Advice for CEOs

In reflecting on many years of experience on boards, as a Chair and board member of companies and non-profit organizations and as a CEO, I believe that the roles of a company board can be boiled down to five:

Imagine a ten person rowing shell racing on a river against tough competition. Imagine that three members of the crew are rowing their hearts out. But five are rowing listlessly, basically enjoying the scenery. And two are actively trying to sink the boat. That’s the picture of employee engagement in the United States painted by Gallup’s 2013 State of the Global Workplace – Employee Engagement Insights for Business Leaders Worldwide.