In this special episode, we share a recent recording of Paul hosting a live webinar on the subject of AI, its impact on boardrooms, policies, governing and the role of board directors themselves. 

Is it a risk, an opportunity, or (spoiler alert) both?

In this episode, Paul discusses:

• What is AI, Generative AI and what stage are we at?*
• How to develop an AI Governance Policy for your company or organisation...that will keep pace the rapid changes in AI
• How you should (and shouldn't) use AI inside the boardroom 
• What could the future hold for AI Governance?

*Note. This was recorded in late 2023. The world of AI is changing so fast that some facts will be out of date when you listen. Can't be helped :)

On the back of episode 89, we've been looking at another study. This time by Monash University in Australia, which delved deep into board diversity and inclusion.

They interviewed remarkable women from diverse backgrounds, and what they unearthed is a wake-up call for every boardroom across the world.

In this episode, Paul is back to quickly distill the main points of this latest study and what it means for you, your board and for the wider industry. Warning, he has some strong opinions on this one...

Another year, another survey of board directors. Does this one show us anything new?

Earlier this year, the Global Network of Director Institutes released their “The Future of Board Governance” report. The GNDI is a collection of 24 national governance institutes from North and South America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, with combined memberships of 150,000.

In this episode, Paul briefly covers the main findings of the report and the implications for boards and companies. 

This episode is a bit special and serves two purposes. For our Australian listeners, it continues on the discussion about navigating the Voice to Parliament discussion with your board. Paul hosted a webinar recently and this is a snippet from a special panel discussion with guests Jessica Bulger (from the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute) and Kate Hillman (from Ernst & Young).   For our overseas listeners, there is still some great stuff here for you if you are interested in how indigenous governance differs from modern governance norms, and what we can learn fro each other. It was a fascinating chat.   Please note, the audio is not up to the usual standard.   More from Jessica:AIGI Website: https://aigi.org.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-bulger-3993925b/   More from Paul:  Website: https://futuredirectors.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futurepaulsmith/   More from Kate:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-hillman-11007040/

In a special episode of the podcast, we take a look at how to navigate the 'Voice to Parliament' Referendum in your boardroom. For our non-Australian listeners, this won't mean much unless you keep up to date with First Nations affairs globally. 

In this webinar (converted to podcast), Paul was joined by author, Uluru Statement from the Heart signatory and Yes23 Spokesperson, Thomas Mayo, and CEO of the Australian Indigenous Governance Insitute, Jessica Bulger. 

They explored this crucial topic, delving into the significance of acknowledging First Nations communities and how (and why) boards can play a role.

Thomas explores the historical struggle for regocognition, whilst Jessica provides an important context and perspective on the principles of effective Indigenous governance.

You'll finally hear a panel discussion featuring Paul, Jessica, Thomas and Future Directors' Head of Programs Aisling Blackmore, talking about how boards can engage, listen, and respond to society and social issues. 

More from Thomas:  Website: https://www.thomasmayo.com.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-mayo-70774378/

More from Jessica: AIGI Website: https://aigi.org.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-bulger-3993925b/

More from Paul:  Website: https://futuredirectors.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futurepaulsmith/

More from Aisling:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/acblackmore/

 

This is part 2 of Paul's fascinating (we think) conversation with technologist and all round nice guy, Josh Klein. 

If this is your first listen to the podcast, we recommend you go back to Part 1 a few episodes ago. 

Josh is a truly fascinating guest. He specialises in translating technological insights into actionable strategies. He's a sought-after speaker, writer and consultant even though he now lives on the island country of Iceland. 

This was a meeting of the minds. Josh and Paul vibing on so many levels that we had to record across two episodes. Enjoy!

More Josh here:

Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Klein Josh's website: https://josh.is/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaklein/ 

More Paul here:

Wiki: Yeah right! FDI website: https://www.futuredirectors.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futurepaulsmith/ 

 

High-performance teams, from the pitch to the boardroom, need to build up rapport together. This takes time.

But, one of the major problems in most boardrooms is the lack of time together. Whatever time a board has is usually spent on the business instead of getting to know one another. Compound this with the infrequency of meetings and you have a recipe for a less effective team.

In this episode, Paul discusses why there is always time to build rapport in the boardroom. From informal small talk to more formal structures and social gatherings. You'll reap the benefits with just a little investment in getting to know each other.

Paul's back chatting to with the best and brightest in his latest episode of the Future Directors Podcast.

This week is Part 1 of a two-parter with technologist, Josh Klein.

Josh is a truly fascinating guest. He specialises in translating technological insights into actionable strategies. He's a sought-after speaker, writer and consultant even though he now lives on the island country of Iceland. 

This was a meeting of the minds. Josh and Paul vibing on so many levels that we had to keep recording into a second episode. Enjoy!

More Josh here:

Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Klein Josh's website: https://josh.is/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaklein/ 

More Paul here:

Wiki: Yeah right! FDI website: https://www.futuredirectors.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futurepaulsmith/ 

Did you know that fewer than 1% of board directors worldwide have a formal qualification? Should this worry us? Do qualifications indicate competency? Do we miss out on better candidates when we seek assurance from a qualification?

In this short episode, Paul ruminates on a recent conversation between scholars Scott Galloway and Byron Auguste on The Prof G Pod, and seeks to connect it to the boardroom.

For some background, here's that conversation between Scott and Byron.

We’re always working toward inclusivity and intersectionality at Future Directors. And, today, it’s particularly important that I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which Paul recorded this episode – the Whadjuk Noongar people.

So, can we learn anything about governance from the oldest living civilisation in the world? In this week's episode, Paul shares his thoughts having spent the last few years talking with and listening deeply to First Nations Indigenous people around the world.

Not to spoil the next 8 minutes but Paul's answer is emphatically YES. 

This might be a bit confronting for some listeners to hear...