The pace of change, disruption, complexity, and ambiguity in today’s business environment is unrelenting. And nowhere is this pressure felt more acutely than in the boardroom. Today’s directors are asked to do more than ever, from providing traditional oversight and strategic guidance to navigating emerging challenges in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, ESG, and regulatory changes.
Given these conditions, it’s safe to assume boards are not operating under business as usual. Understandably, many directors and executives are asking: How can our board deliver maximum impact and value amidst so much uncertainty?
The answer lies in an often-overlooked idea: boards are teams. They may be high-stakes and high-powered, but at their core, they are groups of experts tasked with achieving shared goals. And the same dynamics that affect any team- trust, communication, and clarity of roles – are amplified in the boardroom. This is where principles from organizational and behavioral psychology can make a significant impact.
The highest performing teams understand and leverage each members unique perspectives and interdependencies. But despite the best intentions, boards often struggle to carve out space for meaningful dialogue. Packed agendas, dense reports, and limited time too often crowd out real conversation and collaborative thinking. The result? Missed opportunities to harness the collective wisdom, talent, and experiences that sit around the table.
So, it’s time to treat boards like the immensely impactful teams that they are.
A SMARTER APPROACH TO BOARD PERFORMANCE
Directors sense the disconnect: the quality of boardroom interaction often falls short of its potential. Although the majority of directors (83%) believe their agendas are appropriate and that materials support effective preparation, only 64% consider their board discussions to be high quality. In addition, a significant proportion (around 40%) cite persistent challenges with resource sharing and collaboration.
The message is clear: board success hinges not only on expertise around the table, but on the quality of interaction between directors.
A NEW ERA FOR GOVERNANCE PRACTICES
In response, organizations are starting to treat governance as an evolving discipline, with evaluation practices becoming more robust. In the S&P 500, the proportion of companies conducting full board, committee, and individual director evaluations has climbed steadily, from 43% in 2020 to 55% in 2024. At the same time, use of external facilitators support has nearly doubled, from 21% to 37%. This movement toward more rigorous, externally supported self- evaluation models signals a growing commitment to accountability, clarity, and continuous improvement.
A STRATEGIC REFRAME: BOARDS AS CRITICAL TEAMS
Forward-thinking boards are beginning to shift their approach. Instead of treating self-evaluations as check-the-box exercises, they are using them to improve performance, alignment, and impact. In this era of dynamic change, the most effective boards shouldn’t just meet quarterly. They must engage continuously with the business, communicate between meetings, and act as true thought partners to their management teams.
This shift starts with a mindset: viewing the board as a team, not a collection of credentials. This shift demands greater clarity in leadership roles, a focus on team dynamics, and a recognition that influence in the boardroom is earned, not assumed, through insight, engagement, and collaboration.
HOW RIGOROUS ASSESSMENT ELEVATES BOARD EFFECTIVENESS
As organizations evolve, boards must modernize how they assess and develop themselves. When grounded in behavioral science and organizational psychology, board evaluations go far beyond compliance – they become tools for performance.
What if we approached the boardroom the same way we approach building high-performance executive teams?
On one hand, through structured surveys, 360-degree interviews, and facilitated feedback, board members can reflect on how well they align around vision and goals, how transparently they communicate, how they handle constructive conflict, and how they demonstrate mutual respect. This sets the stage for meaningful conversations and, more importantly, measurable improvement.
What untapped potential could be unlocked by treating governance as a dynamic, strategic function worthy of constant development rather than a static obligation?
On the other hand, rather than relying solely on retrospective self-assessments, these boards can also benefit from real-time diagnostics that surface strengths, expose blind spots, and drive immediate action. Incorporating micro-assessments would be one good example of a trend that is gaining traction. These are similar to “after-action reviews” that boards engage in after a crisis to assess their performance and ability to support the CEO and her/his management team during a particular challenge or crisis.
What if we developed board members with the same growth mindset that we do with executive leaders?
Perhaps most importantly, behavioral psychologists can help boards adopt a culture of continuous learning. Evaluation becomes not the end, but the beginning of a more effective, engaged board. Ongoing coaching, direct observation, and tailored feedback bring these assessments to life.
REIMAGINING BOARD EFFECTIVENESS FOR THE FUTURE
Together these practices can mark a shift from episodic check-ins to a culture of continuous learning and improvement, where evaluation marks the beginning of strategic growth, not its end. Some organizations are already leading this shift. They are building boards that engage proactively, contribute meaningfully, and adapt continuously. For others, the opportunity is clear: It’s time to think differently about how boards work together and what they’re capable of achieving.
Jacqueline Ackerman has a Master’s degree and Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Wayne State University and a Bachelor of Science with honors in Psychology from Purdue University. She is a member of several professional associations and was named 2013’s Woman of the Year by the National Association of Professional Women.
Mary Sullivan joined the Vantage team in 2022 as part of its intern program and has since progressed to the role of Associate Consultant. After growing up on the south side of Chicago, she earned her undergraduate degree in Marketing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Mary then went on to complete her master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
