Boards That Deliver: Advancing Corporate Governance From Compliance to Competitive Advantage (J-B US non-Franchise Leadership) [Hardcover]

Ram Charan (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0787971391 | ISBN-13: 978-0787971397 | Publication Date: February 3, 2005 | Edition: 1

Finally, a book that brings the vision of truly good governance down to earth. Ram Charan, expert in corporate governance and best-selling author, packs this book with useful tools and techniques to take boards and their companies to a higher level of performance. Charan puts his finger on a growing problem for boards: the disconnect between directors' efforts and their results. The added time and attention boards invest is not translating into better governance???that is, governance that adds value to the business.

Boards That Deliver gets beyond the rhetoric of corporate governance reform. It captures the tried-and-true practices used by high-performance boards. In contrast to experts who base prescriptions on number-crunching exercises, Charan identifies the real problems that drain directors' time and suppress their best judgments???and explains clearly and succinctly how boards can solve those problems. These battle-tested solutions help boards achieve what rules and regulations alone cannot???to get succession right, refine a winning strategy, and design a rational CEO compensation package.

Good governance requires leadership. Boards That Deliver is the no-nonsense guide for directors and CEOs who are rising to the leadership challenge to make their boards a competitive advantage.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Boards today are striving to improve in a very dynamic environment. Based on years of hands on experience and building on the breakthrough ideas of Boards at Work, Charan provides practical, actionable ideas to move boards to a higher level of performance¾to make a step change improvement in the quality of their governance. It's a must read for new and experienced directors alike."
—John A. Krol, lead director, Tyco; director, MeadWestvaco and Ace Insurance; former CEO and chairman, Dupont; and NACD Director of the Year in 1998

"By detailing the evolution of board dynamics in the post-Sabanes-Oxley environment and providing insight into new best practices, Ram Charan has developed a comprehensive guide to creating and maintaining a next-generation board. These pages will help every executive stay ahead of the curve—with winning strategies for prospective board members, as well as for executives trying to develop their boards and management teams."
—Ivan Seidenberg, chairman and CEO, Verizon

"For boards, this is it—the guide every director needs, from the world authority on how real boards work today."
—Geoffrey Colvin, senior editor at large, Fortune magazine; co-host, Fortune Boardroom Forum; and co-anchor, Wall Street Week with Fortune

"This excellent book will help countless managers and directors. A practical masterpiece!"
—Richard H. Brown, director, Home Depot and DuPont

"I offer high praise for Boards That Deliver, the latest creation from the fertile mind of Ram Charan! Timely, relevant, and succinct—this could be Charan’s best work to date."
—William T. Solomon, chairman of the board, Austin Industries

From the Inside Flap

Finally, a book that brings the vision of truly good governance down to earth. Ram Charan, expert in corporate governance and best-selling author, packs this book with useful tools and techniques to take boards and their companies to a higher level of performance. Charan puts his finger on a growing problem for boards: the disconnect between directors' efforts and their results. The added time and attention boards invest is not translating into better governance—that is, governance that adds value to the business.

Boards That Deliver gets beyond the rhetoric of corporate governance reform. It captures the tried-and-true practices used by high-performance boards. In contrast to experts who base prescriptions on number-crunching exercises, Charan identifies the real problems that drain directors' time and suppress their best judgments—and explains clearly and succinctly how boards can solve those problems. These battle-tested solutions help boards achieve what rules and regulations alone cannot—to get succession right, refine a winning strategy, and design a rational CEO compensation package.

Good governance requires leadership. Boards That Deliver is the no-nonsense guide for directors and CEOs who are rising to the leadership challenge to make their boards a competitive advantage.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (February 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787971391
• ISBN-13: 978-0787971397
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #199,173 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ram Charan is the coauthor of bestsellers Execution and Confronting Reality and the author of What the CEO Wants You to Know and 10 other books. A noted expert on business strategy, he has coached some of the world's most successful CEOs and helped companies like GE, Bank of America, Verizon, KLM, and Thomson shape and implement their strategic direction.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful guidance for boards that want to be more than rubber stamps for their CEO, March 28, 2008

By 

Craig Matteson (Saline, MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Boards That Deliver: Advancing Corporate Governance From Compliance to Competitive Advantage (J-B US non-Franchise Leadership) (Hardcover)

This book is targeted for those of you who sit on boards, might yet sit on boards, or have an interest in how boards can and should function in the post Sarbanes-Oxley world. After the high profile implosions of several major firms and the revelations of executive criminality, board negligence, and accounting failures, the relevant parties have put pressure on firms to do a better job of functioning in the best interests of the owners of the firm; the shareholders. Among other steps, this included making the boards more independent of the CEO (who was too often also the Chair of the board) and the executive management of the firm.

Ram Charan explains how firms can `evolve' from being an old style Ceremonial Board to become a Liberated Board and then grow into an active and effective Progressive Board. He emphasizes that Progressive Boards have to emphasize the Group Dynamics of the board (how the team works together and how synergistically their talents combine), the Information Systems they use (relevant information they can get outside what is packaged for them by the CEO), and that the board focus on meaningful and relevant issues rather than getting distracted by the minutiae of board processes.

The author explains each of these three qualities in detail and deals with issues of CEO selection, management, and succession. He also talks about how the board should function when it has fully `evolved'. Charan also provides a few helpful questionnaires you can use to determine how your company is doing in certain key areas.

An interesting and helpful book for the target audience.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elevation, August 28, 2006

By 

K. K. Ray "Kastuv Ray" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Boards That Deliver: Advancing Corporate Governance From Compliance to Competitive Advantage (J-B US non-Franchise Leadership) (Hardcover)

Ram Charan makes a complex topic easy to understand. This book can be "speed read" in 45 minutes and it doesn't make you feel dizzy. Ram Charan is a true thought leader and an inspiration.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this to demystify the world of the Board, May 20, 2008

By 

Mark P. McDonald (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Boards That Deliver: Advancing Corporate Governance From Compliance to Competitive Advantage (J-B US non-Franchise Leadership) (Kindle Edition)

Board rooms are one of the last bastions of secrecy in today's increasingly transparent world. Talking with the board often causes people to talk in hushed tones and reverence. However, Charan's book reminds us that Boards consist of people with responsibilities to discharge and tools to use. This book is a must read for every executive to remind them of the foundational elements that run the company: customers, cash flow, leverage, etc. Too often we lose sight of these things as we work day to day.

The book is written in a highly accessible style with just enough tools to help executives understand board dynamics, information and success factors. This makes it an ideal book to pick up for a long plane flight or a weekend to upgrade your knowledge and skills.

Sarbanes Oxley and board oversight concerns were the genesis for this book as boards move from what Charan calls Ceremonial to Progressive. However, Charan writes about practices for effective boards helping this book stand the test of time.

In a world where there are fads, changing strategies and constant pressure, executives need to take some time out to reinforce what matters and get back to basics. This is one of those books that everyone should pick up and read.