technology savvy and financial acumen remains urgent. Forward-thinking boards should also put in place director education requirements to ensure that board members remain current on key technical, governance and industry best practices. It is difficult to be a high performing company without a high performing board. 4. Board Succession: Many boards are aging and slowing the pace of board refreshment by raising or even eliminating mandatory retirement ages. Boards need to take a hard look at director longevity and tangible contributions, especially for long-tenured directors. In addition, boards are generally striving to get younger and more diverse while elevating the level and scope of the board’s knowledge base. Nearly all boards today conduct some kind of general evaluation or self-assessment on a regular basis, but moving towards “performance based assessments of directors for continued board service” has become the gold standard. Many directors fear individual peer evaluation, as they view this as a means to drive non-renewal, but often those same fearful directors are usually on the weaker end of the spectrum. Proactive board refreshment has proven to be a hallmark of highly effective boards. 5. Lead From the Front: People do not want to be managed as much as they want to be led. Successful leaders have the ability to lay out a vision for an organization, communicate that vision and create the “followership” which drives execution. Leaders who are authentic in their approach leave employees feeling that their contributions — however small in the grand scheme — really matter. As Maya Angelou eloquently stated, “… people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” This is a defining characteristic of great leaders. Leading any organization today is more complex than at any time in history, and leading with authenticity and intentionality is vital. Boards will benefit from redefining their approach to governing while remembering that they are not the managers of the business. At the end of the day, success in business always comes down to talent — executive leadership, high quality directors and the folks just trying to bring in business or serve customers every single day. As our firm has learned, maintaining and elevating the focus on human capital across the board is the surest way to long-term success. Alan J. Kaplan is founder and CEO of Kaplan Partners, a Philadelphia‑based retained executive search and board advisory firm celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. You can reach Alan at (610) 642-5644 or alan@kaplanpartners.com. 13 The CommunityBanker
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