Boards exercise their mandate during board meetings. It goes without saying that managing the process leading to, during and after every board meeting is critical for the effectiveness of the board and individual board members.

Unfortunately, most board members walk into meetings thinking their job is to review reports, nod through budgets, and occasionally challenge a decision. But in a financial landscape defined by risks, regulatory upheaval, and digital disruption, complacency isn’t just ineffective it’s dangerous.

Your institution doesn’t need passive oversight; it needs leadership that confronts uncomfortable truths and drives bold action.

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"In Uganda, 65% of the population still lacks access to formal financial services. If you think your board meetings are enough to change this, think again"

The storm hits

Leadership, they say, is about staying calm under pressure. But let’s be honest. Sometimes it is about being the one person who does not crumble when the boss walks in with a grenade. That’s exactly what happened when Bentley, the British expatriate CEO of Nile Bank, stormed into the Internal Audit office.

Bentley was not one for pleasantries. Tall, broad, and walking with a slight stoop that only added to his gravitas, he planted a stack of papers on the desk of my boss, the Head of Internal Audit.

“Do you see this?” he barked, pointing at the documents like they were evidence in a trial. “These are teller cash shortages, and they are killing the Bank. You have five days to figure this out. If you can not, show up at the executive committee meeting and explain why you should still have your job.”

With that, Bentley turned and left, his parting words hanging in the air like a challenge. My boss, shaken but not stirred, immediately passed the baton or the grenade to my immediate supervisor, Alex.

“You heard him,” my boss said, with a grim look. “Three days. Investigate, report back, or prepare your resignation letter.”.Read more >>

This thought-provoking book offers an incisive examination of corporate governance from both a historical and contemporary point of view…I highly recommend it for your useful and sustainable leadership benefit” – Michael Mugabi, Former President, Institute of Corporate Governance of Uganda.