Kirjahaku

For generations, the cozy, standard model of boardroom leadership was simple: The CEO was also Chairman of the Board, and directors rubberstamped his initiatives. The 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act forced radical change on all U.S. public corporations: The board must now hold sessions without management, key committees have tough new independence rules, and all board members now face an unavoidable legal responsibility to provide truly independent oversight of the corporation. Missteps can put companies and individual directors in serious legal danger. The result is an urgent demand that corporate boards develop their own confident, independent leaders from within. But how? That's something that governance expert Ralph Ward, in The New Boardroom Leaders, explains in detail.Until now, no one has tracked and compiled answers to new, basic governance questions. What should a lead director's job description include? Why is a separate chair not necessarily an independent chair? How do you shape an agenda for meetings of independent directors? How do CEOs and the new board leaders divide their roles? How much power should a separate board leader really have? This book answers these questions and more. Companies are scrambling to create new procedures and roles. But there are few job descriptions for these new boardroom leaders—something this book provides, as well as a wealth of insights and tips. The New Boardroom Leaders offers the first inside look at how board leaders actually do their jobs, based on extensive interviews and research. The emphasis will be on practical advice from real board leaders on what worked in their boardrooms, what didn't, and what they expect in the future. It will become a longtime, worthy guide for board members in the new world brought on by Sarbanes-Oxley and the quest for ever-better, and strictly ethical, corporate performance.

The Lowdown on the Hottest Trends in Corporate Goverance—A Complete Blueprint for Tomorrow’s Corporate Board Member Regulations, economics, shareholders, court battles—these factors have transformed the corporate board into a powerful, independent force in business. Now boardroom expert Ralph Ward deconstructs the "how and why" of this remarkable phenomenon, and offers a comprehensive, trenchant analysis of the tough issues which the 21st Century Corporate Board will bring to the table. You’ll find in-depth coverage of all of the leading topics in board makeup, pay, training, operations, and organization, including:*How the "new directors" will change the corporate equation—women, inorities, entrepreneurs, executives below the CEO level, and others*The move toward increased professionalism, including director certification, accountability, and more*The hidden minefield of stakeholder concerns, from employees to local communities*The pros and cons of paying corporate directors in stock—do we really want directors who are major shareholders?*Future regulations from the SEC, IRS, and major stock exchanges—gearing up for compliance*The growing power of board committees, and what this means for the board as a whole*The coming struggle among shareholder groups to set the board agenda*The new corporate balancing act for directors—independent, but involved; powerful, but responsive; focusing on the short term, but keeping a long-term view

Must-Have, Firsthand Guidance for the 21st Century Boardroom From the Wall Street Journal and top cable business news programs to global politics, the topic of corporate governance is in the business media spotlight. Yet despite this surge of popular attention and the board of directors’ growing power and burdens, solid advice for running a better board remains scattered and inconsistent. At a time of sharp scrutiny and far tighter board accountability, today’s corporate boards and top managers need practical wisdom more than ever. In this invaluable guidebook, the founder of the online newsletter Boardroom INSIDER compiles the best "first-person" advice for quality boards. Here are expert answers to the most widely asked governance questions from today’s board members and top corporate management. From CEO evaluation to logistics and policymaking, bone up on: *Effective board recruiting *The hottest trends in board pay *What to do when your CEO is the problem *Running a smart audit committee *How to manage board-meeting surprises *Dealing with corporate counsel, boardroom battles, board investigations, and strikes *Surviving the family boardroom *Board retirement policies *Career builders for women in the boardroom *Putting your board retreat to work *Strategies for nonprofit boards Including dozens of helpful checklists and inside examples of the governance strategies of leading companies, Improving Corporate Boards will help all directors ask the questions that hold the key to better governance for the future.

Ward reveals ten specific failings that are built into our boardroom model and provides real-world fixes to get boards back on track. Ward mixes tart, insightful analogies (what do boards have in common with volunteer fire departments, the U.S. electoral college . . . and Howard Hughes?) with proven nuts-and-bolts advice for putting any board back on track. Order your copy today!