The power balance between employers and potential and current employees is shifting. Boards and CEOs would do well to heed the risks arising.

True inclusion disrupts the “self preservation society” of the status quo on boards and in executive suites. To make it a reality, we need to “get a bloomin’ move on!”.

Board directors and chairs should take bullying seriously; it can hamper an organisation's ability to perform and their own ability to fulfil their statutory and fiduciary duties.

The multi-headed hydra of cyber security is now a national security problem. Bits of that hydra are out of the boardroom but the bits that remain in the boardroom continue to need vigilance and and an understanding of risk controls.

Identifying and managing conflicts of interest, both professional and personal, is one of the key challenges for board and committee chairs, so they can ensure directors properly discharge their duty of care towards the organisations they oversee.

Board refreshes cannot always be fully planned but they provide an opportunity for boards to renew their purpose, their culture, their skills for a positive impact on the organisations they oversee.

Finding a solution is hugely dependent on defining the problem and its scope correctly. By defining D&I as a bounded problem, many approaches falter at the first step.

Talent should be on the board agenda because bad hiring practices demotivate and cause attrition, as well as damage equity and diversity in an organisation.

With the lessons of 2020 to guide us, boards need to change their risk conversations and their strategic priorities for 2021.

To go beyond tokenism on "difference" or "diversity", we need to practise governance differently. Starting with how we recruit board directors. And how we report on our intent, action, and progress for diversity.