Book Review - How Boards Work by Dambisa Moyo

The typical perception of boards and board meetings is of a group of privileged individuals who lounge at exotic locations and golf courses and only occasionally discuss the company's strategic direction while enjoying extravagant treats.

But this book is an eye-opener !!!

It highlights and gives a critical context to the difficulties faced by corporate boards and the ever-changing winds of change a board must navigate and maneuver through while facing these challenges.

Below are some of the topics covered in the book -

• Globalization and protectionism, including the always-prevalent risk of confiscation of company assets.
• The importance of diversity on the board.
• Regional, political and legal considerations that may augur the need of local boards in the future.
• Responsibility to society and the environment.
• The impact of high-frequency trading on stocks and the possibility of a share-price collapse.
• Threats from activist shareholders.
• The CEO's role and the heated debate surrounding their pay.
• Technology-based threats such as security and data breaches.
• Role of Innovation in the company strategy.

This list is by no means exhaustive.

However, if you believe in the idea that;

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that anyone seeking a successful and fulfilling career must strive to become a member of a well-functioning board of directors",

then this book provides an insight into the demands a board faces and a crucial understanding of the complex skills required to get that coveted seat on a board.

It almost makes one wonder, "Hmmm, do they still find time to indulge in bonbons?"

Ref :

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

First line of the book -

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."