For an organization’s governance model and its business strategy to be in lock step, directors need to understand and meaningfully engage in setting the company’s strategic direction, according to Tom Monahan is CEO of CEB. This means the C-suite must be able to develop productive relationships with board members—even have the skills to coach directors on how to manage conversations with shareholders. Directors in turn need to monitor the company’s operational heartbeat closely so they can make informed decisions about when to play it safe and when to dare to deviate. Read the original story from Harvard Business Review.