Take on Board

Today on the Take On Board podcast, I share my reflections on respectful disagreement, prompted by the devastating incident involving Australian independent politician Helen Haines, and on how it has sparked broader conversations about turning down the heat while staying engaged.

I explore why boards need robust, respectful debate rather than artificial harmony. I outline two practical frameworks: psychological safety (drawing on Amy Edmondson’s work and on ways to measure and improve team dynamics) and Kim Scott’s Radical Candor model (balancing deep care with direct communication while avoiding ruinous empathy and obnoxious aggression).

I also reflect on a client conversation about values-based leadership, and I encourage you to consider what’s working in your boardroom to enable inclusive, constructive challenge.

Links and Resources

Kim Scott's Radical Candor

Amy Edmondson

Data Drives Insight

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Today on the Take on Board podcast, I'm speaking with Sandra Davey about governing transformation and treating change as an ongoing pattern rather than a one-off project. A director at auDA, Screenrights Australia, and the Australian Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI), Sandra has also chaired and served on boards, including the Australian Interactive Media Industry Association and CHOICE. She helps bridge executives and boards amid rapid digital change.

Sandra discusses her path into governance, including an early board role tied to auDA’s creation, and lessons from leading CHOICE through a multi-year transformation funded by cash reserves, with clear goals, outcomes, and metrics. She identifies six patterns that derail change: culture, leadership, unclear outcomes, misaligned risk, fragmented funding, and overloaded teams. She also considers how AI adoption is prompting board questions about burnout, anxiety, and cultural leading indicators.

Links and Resources

Organa

Sandra on LinkedIn

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Today on the Take on Board podcast, I discuss the rise of phishing scams targeting board professionals and share two examples I’ve received: one that’s loudly “too good to be true,” with eye-watering compensation, and another, more subtle, flattering message that uses credible governance language.

I explain the key red flags to watch for (vague details, missing recruiter credentials, Gmail addresses, and requests for money or ID), why these scams are increasing due to AI-driven web scraping, and the likely end games: selling services, harvesting identity documents, or profiling active email accounts.

I also share practical steps to protect yourself—pause before responding, verify the recruiter and domain, cross-check via LinkedIn or by contacting the firm directly, and if it feels like a scam, don’t respond... block and delete.

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Today on the Take on Board podcast, I’m speaking with Giselle McLachlan about being a great board chair, and I’m delighted to welcome her back after her earlier appearance in the early days of video. Giselle is a reformed lawyer based in Wanaka on New Zealand’s South Island, and through her work at Grounded Governance, she coaches, teaches, facilitates workshops, and supports boards, particularly chairs, in doing their role well.

We discuss why chairing is often misunderstood as simply “running the meeting,” why finishing on time isn’t the measure of good chairing, and the importance of the work before and after meetings. Giselle shares her “five Ts” framework—time, tone, talent, teamwork, and tikanga/traditions—and offers practical examples, including board connection practices, expectations for pre-reading, and how to manage differing director preferences.

Links and Resources

Giselle on LinkedIn

Giselle's website - Grounded Governance

Giselle's been on the podcast before: Episode 328: Giselle McLachlan wants to help prepare your boardroom for the future

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Today on the Take on Board podcast, I’m speaking with Shona McGlashan about inclusive board cultures. Shona is chair of Pain BC and vice-chair and governance committee chair of Bard on the Beach Theatre Society. Shona is a governance professional, board director, and consultant who believes boards are only as effective as the culture they create.

Shona discusses why everyone in the boardroom must actively create inclusion, sharing an early-career lesson about “total football” and making space for people to speak up. She outlines practical accessibility and psychological safety practices, recruitment approaches that brought millennial directors onto Pain BC’s board, and how diverse lived experience strengthens decision-making while directors are not delegates.

Links and Resources

Shona on LinkedIn

Shona's website

You can find a series of governance-related articles here

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Today on the Take on Board podcast, I’m coming from Banff, Alberta. I'm building on conversations from the Vancouver meetup with Nancy Maloney and Shona McGlashan about joining boards and building a portfolio.

I explain why resilience is key—since you’ll apply for more roles than you’ll get—and how perseverance and feedback help you persist.

I revisit Nancy’s early board interview story, reflect on my recent rejections, and share recruiter advice from Monique Fulmer (PeopleFusion): apply only if your skills match, lead with board experience on your resume, and separate board and executive experience. I also highlight committee roles as a pathway into boards and conclude with themes of resilience and alignment.

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This week on the Take on Board podcast, it's another Ask Me Anything. A few weeks ago, you heard me in conversation with Cathy Robinson from the Board Observership Program and Reena Rihan, an alum of the program, which led to a Q&A session with the Board Observership participants.

They had so many awesome questions that we didn't get through them all in the 90-minute session. So today, Cathy is joining me again to ask me those questions. It might also be a good prompt to say I've just started a YouTube series called Ask Me Anything, where I give short, snappy responses to your governance questions. So if I don't answer your governance question today, or if you've got something not covered today or in the previous episode, send it in. Whatever your favorite way of getting in touch is, please reach out, ask me the question, and at some stage I will cover it in that YouTube short series. 

Links and Resources

The Observership Program

Episode 369: The Observership Program and your board future

Ask Me Anything - Send your questions

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Today on the Take on Board podcast, I have an insightful conversation with Sara Harrup, a governance professional, entrepreneur, and board chair with a portfolio of board roles, including deputy chair of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.

We explore her journey and expertise in neuro-inclusive governance, where she focuses on designing environments that accommodate different neurocognitive styles. Sara, an autistic woman with ADHD, brings professional and personal depth to challenging traditional board dynamics.

Sara shares her experiences and discusses her recent decision to evolve her neuro-inclusion frameworks, reflecting on the insights that prompted this transformation.

Links and Resources

Sara on LinkedIn

Unique Mind co.

Diversity Council of Australia

Episode 288: Sara Harrup explains what boards need to know about CEOs and executives who are neurodivergent

Episode 294: Sara Harrup answers the thorny questions about neurodiversity in this community Q and A

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Today on the Take on Board podcast, I'm speaking with Gabrielle Trenbath about her journey to the boardroom, and we'll probably touch on disability inclusion in the boardroom. 

Gabrielle is on the boards of the National Disability Services Board and Hartley Life Care. She has previously served on the boards of Avivo, the Disability Service Commission, the Pat Giles Centre for Non Violence, and Music for Canberra.

Gabrielle is a non-executive director with seven years' governance experience across community and human services. A graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a chartered secretary, she works in the Australian Public Service in diversity, equity and inclusion, bringing lived experience of disability and a strong focus on strategy and impact.  

Links and Resources

Gabrielle Trenbath on LinkedIn

Disability Leadership Institute

The Observership Program

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Today on the Take on Board podcast, we're hosting a Take on Board community Q&A with Sarah Gray on managing perimenopause and menopause in the boardroom. This is the event that followed Helga and Sarah's mid-July conversation about managing perimenopause and menopause in the boardroom.

Today, the women of the Take on Board community gathered to ask whether boards should have a menopause policy, how to handle resistance from people who think women should just “get on with the job,” and practical ways chairs and directors can create supportive conditions.

Sarah recommends starting with education and awareness before policy, putting menopause on the governance agenda, and creating practical supports like comfortable meeting environments, earlier board papers, buddying up, confidential routes to seek help, and permission for short comfort breaks.

She also discusses confidence and self-perception, encourages seeking feedback, and offers nutrition tips for meetings—hydration and brain-supporting snacks such as nuts and seeds (including walnuts) instead of lollies.

Links and Resources

Episode 365: (Peri)menopause and the boardroom: what you need to know with Sarah Gray

Sarah's Book: It's Not You It's Perimenopause

Sarah's website: The Nutrition Pharmacist

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