August 2025

As the growth of a company accelerates, so must the operating rhythm and thinking of the boardroom. Traditional governance remains critical and a non-negotiable, high-growth companies demand an even sharper focus, faster insights, and deeper integration across issues.

Having being an executive for many years in Asia Pacific with companies like REA Group, LJ Hooker, iProperty, iCarAsia and others and having served and serving on a considerable number of boards for the last 2 decades across 25 countries in high-growth companies of all sizes, I have come up with “eight tips for boardroom” every forward-looking board of directors should consider.

1. Create Future-Focused Board Papers -
Shift from backward-looking reporting to forward-thinking insight. Board packs should emphasize strategic foresight, market shifts, competitor dynamics, and scenario planning. Calculate the percentage of pages that are forward-oriented, if it is below 33%, then you focus on the past, rather than the future. Try to increase it, try to achieve a better balance between past, presence and future. Use dynamic or real-time dashboards for KPIs so directors can explore trends in context and focus meetings on anomalies, risks, and decision points.

2. Present and Discuss Fewer, But Deeper Board Papers –
Page volume is not equal to value. Boards should favour brevity and depth—one well-argued five-page paper on a growth inflection point can deliver more impact than a hundred pages of disconnected functional updates. Trim the noise, amplify what matters.

3. Put Strategy on Every Agenda - Strategy isn’t a once-a-year discussion. Embed strategic thinking into every board meeting. Repeat the vision, mission and core strategy at the start of every board pack. Don’t solve for the lack of strategy at the budget meeting. Boards of high-growth companies should regularly interrogate and recalibrate the company's strategic trajectory alongside operational reviews.

4. Present Integrated, Narrative-Based Business Unit Reports -
Ditch the siloed CEO, CFO, COO, CMO, CHRO etc. reports in favour of a unified business narrative. These reports should reflect the business strategy, follow the business units and combine functional performance across those business unite in their way of delivering the strategy. Key is to illustrate how various departments align and contribute to drive growth. Financial reports, Marketing updates can be in the appendix, but only important items should be discussed in the business discussion. Every report should answer: how are we going and how will be going? What did we get right and what not, and what have we learned from it? Are we doing better than last year? Are our lead indicators pointing up and why?

5. Apply Voluntarily ESG – Adopting and Measuring ESG is an Opportunity, even for SMEs -
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is not just for large corporates. High-growth companies and SMEs can and should leverage ESG to enhance talent attraction and retention, support better decision-making, and embed purpose. DEI, culture, and sustainability aren't just the right thing—they’re a competitive edge for a company. A strong, early focus on governance helps in capital raises as well as attracts investors.

6. Pursue Real-Time Risk Calibration -
Move beyond annual risk reviews. Integrate strategic, operational, financial, and emerging risks—such as cyber threats, AI disruption, or regulatory shifts—into a single real-time risk framework. Use this to inform decisions, not just compliance checklists.

7. Embrace Purpose and Culture Check-ins -
Culture is a key growth lever. Boards should track and discuss purpose and culture with the same seriousness as financial results. Culture is not glossy value statements, but how they translate into action and behaviours. Include pulse surveys, staff turnover, ethics data, and stakeholder feedback in board packs. Listening actively to staff and customers is strategic governance.

8. Apply a Deeper Skills-Based Board Refreshment Program -
As the company evolves, so must the board. Regularly map current director skills against future needs—AI, ESG, capital markets, digital platforms—and plan refreshment cycles accordingly. Don’t wait for tenure limits; evolve by design and need.