1.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
HEY
YO!
#HeyYoBoS

2.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
How many
exec coaches
does it take
to change a
lightbulb?

3.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
One. But the
lightbulb has to
really want to
change.
How many
exec coaches
does it take
to change a
lightbulb?

4.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
“Every decision in the world is made by the
person who has the power to make that decision
- not the ‘right’ person, or the ‘smartest’ person,
or the ‘most quali
fi
ed’ person.”
– Marshall Goldsmith Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board

5.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Managing your
internal and
external board
of directors
Mr Joe Leech 4th April 2022

6.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board

7.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
I know this is a
bad idea

8.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Furious
Worker

9.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
IMP
Furious
Worker

10.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
£$€
Furious
Worker

11.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
£$€
Furious
Worker

12.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
You would have a bunch
of people standing
around in a cave, chatting
and socializing and not
getting anything done.”
“What would happen if the
autism gene was eliminated
from the gene pool?
– Temple Gradin
Photo credit https://quotepark.com/media/authors/temple-grandin.jpeg

13.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
£$€
IMP Furious
Worker
+ ~10 more

14.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
“I hate board meeting, I hate the grilling
“I don’t think it’s fair to put
my senior team in front of
the board
“Honestly, I’m
intimidated
every time
“I hate all the preparation
and the detail I need

15.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
https://hbr.org/2002/09/what-makes-great-
boards-great
https://speaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/jeffrey-sonnenfeld-hero.jpeg
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld
Lester Crown Professor in the Practice of
Management at Yale School of Management, and
SeniorAssociate Dean for Leadership Studies.
“We’ll be
fi
ghting the wrong war if we simply tighten procedural
rules for boards and ignore their more pressing need
—to be strong, high-functioning
work groups whose members
trust and challenge one another
and engage directly with senior
managers on critical issues
facing corporations.”

16.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board

17.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
https://hbr.org/2002/09/what-makes-great-
boards-great
https://speaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/jeffrey-sonnenfeld-hero.jpeg
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld
Lester Crown Professor in the Practice of
Management at Yale School of Management, and
SeniorAssociate Dean for Leadership Studies.
“We’ll be
fi
ghting the wrong war if we simply tighten procedural
rules for boards and ignore their more pressing need
—to be strong, high-functioning
work groups whose members
trust and challenge one another
and engage directly with senior
managers on critical issues
facing corporations.”
BUT
HOW?

18.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board

19.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Insurance Bigwig

20.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Things are going
reallywell.

21.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
We need to
consolidate &
protect
We need to
minimise risk
We need more
process
Insurance
Bigwig
Manager

22.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Merrill Lynch Exec

23.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Merrill Lynch Exec
aka The Critic
What more could
we be doing
The team is too
inexperienced
Our competitors
are breathing
down our neck

24.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
“I hate board meeting, I hate the grilling
“I don’t think it’s fair to put
my senior team in front of
the board
“Honestly, I’m
intimidated
every time
“I hate all the preparation
and the detail I need

25.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
The Veteran
Founder

26.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
We need towork
harder
We need to
expand
The Veteran
Founder
Firefighter
Where is this coming from?

27.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Non-exec
co-founder

28.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
We need to fire the
under performers
Wouldn’t it be great
ifwe [blocked
chained /AI-ed /
Rocket-powered] it
Non-exec
co-founder
aka The Exile

29.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Well we can just ignore them, right?
RIGHT?

30.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Well we can just ignore them, right?
RIGHT?

31.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Non-exec
co-founder aka
The Exile
Merrill Lynch Exec
aka The Critic
The Veteran
Founder aka
The Firefighter
Insurance Bigwig
aka Manager

32.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Things aren’t
going aswell as
expected.

33.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Merrill Lynch Exec
aka The Critic

34.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Merrill Lynch Exec
aka The Critic
I told you so

35.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
We need to
consolidate &
protect
We need to
minimise risk
We need more
process
Insurance
Veteran
Manager

36.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
We need towork
harder
We need to
expand
The Veteran
Founder
Firefighter

37.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
We need to fire the
under performers
Non-exec
co-founder
aka The Exile
Wouldn’t it be great
ifwe [blocked
chained /AI-ed /
Rocket-powered] it

38.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
So, what do we do?

39.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Listen, thank them for their
comment.
Why are they saying this?
Is this the right thing to do?
What should we do?

40.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Non-exec
co-founder aka
The Exile
Merrill Lynch Exec
aka The Critic
The Veteran
Founder aka
The Firefighter
Insurance Bigwig
aka Manager

41.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1215212801876090880
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1256239815256797184

42.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1215212801876090880
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1256239815256797184
Manager
Fire
fi
ghter
Exile
Critic

43.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1215212801876090880
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1256239815256797184
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1457064697782489088

44.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Once you start see the directors of others,
you can start to see yours.

45.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
https://twitter.com/justinkan/status/1436041983772938251?s=21

46.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
What if Imposter
Syndrome is a
Feature not a Bug?
https://businessofsoftware.org/2018/02/impostor-syndrome-hangout/
https://mrjoe.uk/imposter-syndrome-is-a-feature-not-a-bug/
IMP

47.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
https://businessofsoftware.org/2018/02/healthy-wealthy-wise-jason-cohen-wpengine-bos-usa-2017/
https://twitter.com/notch/status/637562496056995840?lang=en-GB
Healthy, Wealthy & Wise, Jason Cohen, WPEngine, BoS USA 2017

48.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
£$€
IMP Furious
Worker
+ ~10 more

49.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Who is driving the bus?

50.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/oscars/a39553162/will-smith-chris-rock-oscars-confrontation/

51.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Internal Family Systems (IFS)

52.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Curiosity
Compassion
Clarity
Connectedness
Creativity
Courage
Con
fi
dence
Calm
True self

53.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
£$€
IMP Furious
Worker
+ ~10 more

54.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/oscars/a39553162/will-smith-chris-rock-oscars-confrontation/
In your highest moments, be careful, that’s when
the devil comes for you
– Denzil Washington

55.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board

56.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board

57.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
£$€
IMP Furious
Worker
+ ~10 more
Just squash them, banish them…

58.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Well we can just ignore them, right?
RIGHT?

59.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Listen, thank them for their
comment.
Why are they saying this?
Is this the right thing to do?
What should we do?

60.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Curiosity
Compassion
Clarity
Connectedness
Creativity
Courage
Con
fi
dence
Calm
True self
This is the underlying
operating system.

61.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Curiosity
Compassion
Clarity
Connectedness
Creativity
Courage
Con
fi
dence
Calm
Leadership
This is the underlying
operating system.

62.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board

63.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
– Dinesh Paliwal, Harman International
"When we go to our board now, every business strategy is described in one page,
with simple messaging.
1. What is the goal, the core message, in one line?
2. What are the three key actions we're taking?
3. What are the three key challenges?
4. How do we measure success in twelve months?

64.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
– Dinesh Paliwal, Harman International
“My board members read that, and it's much easier
for them to understand.
Simplifying the message is not just an art.
It is a practice, and it doesn't happen in one day.
It doesn't come naturally to most of us. It's work
and you have to spend time on it."

65.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Curiosity
Compassion
Clarity
Connectedness
Creativity
Courage
Con
fi
dence
Calm
Leadership
This is the underlying
operating system.

66.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
– Dinesh Paliwal, Harman International
"When we go to our board now, every business strategy is described in one page,
with simple messaging.
1. What is the goal, the core message, in one line?
2. What are the three key actions we're taking?
3. What are the three key challenges?
4. How do we measure success in twelve months?

67.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
£$€
IMP Furious
Worker
+13 more

68.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
“Every decision in the world is made by the
person who has the power to make that decision
- not the ‘right’ person, or the ‘smartest’ person,
or the ‘most quali
fi
ed’ person.”
– Marshall Goldsmith Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board

69.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
Who is on your
internal board of
directors?
Homework:
Joe@MrJoe.uk

70.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
HEY
YO!
#HeyYoBoS

71.
Slides & more:
mrjoe.uk/board
joe@mrjoe.uk
Stay in touch
@mrjoe
mrjoe.uk
mrjoe.uk/board
Linkedin.com/in/joeleech/