The collective of corporate actors in the name of the Board of Directors being delegates of the Shareholders and acting in the organisation’s interests to promote its success is the epitome of management responsibility and accountability.

My career has been largely spent providing administrative, legal and governance practice support to the Boards I have served as Secretary. I have also had the privilege of serving some organisations as a member of the Board of Directors. Having experienced both sides of the table, I have come to the conclusion that upholding ethics and behaving accordingly is fundamental and should underscore the tone at the top.

I cannot end my thoughts here without speaking to collective responsibility of a Board of Directors for decisions made by the Board. This is so even if a particular director was absent from the meeting with or without apologies. In a case where a Director has difficulty with accepting responsibility for a decision made by the Board, the halo of ethics must cover the scene. There are ethical ways of resolving this eventuality and many others that the Board may encounter.

To the Board of Directors… please come through the door to my house of thoughts. I am happy to be your host and of service!