Features
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A Hung Jury
Have r egulatory r eforms g one f ar e nough? Where are t hey h urting? Yes, they have. And there’s concern that they may make directors and executives afraid to take risks. |
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Watch Your Wallet
Do you feel more secure as a director? Are your reputation and personal assets better protected than they were a year ago? There’s mixed opinion here, and interesting reasons why. |
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Pleasures and Problems
What pleases you most about serving on a board? What disturbs you? Creative input, camaraderie, and the opportunity to be a mentor satisfy. Lawyers and uninformed colleagues repel. |
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Clashing with the CEO
What makes a CEO particularly hard to deal with? How can the really tough ones be handled? Let us count the ways, and we’ll be here all year. Bottom line: Never forget that the CEO serves at the pleasure of the board. |
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Disagreements with Other Directors
When have you been disappointed by a board decision? What did you do about it? Lack of adequate information and disclosure is a common complaint. Advice on what action to take ranges from getting mad to getting out. |
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Artful Persuasion
How do you exert your will on a board and get your ideas approved? Carefully and quietly, as a general rule. But on matters of morality, says one director, you’d better be boisterous. |
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Passing the Test
Many directors want continuing education. Should some level of certification be required? A resounding no to certification. One argument: What would you certify? Another: Who would be in charge, politicians? |
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Dumping Dead Weight
Should there be term limits for directors? Not a good idea, you say. But age limits might be. Above all, board members should police themselves vigilantly to weed out deadwood. |
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Pay Up
Since reform has increased your workload, should you get a raise? Generally, you think pay should go up. But you’re wary of appearing greedy, or of unequal raises that might create tension on the board. |
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Welcome, Stranger
What is the single piece of advice you’d most want to give a new director? Hire a private eye, says one seasoned board member. Others chime in with different counsel. |
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A New Moral Compass for the Boardroom
Under pressure from outsiders and from themselves, directors are struggling to redefine the delicate balance of serving society as well as the bottom line. Here's how some of them are doing it. Plus: A Short History of Saints and Sinners Put It in Writing |