Directors & Boards magazine has named Boards That Excel, by B. Joseph White, as its Governance Book of the Year.
White chairs the corporate governance committee of Equity Residential (an S&P 500 company). He’s a director of Gordon Food Service (a family-owned business that is one of America’s largest private companies). He serves as president emeritus and James F. Towey Professor of Business and Leadership at the University of Illinois.
In his book, published in August 2014, White focuses on what it means to get the CEO selection decision right and offers candid insights and practical advice for directors. Following is an excerpt is from the book:
“What does it mean to get it right when it comes to appointing a CEO? The new leader must:
- Be right for the situation, that is, have the smarts to develop a good game plan and the skills to execute it successfully;
- Be accepted by the organization so authority conferred by the board translates into effective leadership; and
- Stay long enough to achieve critical goals and set the stage for smooth transition.”
White was also a keynote speaker at the 2014 Private Company Governance Summit, where his speech focused on the findings in his book. He returned in 2015 to participate in a panel that discussed the topic of “Boards and Strategy.”