Working in a high-performance board means building trust, strong relationships, and allocating time to hard discussions and harder decisions. It’s the recipe for unlocking empathy. Increasing trust, empathy, and connection can be as easy as truly listening to what others have to say. Active listening, in particular, is a basic principle of strong relationships, with the bonus of an Oxytocin boost.

Diving into the heart of what makes or breaks the boardroom is not just a pastime for us governance nerds—it's a mission. A few of my fellow future-focused enthusiasts and I went down this rabbit hole about the most unpopular governance opinions, which spiralled into rich insights, debates, and a few controversial takes on the state of corporate governance today.

I thought I would reflect on and summarise the common themes, particularly the most unpopular ones! Anytime a big governance conference rolls around, I also notice that some of these themes are still getting under people’s skins. If it’s not all too triggering for you, here are 10 of the big ones and why I think they’re lurking underneath the politics and dynamics of well or not-so-well-functioning boards.