Why Do CEOs Call Other CEOs?

When chief executives need to make sense of what lies ahead, many turn to other CEOs more readily than to their own directors or chair. That does not necessarily indicate a failing board. It raises a more revealing question: if relevant experience is already present around the board table, why does the CEO seek it elsewhere? The answer may lie less in what directors know than in trust, timing and whether their knowledge can enter the conversation before a strategic direction has hardened.

The AI Risks Are Becoming Clear. Can Your Board See How They Reach the Company?

AI risk may already be on your board’s agenda. But can directors see where it is actually entering the business—through vendor software, employee use, consequential decisions, or even the analysis reaching the board itself? This article uses an illustrative BoardPulse assessment to show how an adequate overall result can conceal a load-bearing weakness, where CEOs and directors may be working from different pictures, and how the findings can be translated into practical next steps before adoption outpaces oversight.

The CEO Can Champion the Next Business. Can the Organization Build It?

A CEO can champion a promising new business, but sponsorship alone does not make venture building an organizational capability. McKinsey’s latest research identifies the leadership, capital, culture, and governance new ventures require. This article takes the question one step further: can those conditions survive competing priorities, financial pressure, or a change in leadership? For executives and CVC leaders, the answer may determine whether a venture scales or remains dependent on whoever is protecting it.

Insights