Product Description

Praise for Building Better Boards

"Building Better Boards bridges the gap between talk and action. A must-read for board members, CEOs, governance experts - really for anyone who cares about the future of the corporation."
—Anne M. Mulcahy, chairman and CEO, Xerox Corporation

"Building Better Boards covers all the key issues facing boards in the post-Sarbanes-Oxley era. It provides practical advice based on the authors' wide-ranging experience with major companies that have built successful boards."
—Marty Lipton, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

"This important new book uses concepts gleaned from the collective wisdom of our Blue Ribbon Commission on Board Leadership and adds practical, real-world board examples. The section on crisis management is particularly helpful."
—Roger W. Raber, president and CEO, National Association of Corporate Directors

"This book provides a comprehensive review and effective guide to making any board an effective team, and thus an asset, for their company."
—Richard H. Koppes of Counsel, Jones Day, and former general counsel, CalPERS

"A balanced, insightful, thoughtful, and, above all, useful look at what can be done to create excellent boards."
—Edward E. Lawler III, director, Center for Effective Organizations, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California

"Improving board effectiveness is easier said than done. Building Better Boards lays out the how-tos in a clear and compelling way that is of practical value for directors and CEOs alike."
—Kenneth W. Freeman, former chairman and CEO, Quest Diagnostics Inc.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #71222 in Books
• Published on: 2005-12-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780787981808
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From the Inside Flap
We're nearing the end of an era. The age of the imperial CEO and the ornamental board of directors is waning, but what comes next isn't clear. Every board of directors is approaching a fork in the road, forging new working relationships at the top of the corporation. The path each company takes will have huge implications for its shareholders, employees, and corporate leaders.

Building Better Boards is a practical and provocative blueprint for helping CEOs and boards create real value by striking the right balance between contention and collaboration. It's an approach to corporate governance that goes far beyond minimum compliance with legal requirements; this is about enabling the board, for the first time, to perform as a team in a way that significantly improves the quality of management's decisions without interfering with management's prerogatives.

In an engaging style, Building Better Boards provides a unique glimpse at the complex interplay of egos, interests, and interpersonal dynamics that dictates how boards and CEOs operate. Based on Mercer Delta Consulting's unparalleled experience in working with top corporate leaders, supplemented by rigorous research conducted with the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business and with the National Association of Corporate Directors, the book is a unique and invaluable resource for all those involved with and concerned about the future of corporate governance.

From the Back Cover
Praise for Building Better Boards

"Building Better Boards bridges the gap between talk and action. A must-read for board members, CEOs, governance experts – really for anyone who cares about the future of the corporation."
–Anne M. Mulcahy, chairman and CEO, Xerox Corporation

"Building Better Boards covers all the key issues facing boards in the post–Sarbanes-Oxley era. It provides practical advice based on the authors' wide-ranging experience with major companies that have built successful boards."
–Marty Lipton, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

"This important new book uses concepts gleaned from the collective wisdom of our Blue Ribbon Commission on Board Leadership and adds practical, real-world board examples. The section on crisis management is particularly helpful."
–Roger W. Raber, president and CEO, National Association of Corporate Directors

"This book provides a comprehensive review and effective guide to making any board an effective team, and thus an asset, for their company."
–Richard H. Koppes of Counsel, Jones Day, and former general counsel, CalPERS

"A balanced, insightful, thoughtful, and, above all, useful look at what can be done to create excellent boards."
–Edward E. Lawler III, director, Center for Effective Organizations, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California

"Improving board effectiveness is easier said than done. Building Better Boards lays out the how-tos in a clear and compelling way that is of practical value for directors and CEOs alike."
–Kenneth W. Freeman, former chairman and CEO, Quest Diagnostics Inc.

About the Author
David A. Nadler is chairman of Mercer Delta Consulting. He is the author or editor of fourteen books, including Champions of Change, Discontinuous Change, Executive Teams, Competing by Design, and Organizational Architecture.

Beverly A. Behan is a partner in the corporate governance practice of Mercer Delta Consulting. She has worked with more than fifty boards in the United States and Canada.

Mark B. Nadler is a partner in and the executive editor of Mercer Delta Consulting, overseeing the firm's publications and consulting to senior executives on communication issues.

Customer Reviews

Must-Read for Today's Business Executive and Shareholders Alike
With the increased scrutiny on company accounting practices, executive compensation, and the Board's role in setting strategy, this book on corporate governance is an extremely timely and important one. The authors thoughtfully detail the issues Boards face, how best to work with CEOs and plan for their successor, and develop strategies for effective leadership. There's even a section on Boards for companies outside the U.S., which I found extremely valuable.

For anyone interested in how Boards work and the steps they need to take going forward (and I think any shareholder should be), this is essential reading. Highly recommended.

Thoughtful and timely
This is a superb book. Comprehensive and well-written, it addresses a vitally important topic with innovative ideas and practical solutions. In a field increasing crowded with prescriptions for solving the dilemmas of corporate governance, Building Better Boards stands out as a book worth reading.

Useful guide to turning a corporate board into a force for effective governance.
Consultants David A. Nadler, Beverly A. Behan and Mark B. Nadler are experts on how boards of directors work. In fact, they may be boosting their consulting business just a bit by noting their expertise a few times but they offer solid concepts. They emphasize key ideas, such as the need to choose board members who speak their minds and have the stomach to change a corporation's culture. They warn that members of most boards don't work well together. Worse still, people who don't know anything about a company's industry can still end up on its board. The authors delve into considerable detail, which getAbstract believes is a big plus for board members who seek specific information, such as how to conduct a CEO review or manage a crisis, but which may leave general readers not only outside the boardroom, but glad to be in the lobby drinking coffee.