USA governance writer Ram Charan calls the process ‘’stacking the board with talent’’. Canadians Leighton and Thain describe director ‘’competency requirements’’. John Carver talks about ‘‘raw material’’. Whichever terms are used to describe the basic director building blocks and the processes used to transform these into an effective board, it is not possible to get away from the absolute requirement that there must be the ‘right fit’ between the individual and the role.
Before focusing on the skills for directorship it is important to restate the basic premise that ‘board work is brain work’. Acceptance of this maxim is fundamental to any discussion about the skills and attributes required for directorship. The board’s job is a thinking and talking one, and strong conceptual skills are paramount. Directorship demands clarity of thought and an ability to cut through complex issues to get to their essence.