Justin Wright

Executives often ask me if they should serve on a board of directors, and how to do it. Preparing yourself to serve on a board takes time, forethought, and a little bit of help from others. My colleagues recently created a terrific infographic outlining steps to take to secure a board seat: the Why, What, How, and Who. It's an excellent primer: https://lnkd.in/eVAvZRTZ This is a topic I wrote about several years ago as well: "Board opportunities rarely just happen. They come as the result of thoughtful, deliberate planning on the individual’s part." Read my 8 steps to a board seat: https://lnkd.in/ePWf3GBe Good luck in finding a board seat that suits you. #boardservice #governance

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Succession planning for CEOs is an important and often overlooked responsibility of the board. In this episode of The NFP CEO - Podcast for CEOs in the NFP sector, hosts Danielle Ballantine and Michelle Cutler discuss why when the Chair says "we need to talk about succession planning" it is not time to panic, rather it is an opportunity for clarity and professional development. A position description is often only reviewed as part of a recruitment process whereas this process provides the opportunity to ensure alignment between the CEO Position Description and the Strategic Plan. It opens up the conversation between the CEO and Chair about where you spend your time and what you focus on. More importantly, as an Executive Leadership Team do you have the skills required to deliver the Board’s priorities on the Strategic Plan. If not then you can proactively talk about what is needed. A new hire, an interim appointment with specialist skills, outsourcing or professional development for you or your team. Your ELT can then cascade this process with their direct reports. Succession planning is also a key component of business continuity. It ensures that there is clarity around delegation, who is responsible for what in the absence of a CEO taking the heat out of the moment and providing certainty for stakeholders and staff alike. A CEO can be suddenly unavailable due to ill health or being stuck overseas not just termination. If you are a reader rather than a listener click on the link below for the accompanying article. https://lnkd.in/gBhiJmeF - article https://lnkd.in/gVEh2AtG - podcast

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CEO turnover is rarely the real story. It is the symptom. Recent CEO changes dominating headlines are being framed as strategic resets. That framing misses the signal. What these transitions actually reveal is leadership risk accumulating quietly long before the exit. Across industries, boards are acting under sustained pressure: tighter margins, accelerated AI adoption, compressed decision timelines, and intensified investor scrutiny. According to Reuters (Dec. 2025), CEO turnover continues to accelerate as boards respond faster to strategic drift, operational strain, and governance tension. From my work with CEOs and boards, most exits do not come from sudden failure. They come from unresolved internal strain: • decision fatigue • misaligned priorities • erosion of trust • unclear authority lines • friction between governance and execution Read the rest of the release here: https://lnkd.in/gaXabA-H #LeadershipRisk #CEO #BoardGovernance #ExecutiveLeadership #CorporateStrategy #DecisionMaking #OrganizationalHealth #AILeadership #MarketPressure #Governance #LeadershipDevelopment #BusinessRisk

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When cycles extend, resilience becomes structural. In longer decision environments, staying present matters more than pushing volume. The focus shifts from accelerating growth to avoiding silence. A luxury signal carries a broader lesson. Firms that endure are not those that push harder on sales. They embed value into the client’s operating stability. They remain present in the gap. Relevance holds. Value perception stays intact. Position is preserved across stretched cycles. In the end, resilience is a function of how firmly your value is embedded in the system your client depends on to operate. 🔗 Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gMU8d2_N 📌 For executive insights on AI, strategy, and enterprise growth, visit: https://lnkd.in/gyAtq8aY 📌 For high-impact consulting and executive advisory services, explore: https://lnkd.in/gxYGPYvW #SophiaLeeInsights #StrategicLeadership #BusinessResilience #EnterpriseTransformation #ExecutiveStrategy

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