Episodes
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A poorly executed board recruitment strategy can be the silent saboteur of a board’s success.
Quality board recruitment processes are the cornerstone that ensures the right mix of expertise, experience and vision exists to govern with confidence. Unlike executive recruitment, it’s also a process that most boards only engage in occasionally, so boards need a robust and repeatable process embedded in their culture.
This episode features a recent conversation between Paul and Tom Mutch, Partner, Board & Public Sector Practice at leading international recruitment firm Odgers Berndtson.
Their chat deep dives into board recruitment, succession planning, candidate assessments, and the pivotal role of nomination committees....and might also feature some references to British humour. Sorry!
Some links:
Tom's written interview with Future Directors Join Future Directors for FREE Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn) Check out Tom and Odgers Berndtson -
What type or style of board member are you? Are you the Stakeholder Champion, Data Chaser, Status Hound, Unprepared, or even the Narcissist?
These are the types identified in a recent article from Harvard Business Review, and in another bite-sized episode from Paul, he gives you a few more to play with. Then, Paul asks how can we harmonise so many different people into an effective team or board?
Have a listen and see what you think.
Podcast links
Join Future Directors for FREE Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn) -
Missing episodes?
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Yes, 100 episodes!
Wow.Almost 70 hours worth of conversation about boards, directors, technology, diversity, education, careers, challenges and more.
It's been a blast.
To welcome us into the next century, you have a new host, Matt Fullbrook. Amongst his claims to fame he's the single most repeated guest on Paul's podcast and one of the few others governance podcasts to hit 100 episodes.
In this episode, the tables are turned and Matt interviews Paul about his journey.
And, it gets super embarrassing for Paul...
Some links:
Join Future Directors for FREE Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn) Matt Fullbrook's podcast Matt Fullbrook's website -
As we near our ONE-HUNDREDTH episode, Paul shares his favourite episode of all time. It also happens to be one of the most downloaded episodes in the podcast's history.
Featuring repeat offender Matt Fullbrook, alongside younger directors Nurain Janah and Hannah Stenning, this replay of Ep57 dives into why we need intergenerational diversity in the boardroom.
This is the first part of an eventual two-parter, so feel free to drop back to Ep58 straight afterwards.
See you next time for EPISODE 100!
Some links:
Join Future Directors for FREE Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn) Nurain Janah's website Hannah Stenning on LinkedIn Matt Fullbrook's podcast Matt Fullbrook's website -
Hello, fellow governance geeks, director dorks and boardroom boffins! This special technological episode features your host Paul Smith - founder of Future Directors - chatting with the hugely popular Generative AI tool, ChatGPT 4.0.
Having crowdsourced some questions from his network, Paul ask Chat questions, follow-up questions, agrees to disagree and more with a voice-enabled version of the revolutionary tech.
Learn what ChatGPT says about governance, diversity, decision-making and more Learn how boards can use tools like this to support critical thinking and decisions Hear how it copes with some real-world boardroom scenarios(Please do note that this episode was recorded in February 2024. Technology moves fast, so who knows what it will be capable of when you listen).
Some links:
Join Future Directors for FREE Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn) Image generated by DALL-E (actually by Matt Fullbrook - yes, him again!) -
In this episode, Paul takes a backseat to his colleague Aisling Blackmore who recorded this webinar with William Rae and Elaine Crichton from Inspiring Scotland in late 2023.
(Please note, there were some sound issues during this recording)
Inspiring Scotland is a UK-based charity that identifies and solves problems on a national scale, working together for a Scotland without poverty or disadvantage.
The episode brings together lived experience leadership, models for inclusive decision-making, and stakeholder-focused governance. Prepare to challenge conventional thinking by exploring both personal growth and crucial changes within the boardroom environment to foster inclusivity and safety.
William is a board director and Chair who brings lived experience of learning disability. Elaine, from Inspiring Scotland, delivers inclusive governance training.Here are some links:
Join Future Directors for FREE Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn) Connect with Aisling Blackmore (LinkedIn) Check out Inspiring Scotland Connect with William Rae Connect with Elaine Crichton -
Can you believe we are four episodes away from the Magic 100?!?
This is a wonderful in-depth chat between two people obsessed with board governance.
Jess Bulger is a proud Wiradjuri woman from Tumut in NSW, Australia. She is the CEO of the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute and Co-Chair at Outward Bound Australia. She cares deeply about indigenous leadership, capacity building and seeing communities thrive.
In this wide-ranging conversation between two governance geeks, Paul and Jess cover:
The importance of language. Is it First Nations, Indigenous, or Aboriginal? Is Indigenous Governance singular or does it take many forms? What can companies do to engage their indigenous stakeholders better?Here are some links:
Join Future Directors for FREE Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn) Connect with Jess (LinkedIn) Check out AIGI (Australian Indigenous Governance Institute) -
Are you looking to build a board of directors from scratch or enhance your existing board composition? If so, then this episode is the one for you.
This ep features a recent conversation between Paul and special guests, Rosie and Lucy Thomas from Project Rockit. A few years ago, these two sisters worked with Paul to enhance the board composition of their social enterprise.
The chat dives deep into their thinking, their blindspots, the Future Director's process and how it all came together. We also touch on the lessons learnt and how it's all going in the boardroom. Fascinating stuff!
Here's some links:
Join Future Directors for FREE Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn) Check out Project Rockit -
As we see big brand companies like Qantas and OpenAI go through what we can safely say from the outside is a bit of a ‘governance crisis’, it has brought up the need to be very clear about what is board leadership and why is it different to other leadership roles.
In another bite-sized episode of Paul by himself (guests are back soon), he will give you a twist on the usual elephantish analogy.
SPOILER ALERT. Elephants are excellent swimmers.
But, what has this got to do with the Modern Board Leader? You'll have to listen to find out...
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In a world of ever-evolving organisational governance, where boards serve as the nerve centre of decision-making and strategy, it is surprising how often the simple question of PURPOSE remains unanswered.
Boards of directors, entrusted with steering companies through complex waters, frequently grapple with their roles, often searching for their true north.
In this short episode, Paul is back to help deconstruct why boards need a unifying force that guides them, in alignment with the company’s values and long-term vision.
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In this special episode, we share a recent recording of Paul hosting a live webinar on the subject of AI, its impact on boardrooms, policies, governing and the role of board directors themselves.
Is it a risk, an opportunity, or (spoiler alert) both?
In this episode, Paul discusses:
What is AI, Generative AI and what stage are we at?* How to develop an AI Governance Policy for your company or organisation...that will keep pace the rapid changes in AI How you should (and shouldn't) use AI inside the boardroom What could the future hold for AI Governance?*Note. This was recorded in late 2023. The world of AI is changing so fast that some facts will be out of date when you listen. Can't be helped :)
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On the back of episode 89, we've been looking at another study. This time by Monash University in Australia, which delved deep into board diversity and inclusion.
They interviewed remarkable women from diverse backgrounds, and what they unearthed is a wake-up call for every boardroom across the world.
In this episode, Paul is back to quickly distill the main points of this latest study and what it means for you, your board and for the wider industry. Warning, he has some strong opinions on this one...
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Another year, another survey of board directors. Does this one show us anything new?
Earlier this year, the Global Network of Director Institutes released their “The Future of Board Governance” report. The GNDI is a collection of 24 national governance institutes from North and South America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, with combined memberships of 150,000.
In this episode, Paul briefly covers the main findings of the report and the implications for boards and companies.
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This episode is a bit special and serves two purposes. For our Australian listeners, it continues on the discussion about navigating the Voice to Parliament discussion with your board. Paul hosted a webinar recently and this is a snippet from a special panel discussion with guests Jessica Bulger (from the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute) and Kate Hillman (from Ernst & Young). For our overseas listeners, there is still some great stuff here for you if you are interested in how indigenous governance differs from modern governance norms, and what we can learn fro each other. It was a fascinating chat. Please note, the audio is not up to the usual standard.
More from Jessica:
AIGI Website: https://aigi.org.au/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-bulger-3993925b/ More from Paul:
Website: https://futuredirectors.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futurepaulsmith/ More from Kate:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-hillman-11007040/ -
In a special episode of the podcast, we take a look at how to navigate the 'Voice to Parliament' Referendum in your boardroom. For our non-Australian listeners, this won't mean much unless you keep up to date with First Nations affairs globally.
In this webinar (converted to podcast), Paul was joined by author, Uluru Statement from the Heart signatory and Yes23 Spokesperson, Thomas Mayo, and CEO of the Australian Indigenous Governance Insitute, Jessica Bulger.
They explored this crucial topic, delving into the significance of acknowledging First Nations communities and how (and why) boards can play a role.
Thomas explores the historical struggle for regocognition, whilst Jessica provides an important context and perspective on the principles of effective Indigenous governance.
You'll finally hear a panel discussion featuring Paul, Jessica, Thomas and Future Directors' Head of Programs Aisling Blackmore, talking about how boards can engage, listen, and respond to society and social issues.
More from Thomas:
Website: https://www.thomasmayo.com.au/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-mayo-70774378/More from Jessica:
AIGI Website: https://aigi.org.au/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-bulger-3993925b/More from Paul:
Website: https://futuredirectors.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futurepaulsmith/More from Aisling:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/acblackmore/ -
This is part 2 of Paul's fascinating (we think) conversation with technologist and all round nice guy, Josh Klein.
If this is your first listen to the podcast, we recommend you go back to Part 1 a few episodes ago.
Josh is a truly fascinating guest. He specialises in translating technological insights into actionable strategies. He's a sought-after speaker, writer and consultant even though he now lives on the island country of Iceland.
This was a meeting of the minds. Josh and Paul vibing on so many levels that we had to record across two episodes. Enjoy!
More Josh here:
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Klein
Josh's website: https://josh.is/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaklein/More Paul here:
Wiki: Yeah right!
FDI website: https://www.futuredirectors.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futurepaulsmith/ -
High-performance teams, from the pitch to the boardroom, need to build up rapport together. This takes time.
But, one of the major problems in most boardrooms is the lack of time together. Whatever time a board has is usually spent on the business instead of getting to know one another. Compound this with the infrequency of meetings and you have a recipe for a less effective team.
In this episode, Paul discusses why there is always time to build rapport in the boardroom. From informal small talk to more formal structures and social gatherings. You'll reap the benefits with just a little investment in getting to know each other.
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Paul's back chatting to with the best and brightest in his latest episode of the Future Directors Podcast.
This week is Part 1 of a two-parter with technologist, Josh Klein.
Josh is a truly fascinating guest. He specialises in translating technological insights into actionable strategies. He's a sought-after speaker, writer and consultant even though he now lives on the island country of Iceland.
This was a meeting of the minds. Josh and Paul vibing on so many levels that we had to keep recording into a second episode. Enjoy!
More Josh here:
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Klein
Josh's website: https://josh.is/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaklein/More Paul here:
Wiki: Yeah right!
FDI website: https://www.futuredirectors.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futurepaulsmith/ -
Did you know that fewer than 1% of board directors worldwide have a formal qualification? Should this worry us? Do qualifications indicate competency? Do we miss out on better candidates when we seek assurance from a qualification?
In this short episode, Paul ruminates on a recent conversation between scholars Scott Galloway and Byron Auguste on The Prof G Pod, and seeks to connect it to the boardroom.
For some background, here's that conversation between Scott and Byron.
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We’re always working toward inclusivity and intersectionality at Future Directors. And, today, it’s particularly important that I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which Paul recorded this episode – the Whadjuk Noongar people.
So, can we learn anything about governance from the oldest living civilisation in the world? In this week's episode, Paul shares his thoughts having spent the last few years talking with and listening deeply to First Nations Indigenous people around the world.
Not to spoil the next 8 minutes but Paul's answer is emphatically YES.
This might be a bit confronting for some listeners to hear...
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