Boards That Deliver: Advancing Corporate Governance From Compliance to Competitive Advantage

Every so often you meet someone who has the ability to state things with such clarity that they appear instantly obvious and simple. Ram Charan is one of those people. His lucid descriptions evoke real situations with all their rich complexity of detail but without any of the clutter that prevents directors from decisive value adding action.Don't be fooled; this is not a simple book. The writing is terse but the insight is deep and the suggestions for improvement are well founded in practical experience. The book discusses the evolution in board dynamics, information architecture and focus on substantive issues that will allow boards to move from a `ceremonial' role, through a process of liberation to a state that Charan refers to as `progressive'.In my work advising boards I have encountered many that struggle with the symptoms of `liberated' boards. The frequent digressions from what is really important, the time wasted on trivia, the personal interests, the revisiting of old arguments and the rewriting of former agreements that frustrate so many boards are exposed in all their hideous familiarity. Charan's descriptions of this state arouse sympathy without descending into excuse-making, patronising or blaming the board. He just accurately states what is wrong and what that can cost the organisation before going on to describe how to correct practices and make a quantum leap in board effectiveness.I meet few `ceremonial' boards in my line of work; it could be that those boards would never invite me into their midst or just that there are less of them now that individual directors are becoming more professional and diligent in their roles. However, the descriptions do hold true and the process for moving from a passive board to a liberated one is well and clearly set out in the book.The real value in this book is its practical assistance in making that step change from a group of great and well-intentioned individuals to a board with a collective viewpoint and will. It allows for efficiency and focus that take the company into forward-looking strategic issues without over-stressing the hard-working executive team.The final jewel in this book is the section on contributions that count. It is a great resource for any director and should be legislated as required reading for all Chairmen.This is a practical and succinct book that I return to often. It has something of value for every board that I have worked with. On a scale of one to five this is definitely a ten! * Julie Garland McLellan is a professional non-executive director, board and governance consultant and mentor. She is the author of "The Director's Dilemma", "All Above Board: Great Governance for the Government Sector" and numerous articles on corporate strategy and governance. You can find out more at [...]

Charan is one of the leading experts in board governance and best practices. In this easy to read and thought provoking look at board dynamics, Charan takes the reader through the evolution of a board from ceremonial to progressive. Along the way, he provides a road map of pitfalls to avoid, questions to ask, structures to recommend and best practices to follow to ensure that the board takes the right steps to govern effectively.Having both served on and worked for boards that covered the gamut of ineffective to progressive, I cannot recommend this book enough. I have read, and reviewed, more than a few books on corporate governance and board dynamics, and this one ranks at or near the top of the most useful, relevant and specific resources out there. It is a must read for any board member or CEO.

Ram Charan delivers another incisive and compelling book on a subject vital to companies and leaders competing in a fierce global market, during turbulent times. Companies need every advantage they can muster. In this book, Mr. Charan provides a roadmap for moving boards from ceremonial, to Liberated, and ultimately to Progressive. Progressive boards deliver competitive advantage.Mr. Charan defines and describes the different types of boards early on, then identifies key behaviors for directors & CEOs. The ultimate benefit from this book was Mr. Charan's real-world experience, knowledge, and first hand accounts of boards that are progressive.For me, "Boards that Deliver" is a great primer for understandind board responsibilities, dynamics, structure, and composition.- Ron

Ram Charan decribes very well the need of Boards to reinvent their contribution these days. From passive behavior to progressive and active one. Besides changing rules and norms, dealing with macro issues, Boards can be a competitive advantage to the companies

Directors of corporate boards today are clearly not exercising their authority, otherwise why would so many corporations be getting in trouble from unsafe oil rigs to railroad crashes to banking fraud to personnel behavior. Sure, they can deliver revenue, bottom line and share price, but can they deliver what is important?

Item as described, needed it for a class

A handbook every prospective or present board member should read and refer to associates.

Mr Charan wrote a very condensed book, extremely well written and prioritized . The order of the technical chapters was well thought out.

Must read for Senior professionals who aspire to gain CG subject and future directors. Every page worth of reading that invokes your thoughts and queries. Thanks.

Not as I expected and unlike Ram Charan

Really helpful!