What >65,000 Years of Governance Looks Like
Inside the Boardroom Paul Smith Inside the Boardroom Paul Smith

What >65,000 Years of Governance Looks Like

We’re always working toward inclusivity and intersectionality at Future Directors. By this I mean the sustainable, sensitive, and sage form of governance that looked after this country and the people within it, for the (at minimum) 65,000 years prior to European invasion and, encumbered but proudly and continuously, through to this day.

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Holistic Board Leadership
Inside the Boardroom Paul Smith Inside the Boardroom Paul Smith

Holistic Board Leadership

Increasingly, what separates modern board members from the pack is their holistic approach to their role(s).

They don’t see themselves as computers spitting out technical knowledge needed to aid a decision-making process. They are fully integrated and present humans and see their personal development and professional development as one and the same.

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Earned Skills vs Learned Skills of the Boardroom

Earned Skills vs Learned Skills of the Boardroom

In this month’s ONE THING, Paul Smith looks at how we might better judge and nurture our learned skills, not just earned skills.

“Many boards are forced to recruit non-qualified directors to their boards even though most of them make a qualification a pre-requite. On the face of it, and if there was good work done to create a "screener" for candidates, this wouldn't be a problem. However, I believe the system of governance education is inherently flawed.”

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