What Do Exemplary Independent Directors and Lou Gehrig Have in Common?

Graceful exists. With all the talk about board tenures and lack of competitive advantage in the boardroom, it may be time to ask if your contribution on the board is stale. Is it time to “bench yourself,” as Gehrig “The Iron Horse” did?  At one of my board evaluation facilitations, a director announced plans to leave. The director’s comments flowed smoothly into the conversation about the direction of the company and the skills the next director candidate needed – both issues had previously surfaced in the board evaluation. No finger pointing, no uncomfortable confrontation. Just frank talk amongst exemplary professionals.  The announcement, while a bit of a shock, allowed the board to plan for both the offboarding and the onboarding in a strategic manner. Directors may not share Lou Gehrig’s fame, but his classy departing comments may strike a chord. See this 2-minute clip of Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech.