With the COVID-19-related challenges as a backdrop that every company can relate to, Corporate Board Member's "A Time When Generalists Are Most Needed" discusses renewed appreciation for the overall experience in crisis management oversight and understanding of board/management roles that seasoned "generalist" directors bring to the boardroom, and the associated increasing dissatisfaction or skepticism associated with niche directors whose expertise may be overly narrow to contribute sufficient value on multi-faceted crises, and may also quash collaborative engagement on particular topics. The piece includes views on "generalists" vs. "specialists" from a number of directors and executive/director recruiters, and suggests considerations for new board nominee attributes that facilitate attaining the best of both.
Access additional resources on our Board Composition and Board Recruitment & Succession pages. This post first appeared in the weekly Society Alert!