21st Century Corporate Board

The Lowdown on the Hottest Trends in Corporate Goverance--A Complete Blueprint for Tomorrow's Corporate Board Member Regulations, economics, shareholders, court battles--these factors have transformed the corporate board into a powerful, independent force in business. Now boardroom expert Ralph Ward deconstructs the "how and why" of this remarkable phenomenon, and offers a comprehensive, trenchant analysis of the tough issues which the 21st Century Corporate Board will bring to the table. You'll find in-depth coverage of all of the leading topics in board makeup, pay, training, operations, and organization, including:
* How the "new directors" will change the corporate equation--women, inorities, entrepreneurs, executives below the CEO level, and others
* The move toward increased professionalism, including director certification, accountability, and more
* The hidden minefield of stakeholder concerns, from employees to local communities
* The pros and cons of paying corporate directors in stock--do we really want directors who are major shareholders?
* Future regulations from the SEC, IRS, and major stock exchanges--gearing up for compliance
* The growing power of board committees, and what this means for the board as a whole
* The coming struggle among shareholder groups to set the board agenda
* The new corporate balancing act for directors--independent, but involved; powerful, but responsive; focusing on the short term, but keeping a long-term view Partial table of contents:

GENERAL MOTORS: THE BOARD BLUEPRINT.

Roger Smith Loses Some Important Friends.

"The Market Will Save Us." John Smale Wants Answers.

Corporate Planks and "Lesser Commonwealths." Exit the Owners, Enter the Managers.

The Walnut-Paneled Wonderland.

Delaware Gives the Board a Break.

A Sleeping Giant Is Still a Giant.

A Flowering in the Boardroom.

Big Blues, and How to Keep Your Job.

TOWARD THE 21st CENTURY CORPORATE BOARD.

Board Revolution: This Time We Mean It.

New Board Needs, New Board Talents.

Replacing Old Joe.

New Committees for a New Century.

The Chair/CEO: How We Achieved Oneness.

Boards Without Borders.

Directors Discover Serious Money.

A New Era in Suing the Board.

Why the Commission Now Thinks Your Board Matters.

How Many "Stakeholders" Can Dance on the Head of a Pin?

The 21st Century Board: Sorting Out the Trends. About the author RALPH D. WARD, Editor of The Corporate Board magazine, is a nationally recognized writer and commentator on the role of corporate boards of directors and their future in American corporate governance. 21st Century Corporate Board Over the last decade, dramatic changes in how corporations are led have radically transformed the board and its role in business. No longer a safe haven for the walnut-paneled aristocracy, today’s board is an autonomous power center for corporate leadership. How did this happen, and why? More importantly, how will tomorrow’s boards consolidate their newfound strength to tackle fresh challenges in the years ahead? 21st Century Corporate Board addresses these critical questions and more, offering both a masterful analysis of the forces driving corporate governance and a bold new blueprint of the structures, tools, and knowledge demanded for the effective boards of the future. You’ll find detailed coverage of all of the key issues in board makeup, pay, and training—from strategic board recruitment and "pay for performance" to director certification and high-tech board meetings. The book also helps you make sense of the revolution in board operations and organization, including cooperation with management, liability and compliance concerns, and the structure and use of special committees. In the modern corporate board, directors must think like owners, act like managers, and retain their independence. With its hard-hitting, market-based approach and razor-sharp insights, this book vividly illustrates the contradictions of allegiance and focus demanded by the new corporate dynamic—giving you a crucial jump on the action agenda of the 21st Century Corporate Board. The Lowdown on the Hottest Trends in Corporate Goverance—A Complete Blueprint for Tomorrow’s Corporate Board Member Regulations, economics, shareholders, court battles—these factors have transformed the corporate board into a powerful, independent force in business. Now boardroom expert Ralph Ward deconstructs the "how and why" of this remarkable phenomenon, and offers a comprehensive, trenchant analysis of the tough issues which the 21st Century Corporate Board will bring to the table. You’ll find in-depth coverage of all of the leading topics in board makeup, pay, training, operations, and organization, including:

• How the "new directors" will change the corporate equation—women, inorities, entrepreneurs, executives below the CEO level, and others
• The move toward increased professionalism, including director certification, accountability, and more
• The hidden minefield of stakeholder concerns, from employees to local communities
• The pros and cons of paying corporate directors in stock—do we really want directors who are major shareholders?
• Future regulations from the SEC, IRS, and major stock exchanges—gearing up for compliance
• The growing power of board committees, and what this means for the board as a whole
• The coming struggle among shareholder groups to set the board agenda
• The new corporate balancing act for directors—independent, but involved; powerful, but responsive; focusing on the short term, but keeping a long-term view