What derails boards isn’t always strategy - it’s how leaders manage pressure.
When tension rises, some shut down, others dominate, a few quietly form alliances. These defense patterns, uncovered by Joy Harcup and Helen Hopper after interviewing 40 board members, silently shape how boards function.
Avoiding conflict feels safe, but it weakens the board’s potential. Productive disagreement is the friction that forges better decisions.
True transformation begins with one question: how do you defend under pressure? That awareness - paired with real human connection - is where stronger boards are built.