In todays edition of Insights for the The Agile Director we explore how boards can learn from a crisis such as COVID, and prepare for the next crisis.

💡Never waste a  Crisis!

The world has changed—but have our boardrooms?

In times of disruption, great directors don’t just react—they reflect. While the most intense periods of COVID-19 may be behind us, the lessons from that era remain relevant today as organisations continue to adapt to economic uncertainty, new workforce dynamics, and rapidly evolving expectations from stakeholders.

What became clear during the pandemic—and remains true now—is that governance cannot remain static in a dynamic world. If directors are to be effective, they must not only evolve the way they manage risk and culture but rethink the very nature of how boards learn, connect, and lead.

🧠 Risk Is Not About Prediction—It’s About People

One of the clearest revelations for boards during the crisis was this: robust risk frameworks aren’t always enough.

Many organisations had meticulously documented risk registers, contingency plans, and compliance checklists. Yet when disruption arrived, those systems were only as good as the people enacting them. The organisations that coped best weren’t those that foresaw the future—they were those that empowered their people to respond with agility, compassion, and clarity.

Boards must stop thinking of risk purely as a system and start viewing it as a function of relationships, culture, and trust. That’s a mindset shift—and one that’s overdue.

💻 Virtual Isn’t a Compromise—It’s a Capability

The shift to virtual boardrooms taught us something essential: proximity isn’t a prerequisite for productivity.

Virtual governance brought benefits we hadn’t anticipated. Meetings became more focused. Decision-making sharpened. Hierarchies flattened. Many directors report that meetings which once spanned seven hours in person were reduced to three—without sacrificing quality.

But beyond efficiency, virtual tools unlocked inclusivity. Introverts found more space to contribute. Check-in culture became the norm, not the exception. And new habits formed—ones grounded in empathy and intentional connection.

The real opportunity for boards now is to codify what worked. Not every meeting needs to be face-to-face. But those that are should be used for moments of strategic importance, relationship building, or deep dialogue. Everything else? Virtual should be normalised—not as a fallback, but as a best practice.

❤️ Culture Is Not a Buzzword—It’s a Board Accountability

Boards often talk about culture. Few truly govern it.

During the pandemic, culture wasn’t an abstract idea—it became a lived reality. Boards could no longer rely on visibility from site visits or hallway conversations. They had to trust the systems in place and the metrics that mattered.

And what they discovered is powerful: when executives model kindness, curiosity, and adaptability, performance follows. One health organisation saw its cultural audit scores rise during lockdown, driven by daily check-ins and peer-to-peer support. People felt heard, and it showed.

If culture is how things get done, then the board must define what “done well” looks like—and measure it. That includes:

• Re-examining KPIs for leadership behaviour and workforce connection

• Tracking inclusion outcomes

• Embedding cultural metrics into performance reviews at the executive level

The role of the board is not to manage culture—but to steward it. And that requires courage, clarity, and consistency.

⚖️ Reimagining the Social Contract at Work

The workplace social contract—the implicit agreement between employer and employee—also underwent a radical rethinking.

Directors witnessed first-hand how outdated assumptions around flexibility, presence, and performance don’t hold. Parenting, caring, and personal wellbeing became boardroom topics. And for many directors, it was the first time they fully understood the structural barriers facing women and caregivers in the workplace.

The result? A deeper appreciation for diverse work styles, needs, and aspirations. Boards now have the chance to redesign work to be more inclusive by default, not exception—and that requires asking different questions:

• Are we punishing flexibility with missed opportunity?

• Are we designing policies around inclusion or around convenience?

• Are we creating pathways that value contribution over visibility?

The organisations that thrive will be those that shift from a mindset of control to one of trust—and governance must lead that shift.

🧩 Reflection as a Strategic Capability

Perhaps the most powerful insight of all is this: the value of reflection is often lost in the race to recover.

Boards are good at moving quickly. But there is a moment, however brief, between crisis and normalcy where true learning happens. That moment must be protected.

Creating space to reflect isn’t about scheduling a “COVID debrief” or generating another policy. It’s about intentional, structured conversations that ask:

• What did we learn about ourselves?

• What worked better than expected?

• What assumptions were proven wrong?

The best boards are using this space not to return to the old ways, but to build better ones.

🗣 How to Start the Conversation

So how does a director introduce these reflections into their boardroom?

If you're a chair, you have a unique mandate to initiate the dialogue. If you’re not, start with a conversation—perhaps privately with the chair—about creating time on the agenda to explore lessons learned and new opportunities.

This might take the form of a short facilitated session, a reflection workshop, or even a collaborative online boardroom discussion. Whatever the format, the key is to lead with intent and humility—this is not about presenting solutions, but about opening the door to strategic learning.

Importantly, boards must resist the urge to delegate this reflection entirely to management. This is your work, too.

🔄 From Viable to Vibrant

There’s no question that financial viability will remain a priority for boards. But that’s not enough anymore. Stakeholders—from staff to shareholders to the wider community—are seeking more than performance. They want purpose.

The post-disruption boardroom has an opportunity to champion both: viability and vibrancy. Profitability and inclusivity. Strategic oversight and cultural leadership.

This isn’t about adding more to your agenda. It’s about leading differently—smarter, braver, and with the future in mind.

🧠 Final Thought

As one director put it: don’t just learn for management—learn for the board.

Boards that reflect together, adapt together. And those that do will not only be more effective—they will be more trusted.

Let this be a time not just of change, but of conscious evolution.

Until next time,
The Agile Director