Five Things the Strongest Boards Do Differently

Board effectiveness is being tested and defined in real time. AI, geopolitics, activism, sustainability, CEO succession, board refreshment, and stakeholder scrutiny are more interconnected, faster moving, and more visible than ever before. Yet, many board operating models, built for a more linear environment, have not kept pace with that change.

RRA’s 2025 Global Board Culture and Director Behaviors Study underscores that while directors understand the behaviors that matter, they don’t practice them consistently. This isn’t because boards lack awareness. It’s because effective governance now depends on whether the board has designed itself to make better judgment more likely: in how it spends time, leads discussion, uses expertise, evaluates itself, and prepares for uncertainty.

The new standard for board effectiveness

Best-in-class boards don’t wait for the next crisis, activist letter, CEO transition, technology shock, or geopolitical disruption to discover whether they can operate differently. They are practicing these behaviors now. And that’s what separates boards that understand effectiveness from boards that deliver it.

Authors

Richard Fields is the global leader of the Board Effectiveness practice at Russell Reynolds Associates. He is based in Boston.

Jack (Rusty) O’Kelley co-leads Russell Reynolds Associates’ Global Board & CEO Advisory Practice. He is based in Miami.

Laura Sanderson is a senior member of the Board and CEO Advisory practice at Russell Reynolds Associates. She is based in London.

Marc Sanglé-Ferrière is Co-Head of the European CEO and Board practice. He is based in Paris.

Alix Pollack is the Global Commercial Strategy & Insights Lead for the Board & CEO Advisory Practice at Russell Reynolds Associates. She is based in New York.