Boards

Leadership transitions go awry with alarming frequency, often the result of an emotionally charged power struggle between the CEO and his would-be heir. Four practices, however, can help successors defuse the crisis—and make it to the top.

The last official report on the April 2010 explosion at the Deepwater Horizon rig was issued on September 16th. And yet the ultimate question remains:...

Most organizations aren’t prepared.

Owners need to get their house in order first.

When a crisis forces outside directors to navigate major changes, investors and directors must adopt new roles. The largest such case to date provides some useful lessons. The Royal Dutch/Shell Group was a 60/40 joint venture between Royal Dutch Petroleum and Shell Transport and Trading. It was run by a five-person committee of managing directors […]

Traditional compensation systems that value status instead of contribution do not reward the entrepreneurial activity U.S. companies need. They're also...

Four ways to be the boss without seeming bossy.

It is hard to believe but yes, 2009 is winding down. Thanksgiving is around the corner, the holiday rush is almost palpable, and before you know it we’ll be watching our TV screens for the ball to drop in Times Square. It is about this time of year that many businesses begin to feel the […]

And in some cases the boards themselves will have to change.

If you're trying to do your team's work for them, probably not.

“Did I find it frustrating as the White House Chief of Staff? Toughest job I ever had, but…if you find it unpleasant to cope with a complex problem that is simultaneously the business of four or five Cabinet departments, several public interest groups, and the Congress, and one that the President will finally decide, then […]

Half of leaders fail in their first role.

Why commitment is crucial to corporate success.

In France, management is not a task. It is a "state of mind." Alumni of the grandes ecoles, the elite colleges, dominate the upper echelons of business...

Family directors are critical for aligning owners’ interests with those of other shareholders.

As board members we are living in interesting times. For years, we have conducted our business in a black box well away from public scrutiny. Now a hot...

As a newly minted CEO, you may think you finally have the power to set strategy, the authority to make things happen, and full access to the finer points...

Much has been written and said regarding News Corp and its activities in the UK, and serious questions have been raised about the leadership and culture of this company. Some of these questions have been directed at the company’s board of directors: did it properly fulfill its independent fiduciary responsibilities in overseeing this global organization? […]

Many boards struggle with succession practices.

Top management should be reinventing, not just monitoring, your company's goals.