The role of the board is to direct, not to manage. Balance of
board membership and choice of individuals are key. Chairmen are
responsible for the effectiveness of their boards. Nonexecutive
directors have a particular contribution to make to the work of
a board. Board committees are important structurally and for the
tasks they undertake. Executive directors should be appointed
solely for the value they can add to the board. Board members
have different roles; what matters is how they combine to form
the board team. The Role of the Board The crispest definition of
a board’s role is Sir John Harvey-Jones’s: “to create tomorrow’s
company out of today’s.” Boards are in place to direct and
control, not to manage. Boards have the task of defining the
purpose of their enterprises and of agreeing the strategy for
achieving that purpose. They are responsible for appointing
chief executives to turn strategic plans into action, for
supporting and counseling them in so doing, and if necessary for
replacing them. Above