Doing Corporate Governance Right with Nell Minow.

Nell Minow has been described in the Financial Times as “doyenne of the US corporate governance movement”.

BusinessWeek has called her the "the queen of good corporate governance".

She co-authored the book Power and Accountability with Robert Monks, which was hailed as essential reading for anyone interested in corporate governance by legendary management thinker Peter Drucker.

And this week it was my honour and privilege to interview her on the Real Clear Values podcast.

Nell’s generosity, passion and insight in coming on the show make for a value-packed episode on the ins and outs of corporate governance.

If you have any interest in business sustainability or the role that businesses and business leaders play in society and the wider world then this episode is a must.

Full release of the episode is scheduled following the autobiographical episodes on my own values journey (Nell was my first ever guest, setting the bar incredibly high!), but in the meantime here’s a summary of what we covered:

  • Why we’re living in the best of times and the worst of times re corporate governance

  • Why we have to work beyond national borders to protect our air and water

  • The Delaware problem and the externalising of responsibility

  • The bright future of millennials’ broader look at business and accountability

  • Why MeToo and Black Lives Matter demonstrate that the S in ESG doesn’t just mean Social, it also means ‘surprise’

  • Why ESG should fill the gap in GAAP

  • Defining corporate governance at a fundamental level

  • The issue of board member independence

  • CEO pay and the need for variability over certainty

  • How to measure board efficacy

  • The problem of acquisitions that don’t add value

  • The biggest threats to business sustainability

  • How to put company values into practice

  • The threat that corporate corruption poses to capitalism

  • What it takes to be an effective board member

  • Tips for getting a seat on a board

  • Movies that best teach about corporate governance

Wow – we really did cover a lot! And it was a lot of fun speaking with Nell.

As a cool side note, Nell’s dad, Newton Minow, played an outsize role in supporting the birth of educational television programmes in the United States when he served as President John F. Kennedy’s Chairman of the FCC in 1961, describing much of American television as a “vast wasteland” in an early speech. If you like Sesame Street, PBS or Ken Burns documentaries then Newton Minow deserves some thanks! See more through the link: https://moviemom.com (scroll down a bit).

Finally, if you have any recommendations of who I should invite to come on the Real Clear Values podcast to talk about values – the good, the bad and the ugly – at both individual and organisational levels then please feel free to drop me a line: tom@3stewardships.com.

I already have a long shortlist with some great guests lined up, but I’m always open to suggestions.

Check out the podcast, Real Clear Values, through the links:

And, as always, if you would like to create a life of purpose, meaning and fulfilment for your own pursuit of sustainable success then drop me a line: tom@3stewardships.com.

Tom Englishvalues, corporate governance, corpgov, ESG, business sustainability, sustainability, sustainable success, leadership, board, governanceComment