All that is being swept away. Boards today are smaller, younger and subject toahigher degreeof public scrutiny. Whereonce a companymight disclose little more than thenames of its directors, the typical annual report todayoffers anextensive account of howthe board fulfils its remit, and thebackground of eachdirector.

Many feel that thequest for transparency has gone too far, but openness does requireboards to think hard about their role and the skills required to be a good director. Not long ago, directors – especially chief executives –were accustomed to a command and control style of management.

This tack no longer works. The ability to influence, rather than merely command, is atapremium. This is especially true of the chairman, who must be sensitive to board dynamics and thebalance of personalities round theboard table without appearing weak.

Likewise, directors need to be reflective and self-critical. They must have the emotional intelligence to generate creative tension within a collegiate setting, and the honesty to admit to failures.

This is true in the coreprofitand- loss areas of operation, but also in critical ‘non financial’ areas suchas ethics or the environment. Until recently a board could simplydemand that HR draw up a set of employee rules, circulate them and reprimand any transgressors.

Today’s board doesn’t have it so easy – itmust influence and set an example. This is not to say that theboard should become involved in theminutiae of HR policy. But boards must realise that they need to articulate, personify and lead company values.

Similar lessons apply to environmental issues. Not every companywill be affected equally by climate change, but all will be touched by the rapidly shifting attitudes of their customers and of thebright graduates who want to work for a companywith a credible track record on sustainability.

Again, it is not theboard’s job to run the graduate recruitment programme or the ‘green effort’, but it absolutely is its task to ensure that theworld beyond the company is not changing faster than the company itself. At the same time, there is a need for self analysis and criticism. Board evaluation is a relativelynew experience, but most boards are embracing it, albeit gingerly at first.

Publicly, companies are saying little about board evaluations. Internally, however, evaluations arehaving an impact on effectiveness and howboards think about and approach their role. This will mean UK boards are increasingly fit for the challenges of tomorrow. The hot bath is cooling down.