Boardroom Rabble Rousers are More Highly Valued than their Collaborative Peers

Brave directors who aren't afraid to challenge management are doing a far better job than peers who place a greater emphasis on understanding others' points of view, according to new research.

gettyimages-510726087-compressorAnd cosying up to the CEO isn’t valued much either, unless you’re in Japan.

Executive recruitment firm Russell Reynolds asked 369 company directors from a dozen countries which factors were key to establishing a strong culture and effective board.

The company expected the results to vary across regions because each country has its own unique governance regime and accepted cultural norms. Japan, for example, has a top-down management ethos where you’d think directors would express themselves more modestly when questioning other leaders.

Remarkably, apart from a few exceptions, the survey appeared to dispel many cultural stereotypes, with the respondents’ top five picks turning out to be similar, regardless of their location.

“The five most important director behaviors identified topped the rankings for every region we surveyed. This suggests that the desired qualities of an effective director transcend cultural customs and regional differences.”

The number-one quality selected was ‘possess the courage to do the right thing for the right reasons’, which scored a weighted ranking of 13.3 out of 100. The next most popular attribute was ‘willing to constructively challenge management when appropriate’, while ‘possess independent perspective’ and ‘avoids groupthink’ also made the top five.

‘Seeking to understand others’ perspectives’ came in at sixth, with a score of 5.9, while ‘actively cultivating a relationship with the CEO’ came in at 16th, with a measly score of 1.1.

“The five most important director behaviors identified topped the rankings for every region we surveyed,” Russell Reynolds said. “This suggests that the desired qualities of an effective director transcend cultural customs and regional differences.”

Of course, there were some more subtle differences observed between countries.

American directors, for example, were 8% less likely than the global average to step over the line from oversight into operations and management—perhaps indicating that the role of the board is more clearly defined in the U.S.

British directors placed 30% greater value on keeping discussions focused on the matter at hand and staying on topic, while Japanese directors were more than twice as likely to value cultivating a relationship with the CEO.

This is hardly surprising, given that most Japanese boards comprise executive management rather than independent directors, Russell Reynolds said.


MORE LIKE THIS

  • Get the CEO Briefing

    Sign up today to get weekly access to the latest issues affecting CEOs in every industry
  • upcoming events

    Roundtable

    Strategic Planning Workshop

    1:00 - 5:00 pm

    Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process

    Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:

    1. Lack of systematic approach (70%)
    2. Laundry lists without prioritization (68%)
    3. Decisions based on personalities rather than facts and information (65%)

     

    Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns.  They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning.  Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process.  This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented.  If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form.  The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.

    To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.

    New York, NY: ​​​Chief Executive's Corporate Citizenship Awards 2017

    Women in Leadership Seminar and Peer Discussion

    2:00 - 5:00 pm

    Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations. 

    Limited space available.

    To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $495 will be added to your total.

    Golf Outing

    10:30 - 5:00 pm
    General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
    Sponsored by UBS

    General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.

    The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.

    To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $295 will be added to your total.