Your board is like a football team

Managing a board is like managing a football team. Here’s why.

Football games are often won off the field.

First, you need to make sure the composition of your team is balanced. If your roster leans too heavily on speedy running backs, you’ll lose out when the occasion calls for a bruising tailback to punch through on a 3rd and 1.

Second, preparation is essential. We saw this in action a few weeks ago during the Super Bowl when several players on the San Francisco 49ers admitted after the game that they didn’t know the new overtime rules.

Is that the reason they lost the game? Probably not, but if they weren’t prepared for that, there were probably many other things they weren’t ready for.

In this video, I discuss two critical facets of board relationships: composition and preparation.

We’ll be doing a much deeper dive in working with your board during The CEO Circle, which is kicking off next month for a select group of CEOs and founders. If you haven’t taken a look at the agenda, I encourage you to check it out.

If this is a pattern you want real support changing, Leadership Development is where I'd start.