As we face a potential upturn in the economy, CEOs must surely be
looking at their boards and asking whether they have the right mix of
skills and expertise. Now is the time for leaders to be shaping an
executive team which is geared up to maximise opportunities for
growth and rapid recovery. Questions around what skills the board lacks
need to be addressed, as well as what can be done to motivate existing
c-suite members.
Clearly the focus of the board will need to shift as we enter a more positive environment. As
Ian Harley, Non-executive Director, John Menzies plc, Chairman, Rentokil Initial Trustee Ltd and Associate, Criticaleye
explains: "The challenges, and skills required, are very different in
the upswing as opposed to the downswing. There will, therefore, need to
be a degree of intellectual re-tooling as we emerge from the current
crisis. This is an opportunity to take a chance on a new generation of
leaders who have experienced the downturn, but are not scarred by it.
Given enough rope, these people either hang themselves or skip, in my
experience. So now is the time to give them the opportunity."
Old or new, c-suite executives will need particular characteristics to
be successful. What the recession has highlighted very clearly, is
that in the new economic and commercial reality, there is no place for
senior executives who can't take hard and fast decisions.
Michael Jackson, Executive Chairman, Elderstreet Investments Ltd explains:
"The downturn has demonstrated to heads of organisations that they need
c-suite executives who are realists, individuals who are prepared to
take tough decisions and cut costs if necessary. I believe this will be
front of mind for all CEOs thinking about the skills on their
board. Leaders need a management team that will take hard harsh
decisions for the greater good of driving the business forward."
CEOs will also need executives with an acute understanding of the
nature and implications of risk. As before, old and new executives
on the c-suite will need the ability to manage risk carefully as
Professor Sir Andrew Likierman, Dean, London Business School explains:
"Moving out of the worst of the recession, boards will need to ensure
that the lessons learned in risk management are not forgotten. Risk
analysis should form part of planning, budgeting and board reporting in
good times as well as bad. This doesn't just mean the obvious areas,
such as currencies and major projects. It means managing the risk
portfolio with the implications of not taking action also clearly set
out. It's about risk management, not risk avoidance."
In larger companies with multiple boards and senior management teams,
we are likely to see greater movement of executives within the
organisation. This will be especially true if companies need to utilise
talent in areas of the business where there is most opportunity.
Martyn Fisher, Managing Director, ELGA Process Water, Veolia Water Solutions and Technologies
explains: "The recession has certainly given boards a better
appreciation of how individuals in the c-suite perform in difficult
times. In larger, multinational organisations, I believe we will see
greater internal movement of senior executives to other, more
opportunistic locations as companies recognise current limitations in
traditional markets and seek to match proven performers to regions with
the highest global business return. Individuals themselves are likely
to be looking for moves to new roles or locations where they can have
the most impact."
We have a range of insights designed to help CEOs and leaders address
the challenges outlined in today's update. There are two dedicated
pages on the subject including our
CEO page and
Leadership and Board Issues page.
Both cover topics including corporate governance, shareholder and
investor relations and issues for Non-executives. I would direct you
towards
Rethinking the Basics of Corporate Governance, a
Criticaleye article by one of our Associate's Bob Garrett which asks
some fundamental questions about how corporate governance will develop.
Also see the Write-up of our latest
CEO Breakfast - September 2009, to bring you up to speed on the topics impacting leaders in the current climate.
Our
CEO breakfasts and events for
Non-executive Directors also
provide a platform for those of you in leadership roles to ask
questions about your boards, how they should be made up and what skills
will be needed in the post-recession environment.
I look forward to seeing you all soon,
Matthew