A few thoughts on the composition of boards.

Last week, I read about Chelsea Clinton's appointment to a corporate board (here).  (I have to admit that I felt seriously jealous of Ms. Clinton after I read this.  The good news about her appointment is that she's exceptionally smart and well-connected.  But she's also ... 31 years old.  These days, 31-year-olds feel like kids to me.)

This morning, I read Lucy Kellaway's column on how important it is to have someone on a board who's unafraid to speak up (here).

Let's combine the two stories.  I've never met Chelsea Clinton, but I have a feeling that she's tough enough to be able to speak up if she sees something hinky happening.  I hope so.  It's important to have people who can fight groupthink in organizations, and boards are especially susceptible to groupthink. 

For more of my thoughts on why boards (and other organizations) need naysayers to slow them down, see this PowerPoint I did (here).