In my last episode before a brand new (very special) season kicks off, I literally sit down and riff with my Governance Geek friend Matt Fullbrook to chat about good people and good governance.

This short episode was totally unplanned. We were working in his Brisbane AirBnB during our recent "Experimental Mindsets Tour" of Australia in October 2024. More on that next year.

For now...judge for yourself whether people make a difference.

Enjoy!

Links

• Join Future Directors for FREE
• Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn)
• Matt's OMG Podcast

Much of board education likes to zero in on technical knowledge—keeping up with regulatory updates, sharpening financial skills, risk management, and staying on top of industry trends. 

These are crucial, no doubt. But they're only one part of the picture.

The often overlooked part is the necessary human skills...and for me, the real heart of what makes a board effective.

So, here's another little short podcast which describes the harmonic balance that any good boardroom needs...

Have a listen and see what you think. 

Podcast links

• Join Future Directors for FREE
• Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn)

Can you believe we are four episodes away from the Magic 100?!?

This is a wonderful in-depth chat between two people obsessed with board governance. 

Jess Bulger is a proud Wiradjuri woman from Tumut in NSW, Australia. She is the CEO of the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute and Co-Chair at Outward Bound Australia. She cares deeply about indigenous leadership, capacity building and seeing communities thrive. 

In this wide-ranging conversation between two governance geeks, Paul and Jess cover:

• The importance of language. Is it First Nations, Indigenous, or Aboriginal?
• Is Indigenous Governance singular or does it take many forms?
• What can companies do to engage their indigenous stakeholders better?

Here are some links:

• Join Future Directors for FREE
• Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn)
• Connect with Jess (LinkedIn)
• Check out AIGI (Australian Indigenous Governance Institute) 

Dale Simpson is one of the Principals of Bravo Consulting, which is a blend of executive coaching, systems design, leadership and boardroom development, and operates across Australia and India. Dale was a suggestion from one of our previous Boardroom Hustle guests, Alison Rowe.

In this episode, we dive into topics such as:

• Shifts in our mentalities
• The search for more meaning in our work
• The difference between coaching and mentoring
• Curiosity as a learning tool
• The importance of forgiveness as well as humility
• The benefits of imperfection
• Harnessing vulnerability
• Working in India
• And much more!

Links

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalepsimpson/

Bravo Consulting - http://bravoconsulting.com.au

Bravo Blog - http://bravoconsulting.com.au/blog/

Top Quotes

1. “I think the first thing that precedes any foreign intervention or help that we seek is knowing when to seek help, that’s what makes us humans – is knowing when to seek help.”
2. “I don’t want us to feel that we are somehow obligated to be perfect, we just need to also know what happens and what we need to do when things don’t work out the way we intended.”
3. “We live in a world where we value extraverts as vital to leadership, but in fact, there are many, many great leaders who aren’t”
4. “What you want at any table is diversity. Not just in gender, race and ability, but also diversity in thinking”
5. “Good coaches are the ones that teach people how to coach themselves”
6. “We in the west think we will be happy if we are successful. The Hindus, Buddhist and Jains have taught us the opposite: we will be successful if we are happy.”

Action Items

1. Seek out work or experience in an unfamiliar area. Try and join a project in which you are not already an expert.
2. Always be curious and stay humble - that allows you to ask more questions, which unlock the door to learning.

Raph Goldsworthy is the Managing Director of ‘Better Boards’, an organisation that provides professional development around being a board director.

Raph is someone who has had very little interest in actually sitting on boards himself, but understands the power boards have on shaping the future. He feels he isn’t personally suited to the boardroom, but has been instrumental in impacting boards through his curation of the annual ‘Better Boards’ conference, the ‘BoardWise’ online program, and providing resources to help directors with their professional development in their own journeys.

In this episode, Raph and I talk about:

• Growing the ‘Building Better Boards’ conference to 600 annual attendees
• The ‘art and science’ of the boardroom
• How directors in the NFP sector can connect with those that can help them on their journey
• How to address the reoccuring, perennial problems of the boardroom
• Thinking about how we can learn from history
• Leaving your ego at the door
• Embracing risk and stepping outside the comfort zone
• The power of asking questions
• Impacting boards without sitting on boards
• Specialists vs Generalists
• Diversity and the future of boards
• And much more!

Links

LinkedIn - https://au.linkedin.com/in/raphgoldsworthy

Better Boards - http://betterboards.net/

Upcoming Better Boards conference: http://conference.betterboards.net/

Sign up to the Better Boards newsletter - http://betterboards.net/newsletter/

BoardWise - http://www.boardwise.net/

Sprout - http://sprouthq.net/

Sprout Podcast - http://sprouthq.net/podcast/

Penelope Twemlow has a lengthy list of positions and accolades. Just a few include:

• CEO, Energy Skills Queensland
• Project and Change Manager, Glencore
• Co-Founder and Chairperson, Women In Power
• Ambassador, White Ribbon Australia
• 2016 Queensland Telstra Businesswoman of the Year (Social Enterprise & Not-For-Profit)
• 2016 APAC Insider CEO of the Year

Penelope spent almost 11 years in the Australian Defence Force before transitioning to a ‘civilian life’. Whilst the myriad of skills and qualifications she’d built up in the ADF didn’t directly transfer, she was able to lean on a few key mentors that helped her apply the abilities she’d developed and quickly climb the ranks. In recent years, she has flourished, winning multiple awards and being appointed to new positions.

In this episode, we dive into topics such as:

• The current ‘No’ crisis
• How we can avoid being pulled in too many different directions
• How to be more selective in our approach to what we choose to do (or more importantly, NOT do)
• Giving others the ability to step up and take on greater responsibility
• Tools and tips for time management & productivity
• Scheduling time for yourself to clear your mind and get some space to do some thinking
• How her medically-diagnosed insomnia has helped her think strategically and put new plans into action
• The TRUE role of a CEO (hint: it doesn’t begin until 5:30pm when everyone else has gone home)
• The importance of professional mentors and advisors
• Breaking out of your pigeon hole and broadening your experience
• And much more!

Links

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/penelope-twemlow-40012246/

Glencore - http://www.glencore.com.au/EN/Pages/home.aspx

Women In Power - http://womeninpower.org.au/

White Ribbon Australia - https://www.whiteribbon.org.au/

2016 Telstra Business Woman of the Year - https://www.telstrabusinesswomensawards.com/brilliant-business-women/past-winners/

Anna Byrne specialises in solving complex people problems and shaping mindset decisions and behaviours. She is a Partner at Neuro Power group and is a strategic advisor to boards and CEOs. Anna began her own board career at the age of 17 when she joined the United Nations Youth Association.

Anna has always been fascinated by how humans operate, and she brings a combination of neuroscience and behavioural economics to understand the deeper experiences that shape how we see the world.

Anna published a book called ‘Behavioural Economics for Business’ in 2016, and is currently working on another book called ‘Boardroom (R)evolution’, to be launched in 2018.

In the conversation, we discuss:

• The characteristics of ‘complex systems’
• Behavioural economics and Cognitive biases
• Experimenting within a board career
• The different filters through which we all see the world
• How board members can get to know each other better
• Ways to increase your ability to perform

And much more!

Links:

Neuro Power Group

‘Behavioural Economics for Business’ book

LinkedIn

Alison Rowe is the CEO of the Moreland Energy Foundation and the inaugural Chairwoman of the Future Business Council, among other Executive and Non-Executive Board Directorships. Having started her working life in the Navy and finding herself driving warships at the age of 22, Alison brings a strategic approach to the organisations she is involved with.

From an early age, Alison learned the benefits of failing fast, failing early, and most important, trying again. It takes time to build courage and resilience, but these are vital characteristics of an effective CEO and Director. You need to be willing to try innovative things and be willing to failing in order to achieve something great.

We get into a wide range of topics, including...

• Techniques for building and developing resilience and accepting failure
• Unintentionally becoming a non-conformist
• Having trusted advisors outside of the boardroom that you can reflect with and get any feedback you need
• Having courage and making decisions when you don’t have all of the information
• Being comfortable with the fact that you will never have 99.9% of the inputs, and how you can harness your skills and experience to still achieve the desired outcomes
• Developing a ‘Risk Appetite Statement’ to allow you to walk the tightrope between managing risk appropriately but maintaining innovation and entrepreneurialism
• Having multiple pathways and a complex web of stakeholders through which you can influence outcomes, so that you don’t have any single point of failure
• Having an appropriate Decision Making approach so boards members feel empowered
• The different size boards required for different stages of growth in startups
• And much more!

Links

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisonrowe1/

Moreland Energy Foundation - https://www.mefl.com.au

The Future Business Council - http://www.futurebusinesscouncil.com

Climate Alliance - https://www.climatealliance.org.au

Episode four of Boardroom Hustle is a powerful one. My guest today is an old friend, Claire Maloney. Founder and director of The Bravery, chairperson of the charity One Girl, proud feminist and advocate for total diversity, Claire is relentless in standing up for the things she’s passionate about. In today’s episode, we discuss those passions, and how they’ve driven her to succeed.

In the show, Claire and Paul Smith have an insightfully philosophical conversation about a variety of things such as the journey that led Claire to where she is today, the importance of knowing when to shut up and listen, what makes her tick and what she considers the most valuable thing in the world – and how you can make the most of yours.

We also get into the following:

• Fear, courage, sustainability and social causes
• What Claire is feeling most vulnerable about right now
• How the boardroom can act as a conduit for social change and positive impact
• Confidence, privilege and coping without a safety net
• Where Claire’s business, The Bravery, is planning to go in the near future
• The high emotions that come from being face-to-face with confronting issues, and how to handle them
• Avoiding business burn-out and keeping a strong sense of purpose
• How to de-stress quickly and effectively
• Refining your passions down into a successful career path
• Claire’s love of crisis management and how that’s been beneficial in her board career
• Being real, honest and (in Claire’s words) owning your shit

Links:

The Bravery Website

Claire Maloney's Twitter  

Claire Maloney's LinkedIn

One Girl Website

One Girl Twitter

This episode of Boardroom Hustle covers a wide variety of different topics. My guest, Alan Jones, and I get into things like EQ, IP and everything in-between. Alan is an entrepreneur, investor, board director and startup mentor, and he sheds some light on the life-changing moments he’s experienced throughout his journey: the relationships between startup founders, investors and the boardroom. He also talks about the big changes he’s trying to encourage and bring about in the world.

Throughout Alan’s career, he’s been lucky to realise the importance of stopping and smelling the roses. Today, we discuss how he came to that realisation, as well as:

• Why serenity is such an important part of Alan’s day
• The Darwinian approach that many industries take towards business, and how this can be of detriment to those industries
• How Alan came to value taking time out from the daily grind and learned to relax
• The various flaws within his industry, and who is the most likely to come up against discrimination
• How Alan came to be known as the Chief Hindsight Officer
• Why EQ is such a vital aspect of business, especially in the boardroom
• How to get that ‘spark’ back into your boardroom
• Why we tend to have shallow interactions rather than deep and meaningful ones, and how to start digging deeper with your directors
• The best way to take minutes for your meetings to ensure you get the most out of your time
• The one common theme that can be found in every single boardroom
• Negative outcomes that come from living a hard, fast lifestyle, and how you can avoid falling prey to them
• What it means to be a whole person, and how you can aim to become one
• Can a younger director find that balance between work and life, or is that something that comes with time?

Links:

Alan Jones LinkedIn

Alan Jones Twitter

The New Agency

Startmate

Blue Chilli

For anyone who has ever been told, ‘You’re too young to do that…’ then you need to listen to this latest episode of Boardroom Hustle. My guest this week is Parrys Raines, whose resume reads like someone decades older than her 22 years. Parrys has led a remarkable life thus far, taking on various roles such as law student, international speaker, writer, blogger, business owner and board director, and she has never let her age hold her back.

Parrys is passionate about sustainability and pushing for a better future. She’s a prime example of success at an early age, and is a wonderful reminder that you’re never too young to start changing the world.

In this episode, we get into loads of fascinating topics, such as...

• Why imperfection is sometimes better than perfection
• Parrys’ advice to those who haven’t yet been able to connect to their passions and purpose
• What Parrys considers to be changes that should be (but aren’t) occurring in the boardroom, and how younger people are intertwined with that
• How the career ladder has transformed into the career lattice, and what this means for everyone across all generations
• The benefits of an intergenerational mentoring relationship
• The drive behind Parrys’ decision to start her first website business at the age of fourteen
• Board roles, building a company and how to remain optimistic towards the unknown
• The roadblocks and difficulties Parrys has come up against in starting up her second company, and how she has overcome them
• How you can find and create opportunities to do what you really love in a job you only just like
• Parrys’ devotion to sustainability, and how she managed to combine that with her paralegal position

Links:

LinkedIn

Instagram

Twitter

Centre for Sustainability Leadership

The Future Business Council

Are you looking to build a board of directors from scratch or enhance your existing board composition? If so, then this episode is the one for you. 

This ep features a recent conversation between Paul and special guests, Rosie and Lucy Thomas from Project Rockit. A few years ago, these two sisters worked with Paul to enhance the board composition of their social enterprise. 

The chat dives deep into their thinking, their blindspots, the Future Director's process and how it all came together. We also touch on the lessons learnt and how it's all going in the boardroom. Fascinating stuff!

Here's some links:

• Join Future Directors for FREE
• Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn)
• Check out Project Rockit

As we see big brand companies like Qantas and OpenAI go through what we can safely say from the outside is a bit of a ‘governance crisis’, it has brought up the need to be very clear about what is board leadership and why is it different to other leadership roles.

In another bite-sized episode of Paul by himself (guests are back soon), he will give you a twist on the usual elephantish analogy.

SPOILER ALERT. Elephants are excellent swimmers. 

But, what has this got to do with the Modern Board Leader? You'll have to listen to find out...

In a world of ever-evolving organisational governance, where boards serve as the nerve centre of decision-making and strategy, it is surprising how often the simple question of PURPOSE remains unanswered.

Boards of directors, entrusted with steering companies through complex waters, frequently grapple with their roles, often searching for their true north.

In this short episode, Paul is back to help deconstruct why boards need a unifying force that guides them, in alignment with the company’s values and long-term vision.

In this special episode, we share a recent recording of Paul hosting a live webinar on the subject of AI, its impact on boardrooms, policies, governing and the role of board directors themselves. 

Is it a risk, an opportunity, or (spoiler alert) both?

In this episode, Paul discusses:

• What is AI, Generative AI and what stage are we at?*
• How to develop an AI Governance Policy for your company or organisation...that will keep pace the rapid changes in AI
• How you should (and shouldn't) use AI inside the boardroom 
• What could the future hold for AI Governance?

*Note. This was recorded in late 2023. The world of AI is changing so fast that some facts will be out of date when you listen. Can't be helped :)

On the back of episode 89, we've been looking at another study. This time by Monash University in Australia, which delved deep into board diversity and inclusion.

They interviewed remarkable women from diverse backgrounds, and what they unearthed is a wake-up call for every boardroom across the world.

In this episode, Paul is back to quickly distill the main points of this latest study and what it means for you, your board and for the wider industry. Warning, he has some strong opinions on this one...

Another year, another survey of board directors. Does this one show us anything new?

Earlier this year, the Global Network of Director Institutes released their “The Future of Board Governance” report. The GNDI is a collection of 24 national governance institutes from North and South America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, with combined memberships of 150,000.

In this episode, Paul briefly covers the main findings of the report and the implications for boards and companies. 

In a special episode of the podcast, we take a look at how to navigate the 'Voice to Parliament' Referendum in your boardroom. For our non-Australian listeners, this won't mean much unless you keep up to date with First Nations affairs globally. 

In this webinar (converted to podcast), Paul was joined by author, Uluru Statement from the Heart signatory and Yes23 Spokesperson, Thomas Mayo, and CEO of the Australian Indigenous Governance Insitute, Jessica Bulger. 

They explored this crucial topic, delving into the significance of acknowledging First Nations communities and how (and why) boards can play a role.

Thomas explores the historical struggle for regocognition, whilst Jessica provides an important context and perspective on the principles of effective Indigenous governance.

You'll finally hear a panel discussion featuring Paul, Jessica, Thomas and Future Directors' Head of Programs Aisling Blackmore, talking about how boards can engage, listen, and respond to society and social issues. 

More from Thomas: 
Website: https://www.thomasmayo.com.au/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-mayo-70774378/

More from Jessica:
AIGI Website: https://aigi.org.au/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-bulger-3993925b/

More from Paul: 
Website: https://futuredirectors.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futurepaulsmith/

More from Aisling: 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/acblackmore/

This is part 2 of Paul's fascinating (we think) conversation with technologist and all round nice guy, Josh Klein. 

If this is your first listen to the podcast, we recommend you go back to Part 1 a few episodes ago. 

Josh is a truly fascinating guest. He specialises in translating technological insights into actionable strategies. He's a sought-after speaker, writer and consultant even though he now lives on the island country of Iceland. 

This was a meeting of the minds. Josh and Paul vibing on so many levels that we had to record across two episodes. Enjoy!

More Josh here:

Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Klein
Josh's website: https://josh.is/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaklein/ 

More Paul here:

Wiki: Yeah right!
FDI website: https://www.futuredirectors.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futurepaulsmith/ 

Commentary on corporate governance commonly focuses on what is wrong or missing. The mistakes, the downfalls, the ‘bad stuff’. Admittedly, I'm not immune to this. 

With the world seemingly in increasing turmoil - divisive politics, endless wars, clashing ideologies… and just trying to keep up with the cost of living - it would be easy to keep focusing on the negative.

So, here's a little short podcast from me which brings a bit of love and positivity into the world of the boardroom.

Have a listen and see what you think. 

Podcast links

• Join Future Directors for FREE
• Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn)

High-performance teams, from the pitch to the boardroom, need to build up rapport together. This takes time.

But, one of the major problems in most boardrooms is the lack of time together. Whatever time a board has is usually spent on the business instead of getting to know one another. Compound this with the infrequency of meetings and you have a recipe for a less effective team.

In this episode, Paul discusses why there is always time to build rapport in the boardroom. From informal small talk to more formal structures and social gatherings. You'll reap the benefits with just a little investment in getting to know each other.

Paul's back chatting to with the best and brightest in his latest episode of the Future Directors Podcast.

This week is Part 1 of a two-parter with technologist, Josh Klein.

Josh is a truly fascinating guest. He specialises in translating technological insights into actionable strategies. He's a sought-after speaker, writer and consultant even though he now lives on the island country of Iceland. 

This was a meeting of the minds. Josh and Paul vibing on so many levels that we had to keep recording into a second episode. Enjoy!

More Josh here:

Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Klein
Josh's website: https://josh.is/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaklein/ 

More Paul here:

Wiki: Yeah right!
FDI website: https://www.futuredirectors.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futurepaulsmith/ 

Did you know that fewer than 1% of board directors worldwide have a formal qualification? Should this worry us? Do qualifications indicate competency? Do we miss out on better candidates when we seek assurance from a qualification?

In this short episode, Paul ruminates on a recent conversation between scholars Scott Galloway and Byron Auguste on The Prof G Pod, and seeks to connect it to the boardroom.

For some background, here's that conversation between Scott and Byron.

We’re always working toward inclusivity and intersectionality at Future Directors. And, today, it’s particularly important that I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which Paul recorded this episode – the Whadjuk Noongar people.

So, can we learn anything about governance from the oldest living civilisation in the world? In this week's episode, Paul shares his thoughts having spent the last few years talking with and listening deeply to First Nations Indigenous people around the world.

Not to spoil the next 8 minutes but Paul's answer is emphatically YES. 

This might be a bit confronting for some listeners to hear...

Our most provocative episode (title) ever.

The week Paul - in just a few minutes - discusses the power of systems, language and stakeholders. How do these things play out in and around boardrooms?

Paul investigates some different ways of looking at effective governance structures that move us away from the traditional "top floor down" thinking of where boards belong.

Are directors the problem or is it something else? 

Some answers await...

This week's short snippet from Paul focusses on a bit of research by those smart people at Havard and Penn universities called “The Liking Gap In Groups”.

Apparently, we can routinely underestimate how likeable we seem to others, but this gap shrinks as we get to know one another. 

What does this have to do with governance, the boardroom and the role of the director?

IT'S ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS!!!

We are back...again!

Yes, the Future Directors Podcast is crazily inconsistent but you can't beat the content right? 

For the next little while, FDI Founder Paul Smith will be sharing his thoughts in bite-size monologues of under 5 minutes each. Governance geekdom at its finest.

This episode is all that little thing bandwagon called AI - Artificial Intelligence. Paul is interested in ChatGPT’s (and more broadly, AI’s) implications for boards, strategy, risk and their role as organisational stewards. What things should it be making board directors think and talk about? What risks and opportunities does it pose for your organisation?

Some answers await your ears...

It’s part two of last ep’s convo with FDI’s Paul Smith and tech & governance experts, Pia Turcinov and Alan Jones. This time they’re thinking about how those ‘dangerous and disruptive tech folk’ can reframe what they offer, in order to get a seat at the boardroom table in the first place. 

The conversation spans:

• Why techy directors are seen as risky.

• Creating bridges in to the boardroom that can then grow more organically - from digital innovation subcommittees, to just one expert at the table.

• Getting the supply by reframing technologists as innovators. Speaking the language the board is speaking right now.

• Not just bringing in the technology of innovation, but also the processes of innovation – including, comfort with failure.

Pia Turcinov is a Non-Executive Director and Innovation Strategist, and founder of Venture X and Fund WA.

Alan John is a startup founder mentor and tech investor, who is a partner with M8 Ventures, and the chair of Catalysr, an entrepreneurship program focused on marginalised migrants and refugees.

You could be a banana farm. An insurer. A school network. It doesn’t matter. Digital tech is now so integral to day-to-day life that, whatever business you’re in, you’re now a technology business. So why don’t more boards have tech at the top of their minds? Why are Australia’s ASX toppers the top tech laggers? That forms the topic of conversation today between board directors Pia Turcinov and Alan Jones and FDI’s Paul Smith.

The conversation spans:

• Why techy directors are seen as risky.

• Creating bridges in to the boardroom that can then grow more organically - from digital innovation subcommittees, to just one expert at the table.

• Getting the supply by reframing technologists as innovators. Speaking the language the board is speaking right now.

• Not just bringing in the technology of innovation, but also the processes of innovation – including, comfort with failure.

Pia Turcinov is a Non-Executive Director and Innovation Strategist, and founder of Venture X and Fund WA.

Alan John is a startup founder mentor and tech investor, who is a partner with M8 Ventures, and the chair of Catalysr, an entrepreneurship program focused on marginalised migrants and refugees.

In the last of our series we Matt we talk about one of the most important people in the boardroom...the Chair.

You’ve probably heard the analogy about the board chair being like an orchestra conductor. Matt Fullbrook of Fullbrook Board Effective thinks that’s bunkum. He has a different analogy - and it’s to do with dinner parties. FDI’s Paul riffs with Matt on making board leadership better.

 We workshop:

• Is leadership evolving?
• The conventional understanding of a board chair
• Introducing a new analogy - board chairs as great dinner hosts
• The role of the board in co-creating the right atmos for decision-making
• How to chair better in a virtual environment
• Should we have 2 chairs? 1 for the mechanical stuff, another for the generative stuff?
• The power of practice and play in breaking board norms

Connect with Matt Fullbrook
Linkedin
Twitter
Board Effectiveness

Connect with Future Directors Institute
Future Directors Insititute
Paul Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn

Diving into the heart of what makes or breaks the boardroom is not just a pastime for me—it's a mission. Some time ago, a few of my fellow future-focused enthusiasts and I went down a rabbit hole to talk about the most unpopular governance opinions.

I thought I would reflect on and summarise the themes in the podcast. Please note. Not all of these are mine, but I fully support how unpopular they might be :)

Have a listen and see what you think. 

Podcast links

• Join Future Directors for FREE
• Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn)

Leah Fricke has a term for the meat she brings to her non-executive director roles: “Deliberate Practice”. It’s about consciously and continually reflecting on what your board will need in 3 years, and actively becoming it – through extracurricular learning and self-development. It’s what made Leah stand out to FDI judges to become 2022's first ever Future Director Of The Year. And it’s what might make you stand out in the boardroom too (and this year’s Awards). 

Paul and Leah discuss:

• Leah’s traditional, yet untraditional, journey to the boardroom
• How limited time/money can actually focus a board’s attention
• A cut-throat quality that keeps Leah sharp – upskill or step aside
• Expounding on “Deliberate Practice”: The power of a growth mindset and continual questioning of oneself
• And lastly, Leah’s judging this year’s Future Director/Board Of The Year Awards. What’s she looking for?

Here's another short episode with Paul sharing his wisdom to help you in your board career. This week, it's all about your why. As Simon Sinek's book suggests "Start with Why" but for us at Future Directors, there are far more reasons beyond the start point that makes your why such a critical (non-negotiable) element of your journey. Enjoy!

Does the phrase ‘corporate governance’ apply to non-profits, schools, community groups etc?

Yes, but for many, it doesn't and Paul (solo this time) is here to explain why governance has a positioning problem.

“How does this impact us?” is a question you’ll often hear in boardrooms. But less so, “Who is the us?” and “Isn’t the us also the environment and the community?” or “Should we think about what we can have a positive impact on, versus just thinking about what we’ll be negatively impacted by?”. Powerful questions, all discussed by FDI’s Paul and governance guru Matt Fullbrook of Fullbrook Board Effectiveness, in this podcast about how ‘left-of-field’ issues might not be that ‘left’ after all.

We spitball:

• Reasons to think outside your board’s direct impact zone
• Why it’s impossible to benefit everyone, but important to consider everyone
• Stakeholder representation in the boardroom and conflicts of interest in being a representative for other voices on the board
• How to bake stakeholder thinking into your board’s practices

Connect with Matt Fullbrook
Linkedin
Twitter
Board Effectiveness

Connect with Future Directors Institute
Future Directors Insititute
Paul Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn

Spotify’s big drawcard Joe Rogan said some stuff. Stupid stuff. And Spotify got heat because Joe’s values butted against their publicly stated ones. So what’s a board to do? Today, FDI’s Paul yacks with good friend Matt Fullbrook of Fullbrook Board Effectiveness, about what things a board could do better in a crisis. 

We cover:

• How a Future Director should respond to an ethical dilemma
• Why knee-jerk reactions are wrong and current crisis meetings are broken
• Are day-to-day crises even in the board’s purview?
• Mutual vulnerability between management and their board, and the board’s responsibility to create this
• The need to be imaginative when developing a Risk Register

Connect with Matt Fullbrook
Linkedin
Twitter
Board Effectiveness

Connect with Future Directors Institute
Future Directors Insititute
Paul Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn

Today is another joyful forum with Matt Fullbrook of Fullbrook Board Effectiveness and FDI’s Paul Smith. This time, the question’s squarely on what sort of director is the director the future needs? Let’s hear Matt dimensionalise what being a Future Director means to him.

We explore:

• A strong definition of corporate governance (and by extension, good governance)
• The 4 villains to good decision-making
• The upside of being untethered to orthodoxy, naive in a sense
• Making a fit-for-purpose board, rather than a one-size-fits-all board
• How an overboarder could flip a boardroom for the better
• What a board full of Matt Fullbrooks would look like

Resources:

‘Decisive’ by Chip & Dan Heath 

Connect with Matt Fullbrook
Linkedin
Twitter
Board Effectiveness

Connect with Future Directors Institute
Future Directors Insititute
Paul Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn

A weird cultural thing’s emerged through the history and formality of boardrooms, which has made it a space that makes directors lonely. Vulnerability is seen as a weakness because comradery is weak. Today, FDI’s Paul chats with Matt Fullbrook of Fullbrook Board Effectiveness - on how what boards and directors can do to click. Obnoxious wisdom awaits.

We discuss:

• Why boards breed loneliness, and whether this is just a human problem
• How boards can make people comfortable by switching up rigid ways of doing things
• What individual board directors can do to feel less lonely
• The power of being consciously obnoxious

Connect with Matt Fullbrook
Linkedin
Twitter
Board Effectiveness

Connect with Future Directors Institute
Future Directors Insititute
Paul Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn

If you enjoyed this, we’d love to know.

Leave a quick review here:

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Future Directors Podcast #69

Governing for Burnout Series

Part 3 - How to create a workplace culture that limits staff burnout

When people are working weekends and not taking leave, it’s clear mental ill health is a-brewing. How do you ensure it doesn’t get to that point? That’s the focus of Part 3 of our ‘Governing For Burnout’ series, with Dr Jaelea Skehan, Director of Everymind.

We discuss:

• How a workplace’s culture helps its bottom line

• How Covid’s fucked everything up

• Going beyond wellness lessons. Building wellbeing into people’s job designs.

• Lag signs and lead signs of burnout

• Jaelea’s secret ingredients to a great mental health culture (not that secret at all)

Connect with Everymind

Dr Jaelea Skehan on Twitter

Everymind

Connect with Future Directors Institute

Future Directors Insititute

Paul Smith on LinkedIn

Aisling Blackmore on LinkedIn

Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn

If you enjoyed the first in this series, we’d love to know.

Leave a quick review here:

Future Directors on iTunes

Future Directors Podcast #68

Governing for Burnout Series

Part 2 - Burnout, board director to board director

When a board is at their limits, they can’t take their org to its potential. This is Part 2 of our ‘Governing For Burnout’ series. In it, Dr Jaelea Skehan, Director of Everymind and mental health advocate, breaks down how board directors can prevent each other from breaking down.

We chat about:

• The need to make boards a safe place to say you’re burnt out

• Your duty to govern your mental health, and check in with others

• Creating codes of conduct and adopting an org’s wellness plans at board level too

• Board directors being vulnerable about burnout outside the boardroom

Connect with Everymind

Dr Jaelea Skehan on Twitter

Everymind

Connect with Future Directors Institute

Future Directors Insititute

Paul Smith on LinkedIn

Aisling Blackmore on LinkedIn

Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn

If you enjoyed the first in this series, we’d love to know.

Leave a quick review here:

Future Directors on iTunes

Future Directors Podcast #67

Governing for Burnout Series

Part 1 - How to manage your own burnout as a board director

Boardrooms breed burnout. Most board directors are the hard-nosed sort to gloss over it. That’s a problem. In this, Part 1 of our ‘Governing For Burnout’ series, Dr Jaelea Skehan, Director of Everymind and mental health advocate, sits with FDI’s Paul and Aisling to skirt the start of a solution.

We go through:

• What burnout is and isn’t
• Why board directors are prone to it
• Warning signs you’re burnt out
• Steps to reverse your fizzle and fatigue

Connect with Everymind

Dr Jaelea Skehan on Twitter

Everymind

Connect with Future Directors Institute

Future Directors Insititute

Paul Smith on LinkedIn

Aisling Blackmore on LinkedIn

Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn

If you enjoyed the first in this series, we’d love to know.

Leave a quick review here:

Future Directors on iTunes

A poorly executed board recruitment strategy can be the silent saboteur of a board’s success.

Quality board recruitment processes are the cornerstone that ensures the right mix of expertise, experience and vision exists to govern with confidence. Unlike executive recruitment, it’s also a process that most boards only engage in occasionally, so boards need a robust and repeatable process embedded in their culture. 

This episode features a recent conversation between Paul and Tom Mutch, Partner, Board & Public Sector Practice at leading international recruitment firm Odgers Berndtson. 

Their chat deep dives into board recruitment, succession planning, candidate assessments, and the pivotal role of nomination committees....and might also feature some references to British humour. Sorry!

Some links:

• Tom's written interview with Future Directors
• Join Future Directors for FREE
• Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn)
• Check out Tom and Odgers Berndtson

We are called the Future Directors Institute, but what exactly is a Future Director and why is it not a future director?

In this short trailer for the podcast, we want to give you a clue as to why it's worth listening to Paul and his guests.

You could say that the entire podcast going forward is designed around this simple, yet deep concept.

Wow, it's been 12 months since our last podcast. So much has happened. All you need to know is we are back!

What can you expect?

• Shorter episodes of 15-20min or less
• Fascinating guests from around the world
• Huge focus on real solutions to director & board issues
• Perhaps the odd longer interview dropped in

In this special Decision84-related episode, we have two amazing guests, Sharon Sutherland and Dr. Dean Blomson, discussing the future of boards.

Sharon is the leader with Ernst Young’s Global Center for Board Matters. In her work, she enables board members and directors to navigate their increasingly complex roles. Dr. Dean Blomson is a highly experienced business transformation strategist and professor at UTS Business School in Sydney.

In this episode, we chat about Decision84, our upcoming annual virtual board governance summit, and give a sneak peek into the opening session featuring Sharon and Dean:

• How do we make sure the board can ask the right questions at the right time on the right topics and with the right information?
• How do you exercise stewardship, focusing on how to leave something in a better shape than you found it?
• What ways can the investments in the major capital projects be better thought through and better implemented?
• What are the global megatrends affecting society, organizations, and communities in the longer term?
• Technology and transformational change.
• Shift in geographical dynamics and values dynamics.
• How can the organization address the challenges by looking at the root cause?
• How do we know as a board that our operating model is fit for purpose?

Connect with Sharon:

LinkedIn

Connect with Dean:

LinkedIn

LinkedIn 

Future Directors

Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn

If you enjoyed the show, we'd love to know! 

Leave a quick review here:

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This special episode features Paul Smith chatting with this podcast's former co-host, Anna Byrne, about our upcoming virtual board governance summit, Decision84.

Decision84 is the world’s leading board governance virtual summit. Held over 2 weeks from 31 August to 9 September, hundreds of decision-makers come together to learn, connect, debate and stretch their thinking. Decision84 is the only international event designed exclusively for those ready to stretch their thinking, push boardroom boundaries and help create the next era of governance.

In this episode, you will find out:

• Why did Anna and Paul start Decision84 last year?
• What were the highlights of the inaugural event in 2020?
• Why is it called Decision84?
  
• What makes the summit different from other governance conferences?
  
• What will be discussed at Decision84 this year?
  
• What is the special discount code for listeners of the podcast?

Check out www.decision84.com for more information.

Connect with Anna:

LinkedIn

NeuroPower Group

Connect with Paul:

LinkedIn 

Future Directors

Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn

If you enjoyed the show, we'd love to know! 

Leave a quick review here:

Future Directors on iTunes

Quick reminder that this is Part 2 of Charlotte’s episode. If you’ve not already listened to Part 1, we suggest checking it out first, then coming back to enjoy the second half.

In Part 2, Charlotte and Paul question why board governance just doesn’t seem exciting to many people – and we think they’ve found the answer. Listen to the episode to find out.

You’ll also hear about:

• The benefits of reverse mentoring
• How to overcome intergenerational clashes
• How do these clashes feed into the bigger picture?
• Do we need less ‘numbers people’ and more ‘people people’ in the boardroom?
• What are Charlotte’s hopes for the future of governance, and what are her fears?
• Charlotte’s essential tips for aspiring directors (of any age/gender/experience)
• Why vulnerability and authenticity are key attributes for great directors

If you loved this, you’ll love hearing Charlotte speak at our upcoming Decision84 event. 

Connect with Charlotte Valeur:

LinkedIn

Effective Directors: The Right Questions to Ask

Connect with Paul:

LinkedIn 

Future Directors

Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn

If you enjoyed the show, we'd love to know! 

Leave a quick review here:

Future Directors on iTunes

Charlotte Valeur is an experienced non-executive director and listed company Chair, with over 35 years of executive and governance experience. She is a former Chair of the Institute of Directors (UK) and now heads up the Global Governance Group.

Her board resume is highly impressive. 

Charlotte is also neurodiverse. She first spoke publicly about her autism diagnosis last year (2020) and now works to showcase the strengths and talents of neurodiverse people, especially in the boardroom. 

In this first of two episodes with Charlotte, you’ll hear about:

• Charlotte’s experience opening up about her autism diagnosis
• Why aren’t more directors and executives able to speak up?
• Has Charlotte’s diagnosis changed the way she approaches her role on boards?
• How can we create inclusive decision-making cultures?
• Is ‘fitting in’ dangerous for good governance?
• How can board directors balance fitting in and being different?
• How to deal when people get defensive to new ideas

If you loved this, you’ll love hearing Charlotte speak at our upcoming Decision84 event. 

Connect with Charlotte Valeur:

LinkedIn

Effective Directors: The Right Questions to Ask

Connect with podcast host and award-winning author Paul Smith:

LinkedIn 

Future Directors

Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn

If you enjoyed the show, we'd love to know! 

Leave a quick review here:

Future Directors on iTunes

This episode features Scott Baldwin, certified board director, governance advisor and co-founder of DirectorPrep.com and The Savvy Director blog. 

Scott is well-known as a board director who asks really good questions, so it was exciting getting him on the show and asking him some (hopefully) really good questions. As it turns out he turned the tables on Paul and started asking him great questions! 

In this episode, we find out what initially got Scott into board governance and why he’s on a mission to create environments where collaboration and inclusivity are the norm. The chat also dived into:

• Why is it that too many CEOs dread board meetings?
• Who should drive an organisation’s board agenda?
• What’s the number one tool a board has that can effectively control their focus and priorities?
• Which type of board director can be highly valuable, but not often heard at the table?
• How can we create collaborative, inclusive boardroom cultures?
• What are some of the trends in the boardroom at the moment?

If you loved this conversation, you will definitely enjoy the conversations we’ll have at our upcoming virtual and international board governance summit, Decision84.

Back for its 2nd year, this ground-breaking event is brought to you by Future Directors, NeuroPowerGroup and BoardPro. Decision84 is the event for those directors, governance specialists and business leaders looking to challenge their assumptions and stretch their thinking as high performance decision-makers.

With an international lineup of speakers, multiple timing options so anyone, anywhere can attend live, PLUS the opportunity to connect meaningfully with an extraordinary group, this is an event that can’t be missed. 

Grab your ‘VIP Early Adopter’ ticket now for exclusive discounts + digital goodie bag worth almost the same as the ticket price + exclusive replays and more. This ticket is limited to the first 84 attendees only). Group discounts are also available.

Connect with Scott:

LinkedIn 

DirectorPrep.com 

The Savvy Director Blog

Connect with Paul:

LinkedIn 

Future Directors

Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn

If you enjoyed the show, we'd love to know! 

Leave a quick review here:

Future Directors on iTunes