When I first became chair of the board, my only goal was simple: don’t mess it up. So I did what many new leaders do, I copied the playbook of the last guy. The agendas looked the same, the flow was the same, and the meetings felt… safe. But they also felt flat.
Over time, I realized every board member carried a different perspective shaped by their tenure, industry, and experience. Some wanted efficiency, others wanted context, and others wanted space to debate. It was impossible to satisfy everyone’s preferences. So I stopped asking, “What do board members want?” and started asking, “What does the business need?”
That’s when things shifted. Our board includes people from churches, law firms, service businesses, real estate, construction, energy, and more. If you create space for those perspectives, you uncover gold.
In one session, a director running a service business described how they bolted on talent, not just technical experts, but people who could open doors and build relationships. That gave me a new lens on how we think about growth at the bank.
Another time, I visited a board member’s warehouse. He had just executed an automation plan that transformed his operations. It was a vivid reminder of what a “digital-first” mindset looks like on the ground floor. His industry had nothing to do with mine, but the lesson translated: if you want to grow, you can’t just add people, you have to build systems.
And I’ve seen what happens when we only “read.” A few years ago, we spent too much time digesting reports about generating cheaper deposits rather than asking the bigger strategic questions. We stayed informed, but not ahead. It was my slight miss, but it reminded me that reports keep you current; strategy keeps you competitive.
The same principle applies: if you only “read” what’s in front of you, you’ll stay safe. If you “lead” by bringing your perspective, you help shape the future.
Early in my career, I served on a university board where we were handed thick binders, hundreds of pages of documents, before every meeting. Students would present, faculty would present, even the head of athletics would present. It was hours of reporting, page after page, with very little space for dialogue. It often felt performative, like the goal was to prove the university was running smoothly rather than to engage directors in shaping the future.
I see echoes of that in banking. Compliance requires directors to consume hundreds of pages of material in just a few days. You do it because it’s your duty, but the experience is like cramming for an exam. That’s not where boards, or people, add the most value.
So I started changing the script. Instead of filling agendas with reports, I assume directors have read them. I move most of the standard policy material to the consent agenda, surfacing only what truly requires discussion and highlighting areas that might be in the red. When questions come up in advance, we address them, sometimes in writing, other times during my business update. That way, we spend less time repeating what’s already on paper and more time drawing out the unique insights directors bring to the table.
And that’s where the energy shifts. Our director in the energy sector doesn’t just share perspective; he opens his network to us. Another with deep cyber expertise lights up when asked to weigh in on technology investments. The meetings become less about checking boxes and more about shaping strategy.
Boards and teams, work best when members are invited to bring their full perspective, even if it looks different from the “standard script.”
Here’s what I’ve learned as chair: compliance matters, it always will. But if compliance consumes all the oxygen, strategy suffocates. My job isn’t just to run meetings smoothly; it’s to design them so directors bring their best insight, energy, and perspective into the room.
That’s the future of governance. And honestly, it’s the future of leadership anywhere:
And so do professionals.
So let me leave you with this: In your next meeting, whether a board, a project, or a team huddle, shift one agenda item from report to strategy. You’ll be surprised how quickly the energy changes. Because in the end, great boards, great teams, and great leaders aren’t remembered for the pages they’ve read, but for the futures they’ve helped write.