On Board with Balderton: The 101 guide to board meetings for early stage CEOs

Good boards are unafraid of healthy debate and tackling uncomfortable conversations. They bring experience to the table and help navigate tough situations. But great boards go beyond business as usual and provide holistic and empathetic support for founders and CEOs.

A few additional high-level takeaways include:

1. Successful boards are built on a foundation of respect. Board dynamics are difficult to get right, in part, because they require masterful amounts of teamwork and empathy. As this group may be together for a long time, integrating human understanding can generate smoother collaboration and build trust early on.
2. Establish good foundational routines early on. There is no single right way to manage your board of directors and no single blueprint for conducting productive board meetings. However, there are tools, routines, and best practices that can make these processes less painful and add significant value to your organisation. It's best not to wait until the business becomes too complex or large to implement these.
3. Use the board’s time wisely. Leave enough time in your meetings to dive deep into 2-4 strategic topics. Almost everyone I spoke to exclaimed, "I wish we spent more time on strategy and less time on KPIs!" This group is experienced and eager, so take advantage of their time and delve into the important issues.
4. Prepare! Directors, please read the board pack in advance! CEOs, please send the board pack 5 business days prior to the meeting.