• Who We Are
    • Meet Christine
    • Mission, Vision, and Values
    • Work With STI For Proven Results
    • OneTribe Foundation
    • Media and Press
  • What We Do
    • Neuroscience Workshops
      • The Neuroscience Of Compelling Leadership
      • The Neuroscience of Influencing Outcomes
      • The Neuroscience Of Emotional Resilience: Learn To Love Change
      • The Neuroscience Of Creating Optimal Teams
      • Beyond Your Brain
    • Culture, Leadership, And Executive Coaching
      • Leadership Coaching
      • Culture Coaching
      • Leadership Development Programs
    • Keynotes
      • Make Your Team Smarter Overnight
      • Influence Any Outcome
      • Create the Company Culture of Your Dreams
      • The Neuroscience Of Creating Optimal Teams
      • The Neuroscience Of Emotional Resilience: Learn To Love Change
      • Guarantee Growth
      • Quota Busters
    • Quick Wins
      • DIY SmartTribe
      • Employee Engagement & Culture Diagnostic
      • Leadership Excellence Diagnostic
      • Sales & Marketing Intensive
      • Strategy Day
    • Case Studies
  • Resources
    • Assessments
    • Mini Course
    • Crack The Behavior Code Podcast
    • Infographics
    • Blog
    • Books
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • Subscribe
    • Power Your Tribe
  • Contact
Secrets of Silicon Valley’s Coolest Cultures: How To Get And Keep Top Talent
May 28, 2012
If You Aren’t Social, You’ll Shrink: 10 Steps To Becoming a Social Business
June 26, 2012

Are There Ninjas in YOUR Boardroom? How To Prevent Being Blindsided

June 11, 2012
Categories
  • Christine Comaford's Blog
Tags
  • Behavior Change
  • Boardroom Samurai
  • Business Growth
  • ceo coaching
  • Chief executive officer
  • Company Culture
  • Employment
  • executive coaching
  • Jack Griffin
  • Leadership
  • Leo Apotheker
  • Management
  • Managing Difficult People
  • Michael Woodford
  • Organizational Change

A ninja (忍者?) or shinobi (忍び?) was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan who specialized in unorthodox warfare.

–Source: Wikipedia

Former HP CEO Leo Apotheker was ousted after 11 months in his role.

Jack Griffin, the former CEO of Time, Inc. after five months.

And Michael Woodford, former CEO of Olympus, was shown the door 3 weeks.

While each case in different, one fact remains the same: these CEOs didn’t manage their Board. Instead, they were blindsided. The Board behaved in a way the CEO hadn’t anticipated, he was considered non-crucial to the success of the company, and it was sayonara from there.

Boardroom Ninjas are becoming more prevalent. And they’re blindsiding CEOs more often.

The three most common reasons for Boardroom Blindsiding are:

1-CEO/Board conflict isn’t discovered and dealt with immediately.

2-Board members have differing agendas.

3-Board members provide varying value.

Yes, as the CEO you report to the Board. And you can manage Boardroom Ninjas efficiently and effectively by becoming a Boardroom Samurai.

Their covert methods of waging war contrasted the ninja with the samurai, who observed strict rules about honor and combat.[2]

–Source: Wikipedia

Ninja bad. Samurai good. Ok, let’s move on.

Know Your Ninjas

A ninja succeeds because they are efficient, effective, and unseen. You’ll do the same, yet you’ll use candor to be so upfront and visible that the result will either be disarming while building trust and respect. Boardroom Ninjas are sneaky and destructive. Boardroom Samurais are transparent, ask the tough questions, and continuously monitor progress.

First, ask the following questions of each Board member in a private one-on-one meeting (not as a group).

1) What is most important for the company over the next 2 years: ensuring long term profitability or increasing short term revenue growth?

2) What sacrifices should we make now to [based on the answer above: ensure long term profitability/increase short term growth]?

3) Are you getting the info you need at Board meetings to help us increase shareholder value and guide the company’s growth? If not, what would you additional info would you like to receive?

4) How specifically would you like to see me grow as a leader?

5) How specifically would you like to see our key executives grow as leaders?

6) What should our top 3 priorities be this quarter? This year? Next year?

From the above you’ll learn:

  • The Board member’s own agenda for the company
  • Any grievances the Board member has with you or your executive team (plus where they want to see performance improvement)
  • How much value the Board member will be bringing in the future

Prevent Or Neutralize Attack

Connect with the leader. Every Board has a tribal leader, and it may be someone not in the Chairman or Lead Director role. Who is the leader of your Board? If you have a potential executive exit, or are considering a new key strategy or alliance, let them know first. Then ask their advice. This engages their ego and emotions.

When you engage someone’s ego and emotions two terrific benefits result: first, they want to be the wise advice giver, so they’ll tell you what they’d do were they in your shoes, and second, they will be invested in your following their advice. Ask their help in implementing their advice and check in with them on your progress.

Check in twice annually. If you check in with your Board members twice annually (see Know Your Ninjas above) you’ll significantly reduce the chances of Boardroom Blindsiding. Then follow up so they see progress.

Report well. Provide high visibility to your Board via clear and concise reporting, and short info updates between Board meetings (5 bullets on progress and wins, 5 bullets on opportunities/concerns). At the end of this blog you’ll find a very high level framework for Board reporting for a software company. Yours will vary, but the key is to identify and report consistently on key success metrics for your Board can easily monitor the business progress at each meeting.

The key is to continually build and manage the Board’s confidence in you, and to ensure you only spend about 3-5% of your time on Board management. Your value is in building the company, not preventing attacks.

What are your Board management challenges?

Where have you succeeded with tricky Board issues?

Share
Christine Comaford
Christine Comaford

Related posts

February 12, 2022

How Stress Changes Your Brain: And What To Do About It [Infographics]


Read more
August 20, 2021

What People Really Think About Females In Leadership [Infographics]


Read more
March 22, 2021

5 Steps For Lasting Behavior Change: Get Happier Employees And Better Performance Now [Infographics]


Read more
Learn how to lead your team through change, create emotional resilience, and ensure growth. Join our Emotional Resilience mini-course

415.320.6580
775 E. Blithedale Avenue, Suite 210,
Mill Valley, CA 94941
© 2020 SmartTribes Institute. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy