Writing on boards, accountability, decision-making, and institutional design, with a focus on how governance either sustains or corrodes organisational legitimacy over time. Meant to catch what leadership alone won't.
47 essays
Japanese shinise firms reveal that lasting organisations don't preserve the past—they renew it. Leaders build endurance by developing talent, stewarding identity, and sustaining purpose across generations. Forget agility theatre and hype cycles. Longevity demands structure, not slogans. When leaders
In their fear of missing the AI bandwagon, many boards are blindly investing in tech they barely understand—driven more by hype than strategy. Mimicry, not discernment, has become the default. The result? Strategic incoherence, wasted billions, and millions of people thrown unnecessarily out of work
Most organisations obsess over 10-year business strategies but forget to plan for the people who'll deliver them. Strategic people architecture fixes that. It institutionalises structured chance-giving, succession scaffolding, and developmental stretch—ensuring talent is grown, not guessed at. Done
Governance in Name Only (GINO) describes how corporations adopt superficial governance practices to appear ethical without meaningful accountability. Using scandals like Star Casino, I unpack why organisations succumb to governance washing, highlighting coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures, an
Rebuilding organisational culture in NFPs is challenging, with issues like weak leadership accountability, disengaged boards, and misaligned incentives. This article explores why culture fails, the pitfalls of passion-driven but ineffective management, and how strategic governance can drive meaningf
Consensus decision making may look inclusive but often suppresses dissent, breeds groupthink, and weakens outcomes. Structured debate and distributed authority improve decision quality, transparency, and accountability, yielding more resilient leadership.
In 2024, leaders strengthened governance, culture, and decision-making through critical thinking and evidence-based practice. Lessons included avoiding sunk-cost traps, building cohesive cultures, and improving meetings.
Narrow Band Comprehension limits individual and organisational performance through selective understanding. Organisations can counter it by promoting broad engagement, holistic metrics, and governance-based accountability.
Innovation drives growth only when balanced with organisational, ethical, and cultural frameworks. Pursued without restraint, it can erode values and stability. Sustainable innovation respects tradition and long-term purpose.
A custodian mindset in management prioritises stewardship over control. It supports autonomy, ethical leadership, sustainable resources, and agility through empowerment, transparency, learning, and clear ethical frameworks.
In an uncertain employment landscape, context matters. Work serves the organisation, not individual agendas. When employees and managers act in good faith and meet their obligations while preparing for multiple futures, organisations become healthier, more stable, and more effective.
Effective governance depends on capabilities shared by managers and informal leaders, recognising that risk, strategy, and culture are inseparable. This calls for rethinking traditional governance models—and the rise of the governor-manager.
Seeing organisations as complex social systems highlights governance as a cultural force. Responsibility extends beyond senior leaders to all managers, shaping behaviour through clear standards, accountability, and consistent leadership practice.
Governance allocates authority, responsibility, and decision rights. When it is remote or sealed off from scrutiny, power goes unchecked, accountability erodes, and resource decisions become arbitrary and subjective.
While the overall numbers of people affected by mental health issues is a cause for concern, perhaps as alarming are the number of firms or individual managers who engaging in well-being washing.