Independent Directors aren’t just found in the boardrooms of blue-chip companies. They play a vital role in governing the health services, charities, sporting bodies and educational establishments. Now, more than ever, these organisations are crying out for diverse, committed and engaged independent directors. New governance scandals are being reported with an alarming frequency. Whether it is executive pay abuses, or organisations driven into the ground by greed, or negligence, or publicly run bodies, from universities to health trusts, apparently completely ignoring their main purpose. If you’ve ever wondered how this can be allowed to happen, or why everyone in charge seems to be sleeping on their watch, perhaps you need to take your questioning to the next logical stage. Ask yourself: is there anything I can do about it? The answer is, most definitely, yes. There are many, many people with the skills and ability that can be used for the positive good, to oversee the people at the top of our nation’s institutions, from the largest to the smallest, and stem the flow of abuses. The position of non-executive director – though better termed an Independent Director (ID) to reflect the scope of the role - is one of the most important jobs in any organisation, be it corporations large and small, or sporting bodies, or charitable organisations, health trusts or universities. Not only do they play a crucial role in steering and developing strategy, and managing risk, they are also the key to ensuring accountability. They are the people who ensure these organisations properly serve　all　of their stakeholders, be it employees, customers and wider society, rather than simply shareholders. They are the real long-term custodians of organisations. There is no better time to step-up and make a difference. The demand for impartial input is greater than ever before. It coincides with a moment in history where there is a strong public desire to change things across the board. The very public demonstrations against everything from climate change, to flaws in government policy, to protests against the fall-out from austerity, prove that more people than ever want to see tangible change. Becoming an ID and helping to transform policies from within is a powerful way to make this happen. This is the essential guide to what to expect as a truly independent director, how to get a position and what you can achieve once you have one. After reading this book, hopefully you will want to put yourself forward and take a seat at the table or get involved in corporate volunteering. It is only by democratising Independent Directorship that we will be able to change things for the better. weiterlesen