How Tech Leaders Fail Board Meetings

Many tech leaders make a critical mistake: they present to the board instead of having a conversation. The key is shifting to strategic dialogue.

When REI CIO Julie Averill attended her first board meeting, she came prepared with a detailed roadmap and input from her team. However, she was quickly caught off guard by the first question: what could she accomplish with 20% more resources? Averill realized she had focused too much on granular details and was unprepared for a high-level strategic question. Her key takeaway was immediate: a board meeting is meant to be a dialogue, not just a presentation.

This experience highlights a common mistake made by technology executives. According to Alizabeth Calder, a senior advisor at IDC, the primary error is entering the room with the mindset of a presenter. The board’s function is not to micromanage technical execution but to provide strategic oversight. They are more interested in the 'why' and 'what if' scenarios than the 'how.' Tech leaders must be ready to move beyond their slides and engage in a dynamic conversation about strategy, risk, and opportunity to effectively align their function with the company's broader business goals.

This highlights a critical skill for tech leaders: translating technical details into strategic business conversations to align with and influence company direction.

When tech leaders fail to engage the board strategically, they risk underfunding, misalignment of tech initiatives with business objectives, and a diminished role in corporate governance. This can hinder innovation and cede strategic ground to competitors.