Just when I was getting ready to present a key proposal at a major board meeting, a colleague who was the CFO (now a CEO) reminded me, “there is no such thing as a good board meeting—just one where nobody gets fired.”

That’s not far from the truth. I’ve seen too many self-inflicted career wounds in front of a board. I’ve seen executives go into board meetings full of confidence and come out crushed. I’ve witnessed senior leaders do such a lousy job presenting to a board that it damaged or destroyed their careers. READ MORE