Boards That Excel is a different kind of corporate governance book. Author B. Joseph White, a successful businessman, veteran of several boards, and a distinguished academic, argues that boards enable organizations to excel only when the directors go beyond the standard duties of good governance, such as oversight, monitoring, and facilitating strategy. Directors, he says, must see themselves as stewards who have a responsibility to know the organization inside out and make decisions that create value for all stakeholders - customers, shareholders, and society. The goal should be not just quarterly success, but giving the organization the ability to control its destiny over the long term.

White provides a comprehensive guide to all the responsibilities of a board member, always informed by this wider perspective. He draws lessons from his 25 years of personal experience–including serving as governance committee chair of an S&P 500 company board and as a director of one of America’s largest privately held, family-controlled businesses. He also includes candid interviews with more than a dozen high-performance directors, including General Motors' recently appointed board chair Tim Solso, Siebel Systems founder Tom Siebel, and legendary real estate investor and Equity Residential chairman Sam Zell. Authoritative and disarmingly honest, this is an inspiring call to board members to understand and fully embrace their critically important role.