To remain effective, today's directors must redefine governance itself. Tracking results is no longer enough. We need to increase accountability and examine the very processes, biases, and power relationships that shape our decisions.
The data suggests we have work left to do. A prestigious annual survey of corporate directors has found for the first time that more than half of directors think someone on the board should be replaced. This “status quo” is not working. It doesn't work for the organization and certainly not for the directors themselves. Almost 90% of those surveyed in PwC's 2025 Annual Corporate Director Survey said they could take concrete actions to increase effectiveness, such as increasing training on key issues and strongly encouraging innovation. Fully one-third mentioned stronger relationships between board members. After all, strangers are less likely to be effective team players.
A board that operates with courage and resists groupthink is one that maximizes the expertise of its directors for the benefit of all stakeholders. CEOs are responsible for establishing a governance culture, but boards only rise to meet clear expectations and bold leadership. I believe in the director want Although they can actively engage and participate in difficult discussions and bring important questions and real answers to the meeting, they rarely achieve excellence on their own.
As CEO of the Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce, I've spent a lot of time increasing board engagement and accountability, and I've had a lot of fun along the way. Granted, nonprofits and for-profits are different, but improving board service should be the goal of every organization.
• Board development and management: Start by looking at who is on the board, who is not, and how that composition came about. Having big names on your board is important, but having the right skills is equally important. See what strategic goals your board can help achieve. For example, if you know you'll be moving into a new building in five years, you might want your board to have construction or project management skills. Create a matrix of the communications, finance, legal, etc. skill sets your board needs and refer to it every time an opening becomes available. You should also schedule one-on-one check-ins, especially with new members, to resolve issues early, realign attention, and get feedback.
• Mission moments: Take some time at your board meeting to remember the mission at hand and why everyone agreed to sign on in the first place. I invite stakeholders to every meeting to share how the organization has impacted them and answer questions from board members about how they feel about the organization. That could be investors, partners, program participants, etc. When a corporate member came to us recently and asked what could be done better, she lamented the lack of professional development opportunities for female colleagues. Board members quickly recognized the revenue potential of hosting a conference that closely aligned with our mission. This approach fosters energy and interaction that generates creativity, new ideas, and unexpected opportunities.
• Listen and learn: Pay attention to who speaks at board meetings and who doesn't. Which topics spark the most conversation and which ones end in silence? Encourage questions and be specific: Outline the types of questions you want board members to consider when making more informed decisions. The most silent part of my board meeting was about finance. So instead of just reproducing the P&L, we added a layer of comments to provide more transparency and encourage dialogue. Like most people, directors need to feel safe, supported, and empowered to have solid conversations.
• Promoting a better kind of consensus: I use a modified version of the “first five times” methodology to drive substrate conditioning. In traditional fist-to-five voting, team members raise their hands showing everything from a fist (firmly disagree) to five fingers (strongly agree), and everyone's position is instantly known. I adapted this approach by making it a dynamic consensus building tool rather than just a vote. At board meetings, everyone starts by holding up five fingers. Next, we address the key decision checkpoint: Do we have enough information to make a decision? One finger below. Do you have any remaining questions? One more finger down. We continue to pass through the regulating filter. Does this align with our mission, vision, and values? Will it advance our strategic plan? As each becomes clearer, the finger drops. A room full of fists means we have reached a real consensus and are ready to vote. It still has its fingers up, so it tells you exactly where more discussion is needed before moving forward..
• Maintenance, reduction, and everything in between: It is clear that one of the board's major responsibilities is to ensure that top management is doing their job. The director's responsibility is to dig into issues as they surface. For example, it's not enough to know that turnover is high; you know why. Boards need to hear who is leaving, whether there is an exodus from specific departments, and whether it is across the board. These are not questions that boards typically ask, so companies need to pop the hood, so to speak. And directors can't help solve problems they don't know about.
The key is to create a high-level culture of responsibility. The role of the board of directors is clear. Support your organization's mission, increase your visibility through strategic networking and visibility, and secure the resources you need to succeed. But even top-notch directors could use some support and extra dynamism when it comes to owning their work.
