
Yesterday, I released my book, Behavioural Governance - the Human Dynamics Behind Boardroom Decision-Making. It captures the patterns I’ve been seeing for years — across Boardrooms, leadership teams, and governance environments. But what has become even clearer in recent weeks… is this: People aren’t struggling with governance knowledge. They’re struggling with what’s happening in the room.
I’ve been observing something across organisations, and it doesn’t quite add up. There is significant investment in governance. Time. People. Structure. Process. Governance is meant to do something very real.
There’s a particular kind of weight that doesn’t show up in governance frameworks. You won’t find it in Board Charters. It doesn’t sit inside Delegations of Authority. It’s never formally assigned. And yet… it gets carried.
One of the least examined tensions in governance is this: many Governance Stewards are required to navigate power without possessing formal authority. By Governance Stewards, I mean the Company Secretaries, Chief Risk Officers, Compliance Managers and governance professionals responsible for operationalising Board intent across the business.