How To Manage A Board of Directors

Abstract

This article outlines essential strategies for CEOs to effectively manage a Board of Directors, emphasizing the importance of proactive self-criticism, transparent communication regarding bad news, and keeping meeting agendas focused on strategic matters that can be fully grasped within time constraints.

Be your own worst critic

Criticize yourself pre-emptively before others do.

Announce bad news early

So people trust you when you give good news.

Let everyone know everything that can go wrong

That way nobody is surprised if something actually does go wrong.

If the Board will not understand it in the time allotted, it does not belong in a Board Meeting.

Your Directors should be smart, but there is only so much depth you can go into with once-a-month meetings. Stay strategic.

Set expectations low

It is a peculiar process of corporate America that Boards judge a CEO's performance against the CEO's plan, and have little role in setting the plan. So the more pessimistic the plan, the better the CEO looks. Stupid, but unfortunately true.

Credits: Jason Green, Michael Harris.

Cite This Work

Bäcker, Alex: How To Manage A Board of Directors. alexbacker.com/w/how-to-manage-a-board-of-directors. Originally published at http://alexbacker.pbworks.com/How+To+Manage+A+Board+of+Directors.