207. What, specifically, makes a director great? (Question #5)

This season, every episode of OMG focuses on a question that directors really need to answer. OMG is written, produced, narrated and scored by Matt Fullbrook.   TRANSCRIPT: Question #5: What, specifically, makes a director great? Last episode we asked what board effectiveness looks like under normal circumstances. It kinda goes without saying that an important and related question is what makes a director great. As in, what are some specific differences between a great director and a not-so-great director? We talk a lot about the skills and maybe even competencies that we want. We probably even talk a lot about how we might go about baking those into the way that we recruit directors. You know, the whole skills matrix thing. In most cases, though, the skills matrix doesn’t have anything to say about the stuff that actually makes someone a good director. For instance, let’s imagine we all agree that we want an experienced CEO on our board. I bet we can all also agree that just being a CEO isn’t enough to make someone a great director. But what *would* make them great? Is it active listening? Willingness to change their mind when presented with new and relevant information? Kindness? Courage? A pleasant singing voice? And don’t get distracted by any research that claims to find any connection or lack of connection between board composition and financial performance. There are all kinds of reasons those studies are flawed. That’s why we’re trying to cultivate effective conditions for our decisions instead of using our skills matrix to directly affect, say, share price. So, ask and answer the question. Then think about how to recruit directors for what actually makes them great.