LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS

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Shaheen Sayed

Shaheen Sayed
Accenture

Penny James

Penny James
Hargreaves Lansdown

Bridget Rosewell

Bridget Rosewell
M6toll

Matthew Blagg

Matthew Blagg
Criticaleye

The pace and complexity continues to ramp up for businesses, whether it relates to technology, geopolitics or talent and culture. It’s heaping more pressure on Boards as they seek to strike a balance between executing on short and long-term goals, often at a point where investors and shareholders want better performance and returns.

At Criticaleye’s recent Chair and Non-executive Director Retreat 2025, held in partnership with Accenture, the focus of discussion was on how Boards are going to navigate some of the big strategic calls for their organisations. When attendees were asked to choose a word to describe their business outlook over the next 12 months, the dominant answers were ‘challenging’ and ‘uncertain’.
 
Shaheen Sayed, CEO of UK, Ireland & Africa at Accenture, said: “A lot of Boards and CEOs are talking about whether they need to think quite differently about strategy given limited stability, much ambiguity and constant change.”
 
In the context of the impact of Generative AI and the strategic risks that it poses, Shaheen added that “those moving fastest have prioritised getting their guardrails and governance right”.
 
Matthew Blagg, CEO of Criticaleye, commented: “We know that every element is difficult at present, whether you’re looking at geopolitics, technology or economics and the inflationary environment we’re in, but that does create opportunity, which is why I think Boards need to be fast and dynamic. It will be what differentiates a good Board and leadership team from one that’s lagging.” 
 
It’s a situation that requires collective thinking and collaboration, not ‘hero’ CEOs and dominating egos. Penny James, Senior Independent Director at Hargreaves Lansdown, commented that, as a Board member, “the starting point is to kind of put yourself slightly in the head of the CEO because there is a wall of information coming at them and it can be challenging”.
 
She continued: “I think the first thing is to try to focus the conversation and clear out the clutter. It’s important to have clarity. As a non-executive, I think you need to reflect on the three or four issues that really matter for an organisation and be sure you've understood them correctly. You do have a responsibility to know where the focus needs to be.”
 
An effective Board will also be trying to think more broadly about an organisation. Bridget Rosewell, Chair of infrastructure entity M6toll and insurer Floor Re, told the audience: “I'm looking for a Board which has a broad mix of people on it with different backgrounds and ways of thinking, so that you can have that peripheral vision... 
 
“I think your job on the Board is to be able to look outside while the executives need to be delivering. They've quite often got their noses close to the grindstone. You need to be able to help them step back to look at how you can evolve that strategy and understand how the short term relates to those longer-term goals.”
 
Bridget acknowledged the uncertainty but reiterated the need to articulate a sense of direction.  “I don’t think it’s quite true that strategies are becoming more short term,” she said. “When I think of Flood Re, for example, it has a clear public purpose to make sure that you can get insurance, while for M6toll, it’s to relieve traffic congestion around Birmingham.
 
“The vision for both is long term [and strategic], but it’s the way you deliver that needs to be under continuous pressure. At least every six months to a year, you're asking, ‘Is this still right? Does it still deliver?’ Given all the external pressures out there today, you do need to have pivot points [to adapt and change accordingly].”
 
This creates intensity, particularly for Chairs and CEOs, but that shouldn’t be seen as a negative. In some ways, the speed at which organisations now need to move should be galvanising. As Matthew put it: “A question to ask is: ‘How much can the Board support the executive team to align on that pace?’ And culture will be key to that. If, as a Board and leadership team, you have a clear understanding of cultural capability, I think you’re in a good position.”
 

Criticaleye's highly bespoke leadership development offers Chairs, Non-executive Directors and Senior Independent Directors access to a Community of other Board members, and a unique opportunity to ask questions and compare approaches with peers from different organisations, sectors and regions. 

Get in touch to find out more about how you can join our global Community as a NED Member, which includes our world-class Chair Ready Programme.



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