Caroline Hayward’s Post

There are five types of intelligence that aspiring board members need to cultivate: 1. Financial fundamentals 2. Strategic thinking 3. Relationship building 4. Understanding your role 5. Cultural awareness

Are you ready and prepared in order to serve on a Board? What behaviours and skills are needed to succeed? In the HBR article written by Anthony Hesketh, Jo Sellwood-Taylor and Sharon Mullen, it lays out that there are 5 types of intelligence aspiring Board members need to cultivate, namely: ➡ Financial Fundamentals ➡ Strategic Thinking ➡ Relationship Building ➡ Understanding your role ➡ Cultural Awareness Whilst I cannot argue with any of the above mentioned types of intelligence, and the authors go into more depth on each in the article, I do feel that the intelligence in 'understanding your role' warrants more attention. Over the last 7 years as a Non-Executive Director and Chair, with 5 of those also in a full time Executive Leadership position I was afforded the opportunity to directly compare and contrast the role of an Executive Director to a Non-Executive Director. The term 'nose in, hands out' references the need to move from an operational mindset to one of a strategic nature and that is clearly key. In Chairing four different Boards, each with multiple stakeholders, I feel the need to adapt to the different cultural landscapes at each business is also essential as there is no 'one size fits all' approach in this regard. However, for me, there are two key aspects of being a Non-Executive Board Director that are absolutely crucial to be successful: 💡 The role of 'critical friend' - being able to navigate the delicate balance of both holding leadership to account from a performance and governance perspective with actively offering support, encouragement and sage advice where and when appropriate. 💡 The ability to focus - undertaking a portfolio career when you may sit on several Boards means having both the discipline to focus on each company and read the Board pack ahead of the meeting to ensure you can ask meaningful questions but also to possess the agility to mentally move from one company to another as and when the need arises and ensure you offer the appropriate support. ❓ What other elements would you suggest? #ned #nonexecutivedirector #board #effectiveboardmember #hbr #harvardbusinessreview #blackdogleadership

Every leader needs to inspire trust in their followers, employees, and stakeholders . Trust is one concept that binds all efforts at relationships -building together, leading to business success. Trust is the value of values or the mother of all values. Read more about trust, how to measure and built it in our forthcoming article published in the March-April issue of the European Business Review.

Corporate boards are evolving to include actively employed directors to address rapidly evolving challenges. Read more about this shift and how to find a balance between a fresh perspective and seasoned experience. https://bit.ly/48FcOUm

One of Kester Search Group, LLC ®'s values is 'know the right questions to ask'. With organizations of all sorts facing increased urgency and unpredictability, being able to ask smart questions has become key. Here's a great article that dives deeper into that.

A practical framework for the five types of questions to ask during strategic decision-making.

In this article they share what they’ve learned and offer a practical framework for the five types of questions to ask during strategic decision-making: investigative, speculative, productive, interpretive, and subjective. By attending to each, leaders and teams can become more likely to cover all the areas that need to be explored, and they’ll surface information and options they might otherwise have missed.

It’s not easy to codify organisational values, as anyone who’s tried to do it knows. In this short video, we share the process we went through to come up with VOICE – First Actuarial’s five values. Watch our video:

To succeed on a board, you’ll need five specific types of intelligence.

💥⚖️ How do internal conflicts bring nations—and businesses—to their knees? In Chapter 5, Ray Dalio explains the role of internal conflict in a nation’s decline. Dalio shows how inequality, division, and ideological conflict weaken nations from within. The same applies to businesses. Internal misalignment—whether it’s between teams, leadership, or even within the strategic vision—can slowly erode success. I’ve seen this happen not only in large organizations but also in smaller firms, where unresolved disputes or unclear goals can hinder progress and growth. As a financial advisor, this insight is particularly relevant. Internal conflict isn’t limited to large corporations—it can easily emerge in client relationships, partnerships, or within your own team. For example, conflicting financial goals between family members or differing risk tolerances within a business partnership can create tension. I’ve learned that fostering open communication and finding alignment early can prevent these conflicts from becoming disruptive. Addressing challenges head-on, before they escalate, ensures that both businesses and clients remain on a steady path toward their goals. How are you managing internal conflicts within your team, organization, or even with clients? Open communication, clear expectations, and a shared vision are key to resolving issues before they become roadblocks. 🛠️ #TeamBuilding